Authored by Jane Buckner, MD, President, and Jerry Nepom, MD, PhD, Emeritus Member

Benaroya Research Institute honors and remembers (“Becky”) Benaroya, a beloved member of our community whose generosity, compassion and commitment to improving lives leaves a remarkable impact.

Becky believed deeply in the power of science and collaboration to change the future of human health and invested in BRI because of that shared vision. Becky’s commitment to advancing research in type 1 diabetes was deeply personal, actualized by her introduction to BRI when her grandson was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes (T1D). Becky and her husband Jack Benaroya, who passed away in 2012, were committed to help advance cutting-edge T1D research that benefits patients and families around the world. The Benaroya’s gifts to BRI have a lasting legacy, including a transformative gift toward the research building campaign and permanent endowment to fuel our ongoing research.  

Becky leaves us with many memories of her warmth, thoughtfulness, and genuine care for others – qualities that will continue to guide us. She understood that scientific progress is ultimately about people – the patients and communities who benefit from new discoveries – and she championed that mission with extraordinary dedication. She challenged us to get to a cure for T1D faster, and that clarity of what our goal should be drives our work every day.

On behalf of the entire Benaroya Research Institute community, we extend our heartfelt condolences to her family and loved ones. Becky’s spirit of giving will continue to inspire our mission to advance the science to predict, prevent, reverse and cure diseases of the immune system. Her legacy will live on through the research she helped make possible and the countless lives that will be touched by the work she so passionately supported.