The Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF) Scientific Advisory Board and its Board of Directors recently announced its 2022 research grants, including six funded grants at Yale Cancer Center and Smilow Cancer Hospital awarded to Mehra Golshan, MD, MBA, Melinda Irwin, PhD, MPH, Ian Krop, MD, PhD, Lajos Pusztai, MD, David Rimm, MD, PhD, and Eric Winer, MD, to support their research.
Mehra Golshan, MD, MBA, was awarded a grant for an application titled, “Breast Cancer Screening and Treatment in Resource Poor Countries.” Dr. Golshan is Professor of Surgery (Oncology); Deputy Chief Medical Officer for Surgical Services at Smilow Cancer Hospital; Executive Vice Chair, Surgery; and Clinical Director of the Center for Breast Cancer at Smilow Cancer Hospital and Yale Cancer Center.
Melinda Irwin, PhD, MPH was awarded a grant for an application titled, “Physical Activity, Diet, Weight and Breast Cancer Survivorship.” Dr. Irwin is the Susan Dwight Bliss Professor of Epidemiology and Associate Dean of Research at the Yale School of Public Health. She is Associate Cancer Center Director for Population Sciences and Deputy Director (Public Health) for the Yale Center for Clinical Investigation.
Ian Krop, MD, PhD, was awarded a grant to support his project, “The ‘AVIATOR’ Study: A Randomized, Phase II Study Comparing Trastuzumab and Vinorelbine in Combination with Avelumab or Avelumab and Utomilumab in Patients with HER2-Positive Metastatic Breast Cancer.” Dr. Krop is Associate Cancer Center Director for Clinical Research; Director, Clinical Trials Office; and Chief Clinical Research Officer at Yale Cancer Center.
Lajos Pusztai, MD, DPhil, was awarded a grant to research, “Characterization of Intra-Tumor Heterogeneity and Immune Infiltration in Breast Cancer and its Clinical Implications.” Dr. Pusztai is Professor of Medicine (Medical Oncology); and Co-Leader, Genetics, Genomics and Epigenetics at Yale Cancer Center.
David Rimm, MD, PhD, will study, “Targeted and Immune Therapies in Breast Cancer.” Dr. Rimm is the Anthony N. Brady Professor of Pathology and Professor of Medicine (Medical Oncology); Director, Yale Cancer Center Tissue Microarray Facility; Director, Yale Pathology Tissue Services; and Director of Physician Scientist Training Program.
Eric Winer, MD, was awarded a grant to research, “Translational Obesity Research in Underserved Women with Breast Cancer.” Dr. Winer is Director, Yale Cancer Center; Physician-in-Chief, Smilow Cancer Network; and the Alfred Gilman Professor of Medicine and Pharmacology.
Researchers do not apply for BCRF grants but, rather, are invited to apply by the BCRF’s Scientific Advisors. The grant-review process involves rigorous assessment and examination of creative new directions in clinical and translational breast cancer research in need of seed funding. The grants fund research with annual budgets that typically do not exceed $250,000.