We invest in research that's changing how we think about cancer. That means more answers, faster breakthroughs, and personalized treatment for every patient. With more than a billion dollars raised to fuel our mission, that's progress. This year, BCRF is the largest private funder of breast cancer research—and the largest private funder of metastatic research—in the U.S.

Research is revolutionizing our understanding of breast cancer and bringing us closer to a cure. Discover how far science has come since BCRF’s founding in 1993—and how our investigators have been involved in every major breakthrough.

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Breast cancer is a complex disease with no simple solution, which is why our researchers are tackling it from every angle. Learn about our areas of focus and why each is critical to knowing how to fight cancer from the start, slow its progress and one day stop it from occurring altogether.

Areas of Focus

• Heredity & Ethnicity
• Lifestyle & Prevention
• Metastasis
• Survivorship
• Treatment
• Tumor Biology

Heredity & Ethnicity

Most people who develop breast cancer have no family history of the disease, but we know that’s not always the case. A person’s family history, inheritance, race and ethnicity are all important risk factors that have long been part of our research agenda. Our scientists have been behind major breakthroughs in this area, including discovering the role BRCA1 and BRCA2 play in breast cancer and uncovering the genetic link to more aggressive forms of the disease in women of African descent.

The more progress our researchers make, the better doctors are able to predict who is at risk and what can be done to prevent cancer’s onset.

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Heredity & Ethnicity Researchers

Christine B. Ambrosone, PhD

Dr. Ambrosone is a Distinguished Professor of Oncology, Chair of the Department of Cancer Prevention and Control, and Senior Vice President for Population...

BCRF Investigator Since 2008