Honoring a beloved sister and an impactful legacy in medicine

As executive director of the Eunice Kennedy Shriver Center at UMass Chan Medical School, Jean A. Frazier, MD, led the center’s innovative work to improve the quality of life for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, autism spectrum disorder and/or behavioral health disorders, and their families, for nearly a decade.

Her prior and continued tenure at UMass Chan accentuates a long, distinguished clinical and research career—one that Dr. Frazier, the Robert M. and Shirley S. Siff Chair in Autism and professor of psychiatry, pursued “because of Carol,” her beloved sister born with Down syndrome, who passed away in February at age 64. 

Carol had a joyful, productive life that included medal-winning participation in the Special Olympics, meaningful employment in the community and cherished time with family. Carol also experienced some of the profound challenges faced by many people with Down syndrome, including early-onset Alzheimer's disease and barriers to quality health care. The lived experience of Carol and their family has guided Dr. Frazier throughout her career. 

Dr. Frazier and her siblings recently established the Carol Frazier Fund at UMass Chan, in support of the Shriver Center, to honor both Dr. Frazier’s legacy in medicine and the life of Carol, who “instilled others with an appreciation for even the smallest accomplishments every day.” The fund offers a flexible, ongoing stream of support to advance the Shriver Center’s vision of maximizing inclusion, freedom and wellness for people with disabilities, under the guidance of the executive director. 

In 2015, Dr. Frazier, who is an expert in child psychopharmacology, child and adolescent neuropsychiatry and autism, took the helm of a newly expanded and integrated Shriver Center that emerged from three entities: the Child and Adolescent Neurodevelopmental Initiative (CANDI), the Center for Autism and Neurodevelopmental Disorders (CANDO)—the establishment of which Dr. Frazier spearheaded—and the Eunice Kennedy Shriver Center. 

In recognition of singular dedication to her prolific career and to the Medical School, Dr. Frazier was awarded the 2024 Chancellor’s Medal for Distinguished Service. “Dr. Frazier is an extraordinary leader who has placed her heart and soul in service to the institution,” said Chancellor Michael F. Collins when he announced her as the recipient. “A leader at state and national levels, she believes in the power of teamwork, is committed to those who are the most vulnerable in society, and has fostered the careers of multiple learners and faculty.” 

Dr. Frazier continues “doing the things I love” at the Shriver Center as director of the Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities program and senior advisor of career and research development, through which she is “training the next generation of providers and advocates.” She and her family are confident that the Shriver Center will continue to innovate in impactful ways under the leadership of the new executive director Sarabeth Broder-Fingert, MD, MPH, professor of pediatrics and vice chair of clinical research in the Department of Pediatrics, who assumed the position in January. 

“The Shriver Center was ready for a pediatrician to come on board and take it to next level,” said Dr. Frazier. “Sarabeth is perfect for the job: Bright, energetic and kind. The transition has gone very well, and the center couldn’t be in better hands.” 

Donations to the Carol Frazier Fund can be made online by entering “Carol Frazier Fund” in the special instructions section of the form.