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Barrow Establishes Caroline Hoeye Pituitary Research Program with $1.5M Gift

March 24, 2023
Caroline Hoeye & Andrew S. Little, MD, FAANS, FACS

Barrow Neurological Foundation is honored to announce that Caroline Hoeye has endowed the Caroline Hoeye Pituitary Research Program at Barrow Neurological Institute. The generous $1.5 million endowment will support research in the Barrow Pituitary Center, which treats more patients with pituitary disorders than any other center in the Southwest.

“Research is critical to improving the diagnosis of pituitary disorders, understanding how pituitary tumors develop, and creating new medications,” said Ms. Hoeye. “The innovative work that the Barrow pituitary team is doing has the potential to change the lives of patients suffering from this condition. I wanted to use my own personal experience to support them in advancing this research and helping patients.”

Although the pituitary gland is only about the size of a pea, it is often referred to as the “master gland” because it regulates many critical bodily functions through the hormones that it produces. The symptoms associated with pituitary disorders, such as weight gain, extreme fatigue, forgetfulness, mood swings, and high blood pressure, can be debilitating and severely impact patients’ quality of life.

“Caroline has been a longtime philanthropic partner of Barrow and shares our sense of urgency for increasing pituitary disorder research. Her generous endowment of the Caroline Hoeye Pituitary Research Program will enable Barrow pituitary specialists to conduct groundbreaking research that will have a measurable impact on patients’ lives. We are grateful to partner with her on this journey,” said Katie Cobb, President of Barrow Neurological Foundation.

The Barrow Pituitary Center is co-led by neurosurgeon Andrew Little, MD, and neuro-endocrinologist Kevin Yuen, MD. It provides comprehensive care for patients diagnosed with pituitary tumors and emphasizes innovative research, state-of-the-art technology, and minimally invasive surgical techniques. The pituitary research program currently comprises the Registry for Adenomas of the Pituitary and Related Disorders (RAPID) Research Consortium, clinical trials, and tumor-in-a-dish studies, all united behind the theme of creating new treatments.

“Clinical and translational research play a paramount role in pituitary tumor treatment and management. Because of Caroline’s generosity, our team can continue pushing boundaries to accelerate the diagnosis of pituitary disorders and develop new drugs to specifically target pituitary tumors, to the great benefit of patients,” said Dr. Little. The Caroline Hoeye Pituitary Research Program will focus on advancing groundbreaking research into pituitary tumors, facilitating the discovery of new medicines to treat these challenging conditions, and educating future generations of pituitary specialists.