The Division of Perceptual Studies (DOPS) has received the first installment of a $1 million estate gift from The Philip B. Rothenberg Legacy Fund to establish the Philip B. Rothenberg Research Fund. This transformative gift will support groundbreaking research into whether consciousness survives bodily death.
The new fund will specifically focus on supporting early-career researchers, who will be designated as Rothenberg Research Fellows. These fellows will work as part of the DOPS research team to expand and accelerate both fundamental and clinical approaches to survival research, with the goal of publishing their findings in scholarly journals.
Dr. Bruce Greyson, a leading researcher at DOPS, reflected on his connection with Dr. Rothenberg: “When Dr. Rothenberg first approached me at the IANDS conference back in 2018, he told me he wanted to support our research on near-death experiences, hoping this work would continue to bring scientific rigor to the question of what happens to our consciousness after we die.”
Known affectionately as “Dr. Phil,” Rothenberg was a plastic and reconstructive surgeon with international service experience who lived in Houston. His interest in consciousness research was sparked through his studies in thanatology with Elizabeth Kubler-Ross, which eventually led him to become an enthusiastic supporter of Dr. Greyson’s research on near-death experiences.
“Phil was a real friend of DOPS, with a sharp intellect, a wonderful sense of humor, and insatiable curiosity about human consciousness,” Dr. Greyson added. “We are deeply grateful to him for this wonderful gift.”
DOPS plans to select the first Rothenberg Research Fellow in 2025. For more information, please contact Maggie Guggenheimer, administrative director, at mog3b@uvadops.org.
“Dr. Phil” Rothenberg (left) with DOPS researcher Dr. Bruce Greyson at an annual conference of IANDS