Decades of dedication: Honoring the Sastrys' generosity

The Wayne State University School of Medicine is elated to celebrate Singdi Dattu Sastry, Ph.D., and Pushpa Sastry for their enduring support.

In December 2024, Dr. and Mrs. Sastry generously contributed to the Sastry Foundation Endowed Chair for Parkinson’s Disease Research in Neurology, building upon their tremendous philanthropy to Wayne State University (WSU) and the School of Medicine (SOM), which spans decades.

Established in 2018, the endowed chair enabled the Department of Neurology to recruit a physician-scientist to accelerate progress toward effective treatments for Parkinson’s disease. The impact of this remarkable gift has been instrumental in expanding research efforts. Maysaa Basha, M.D., chair of the Department of Neurology, shared her enthusiasm for the Sastrys’ most recent gift. 

“This support will allow researchers within the Department of Neurology to ask bold questions and pursue answers that have the potential to improve the lives of patients living with Parkinson's disease. We are deeply grateful for the generosity and trust of the Sastry family,” Dr. Basha said.

The Sastrys are the founders of Jogue Inc., one of the nation's largest developers and producers of flavors and fragrances for food and other products. Dr. Sastry, a chemist raised and trained in India, served as the vice president of Jogue Inc, while Mrs. Sastry served as president. Founded in 1981, the corporation has facilities throughout Michigan, including Plymouth, Northville and Detroit, as well as in California and Florida. Its products are distributed around the world.

The Sastrys have two sons. Ashok Sastry, M.D., a 2001 graduate of the WSU SOM, specializes in nephrology and practices in Sarasota, Fl. Anil Sastry, a 2003 graduate of the Wayne State University Law School, is now the chief executive officer for Jogue Inc.

The Sastrys, through the Sastry Foundation, are longtime supporters of WSU. Honoring loved ones through charitable giving is a deeply held value for the Sastry family, so in 1998, they established the Sri Yalgurdrao and Ganga Kulkarni Endowed Scholarship Fund in memory of Mrs. Sastry’s grandparents, pictured right.

Their philanthropy has continued throughout the years, encompassing several gifts that support student achievement and research efforts.

In 1999, they established the Shivappa V. Hulbanni, M.D., Endowed Scholarship to honor the memory of their friend, celebrating his life as a compassionate humanitarian. The scholarship continues to support students aspiring to make a difference in medicine.

Their commitment to neurological research took a significant step in 2012, following Dr. Sastry’s diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease, with the creation of the Sastry Foundation Clinical Neuroscience Endowed Research Fund. Their support helped the department obtain a 3D-OCT machine for retinal imaging, which allows researchers to correlate brain tissue injury to retinal ganglion injury in neurodegenerative disorders. The fund has been pivotal in advancing studies on neurodegenerative disorders, particularly Parkinson’s disease, in the Department of Neurology.

Recognizing the importance of education in shaping the future, the Sastrys turned their attention to supporting Detroit’s youth. In 2014, they established the Sastry Foundation Endowed Scholarship in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. The scholarship provides vital opportunities for graduates of Detroit Public Schools, opening doors to academic and professional success.

Building on their legacy of giving, Dr. and Mrs. Sastry’s most recent transformative gift through the Sastry Foundation Endowed Chair for Parkinson’s Disease Research in Neurology underscores their steadfast commitment to advancing medical research and education. Their deepened investment in the Department of Neurology continues to inspire faculty and revitalize research efforts, and their philanthropic support plays a key role in accelerating progress toward developing effective treatments for Parkinson’s disease, Dr. Basha said.

Peter LeWitt, M.D., professor of Neurology and holder of the Sastry Foundation Endowed Chair for Parkinson’s Disease Research in Neurology, expressed his appreciation for the Sastrys’ enduring dedication.

“I am especially grateful for the vision and generosity of the Sastry Foundation because [their generosity] has provided me with an opportunity to channel my career interest in Parkinson’s disease research into productive activities on a daily basis,” Dr. LeWitt said. “In my four years in this role, several publications detail findings [made possible through] the endowment’s support. The range of my investigations includes clinical trials of new Parkinson’s disease therapies, basic neuroscience laboratory projects and investigation of new diagnostic techniques.”

The laboratory activities, in collaboration with Sokol Todi, Ph.D., professor of Pharmacology and Neurology at WSU SOM and chair of the Department of Pharmacology, are developing a new model of Parkinson’s disease in fruit flies, which can be genetically modified to capture the same biochemical changes found in humans. In the past two years, this research has tested new treatment strategies that could be incorporated into human clinical trials for modification of Parkinson’s disease.

The neuroimaging that Dr. LeWitt conducts with E. Mark Haacke, Ph.D., professor of Radiology and of Biomedical Engineering, seeks to improve the certainty of a correct diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease from disorders that mimic it. These improvements to MRI scans will be useful in monitoring progression of Parkinson’s disease and serve as a monitoring tool for detoxifying iron in the brain.

In addition to their generosity to WSU SOM, the Sastrys recently established the Govindrao and Sindhu Kulkarni Endowed Scholarship at Wayne State’s Law School, in honor of Mrs. Sastry’s parents, Govindrao (who briefly attended law school) and Sindhu Kulkarni. Pictured right, Sindu and Govindrao instilled in their five children a belief in the power of education as the foundation for achieving their dreams. Through this scholarship, the Sastry family honors their memory and celebrates their enduring belief in the power of education.

In addition to their financial contributions, the Sastrys have also enriched the WSU campus with the gift of artwork now displayed in the Department of Neurology. Their donation is a cherished addition to the School of Medicine, inspiring students, faculty and visitors alike.

Dr. and Mrs. Sastry’s support has been essential in empowering WSU’s efforts to positively impact local and global communities. Their long-standing commitment has been invaluable to the university’s mission to remain at the forefront of research and student achievement. 

Beyond their philanthropy to WSU, the Sastry foundation has built two community spaces in India in memory of Dr. Sastry’s parents, Sri. Sindagi Sakharam Bhat and Smt. Parvati; one fully equipped room at his family’s temple, and a fully functional community hall in a nearby Hubballi village (pictured right).

By transforming cherished memories into meaningful support for others, the Sastrys ensure their family’s belief in perseverance and the power of education will continue to inspire for generations to come.

To learn more about how to support the Wayne State School of Medicine, contact Lori Robitaille in the Office of Development and Alumni Affairs at lrobitai@med.wayne.edu.