In October of 2021, Brian Goldner, the visionary Chairman and CEO of Hasbro, Inc., lost his courageous battle with prostate cancer after years of compassionate care at The Miriam. He was just 58. Now, his wife Barbara is honoring her late husband and continuing their family’s legacy of inspired philanthropy with a $1 million gift to establish The Goldner Family Urologic Cancer (Transformer) Fund.
The fund will provide support for the expansion of clinical trials; infrastructure improvements; disease prevention; faculty recruitment, retention, and training; and the integration of artificial intelligence tools. Overall, the goal is that the fund will help The Miriam and Brown University Health become a recognized leader in urologic cancer care innovation and a place where advanced scientific knowledge and discoveries translate into better patient outcomes.
The fund’s name carries special significance for Barbara who added the word “Transformer” for two reasons. First, it was as a nod to the fact that Brian was an executive producer and champion of the wildly successful sci-fi action film franchise of the same name. Second, and more important, was because Brian himself was a transformer; his future-focused thinking literally helped transform Hasbro from a traditional toy maker into a global multimedia and entertainment powerhouse.
Barbara says Brian had an innate curiosity, an appetite for learning, and was driven by a purpose of connecting with people and helping them become more than they imagined possible.
“He had this gift of being able to see things in people before they could see them in themselves,” she says. “If he believed in you and saw something in you, he stayed with it. He opened doors for you and taught you how to open doors for yourself. That was his transformative nature at work.”
That quality shaped Brian’s long friendship with Gyan Pareek, MD, FACS, Chief of the Division of Urology and a co-founder of the Minimally Invasive Urology Institute at Brown University Health. Dr. Pareek began treating Brian’s cancer nearly a decade before his passing. Their doctor-patient relationship evolved into a strong friendship built on trust, respect, and a shared vision for the future.
“We became really close,” Dr. Pareek says. “He was guiding my thought process on growth. I would share my vision, and over the years he provided guidance, advice, and encouragement. The friendship kept growing and I was welcomed into the family’s circle as well.”
Brian’s belief in people left a lasting impression. Dr. Pareek recalls how Brian encouraged him to think boldly about building a world-class academic urology program—one where research, education, and patient care work together to improve lives.
The fund is already helping create the foundation for significant growth in research programs and clinical trials. With this investment, Dr. Pareek reports, the department expects to expand its clinical trial portfolio substantially, opening new opportunities to evaluate innovative therapies and bring cutting-edge treatments to patients sooner. The strengthened research infrastructure has also helped to position the program to secure additional external funding, creating a multiplier effect that will accelerate future discoveries.
Barbara’s gift also complements her prior support for Anthony E. Mega, MD, Director, Genitourinary Oncology Program, Brown University Health Cancer Institute. Dr. Mega, who also played a critical role in Brian’s care, focuses on improving awareness, screening, and early detection of prostate cancer. Together, these funding efforts address both prevention and treatment—two areas Barbara views as equally important.
“The gift to Dr. Mega was for more primary care physicians to be aware of detection and screening and prevention,” Barbara explains. “And the gift to Gyan was to help make this thing go away,” she adds hopefully.
Together for 35 years, the Goldners always approached giving the same way they approached life: as best friends and partners guided by a shared set of values and a commitment to helping others reach their potential. “We were a team in every sense of the word,” explains Barbara. “We did everything together.”
That includes making the decision to establish the fund.
“This is the first time I have made a gift like this by myself,” Barbara says. “But I did check in with him in my own way—‘What would Brian do?’—so, I know he’s proud that I did this for us.”
Barbara adds that “Team Goldner” included the couple’s daughter Brooke and Brian’s brother Brad, who were both very supportive.
Reflecting on the fund’s expected impact, Barbara, who holds BSN and LICSW professional credentialing and was a nurse before becoming a psychotherapist, says that improving others’ health and well-being is its own reward. “If I can save another family from the pain of losing a loved one, then it’s worth it,” she concludes.
“This is the first time I have made a gift like this by myself. But I did check in with him in my own way—‘What would Brian do?’—so, I know he’s proud that I did this for us ... If I can save another family from the pain of losing a loved one, then it’s worth it.”
