The gift, provided through Ballerini’s Feel Your Way Through Charitable Fund, will benefit the hospital’s efforts to keep the children of Tennessee and beyond safe.

Roden is internationally known for his contributions to understanding arrhythmias and to the field of pharmacogenomics.

Squid, 7, is a part of the Canine Clinicians Facility Dog Program at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt. He provides support, comfort, motivation and care to patients and families.

This award, which recognizes meritorious contributions to endocrinology research, is one of the Endocrine Society’s prestigious 2026 Laureate Awards.

The award honors medical school faculty members who have made major contributions to improving public health and health care.

The high-energy fundraiser began in 2022 to raise money for cancer initiatives at Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center and Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt.

Evidence showed that deficiency in musical rhythm perception is a “modest but consistent risk factor for developmental speech, language and reading disorders.”