Woodlands Mansion Transforms Into a Foodie Paradise to Boost The Duncan Neurological Research Institute’s Groundbreaking Advances

Carlton Woods residents Barbara and Michael Feigin are longtime supporters of The Duncan Neurological Research Institute. So it’s no surprise that they invited guests to their impressive home in The Woodlands to learn about the significant milestones and scientific advances achieved by The Duncan NRI team led by Dr. Huda Zoghbi.

Zoghbi was recently named a 2022 Kavli Prize Laureate for uncovering the genetic causes of two brain disorders — Spinocerebellar ataxia type 1 and Rett syndrome.

Attendees listened to Houston Methodist The Woodlands’ CEO Dr. Debbie Sukin’s personal experience of raising two sons with neurological disorders and their journey at The Duncan NRI and Texas Children’s Hospital. Founded in 2010, The Duncan NRI works to find cures for the most devastating neurological and psychiatric disorders.

Throughout the night, the noshing crowd indulged in a curated assortment of passed bites from Chef Lawrence Fogarty. These included ahi poke tuna cones paired with tograshi avocado and wasabi tobiko; mushroom arancini accented by porcini, black truffle, shaved parmesan and chives; and flavorful push pops comprised of house-made bacon jam, tomato, micro-arugula and mayo foam. Diners were also treated to Chef Lawrence’s specialty — a signature cheese ball with charcuterie and various fruits.

Still, the culinary highlight of the night turned out to be savory custom created bowls of tandoori chicken with basmati rice, cucumber relish and raita; beef chimichurri with heart of palm salad, gallo pinto and red pepper; and Southern shrimp and grits with creamed corn relish and tomato-tarragon jam. Attendees also created their own dumplings with options like crystal shrimp har gow, chicken, ginger and more. The feast concluded with a special Indian-inspirated pani puri sweetened with mango custard, lemon curd, toasted coconut, mint, sesame and caramel.

All that food fueled a fundraiser with an important medical mission that was never far from mind thanks to all the doctors and experts on hand.

PC Seen: Dr. Huda Zoghbi, Barbara and Mike Feigin, Debbie and Steve Sukin, Susan and Jon Harris, Shirley Alexander, Dr. Hsiao-Tuan Chao, Dr. Mingshan Xue, Judith Feigin and Colin Faulkner, Brynn and Peter Huntsman, Beth and Arthur Sands, Nav and Surpreet Singh, and Preet Singh.