Episodes
Wednesday Jan 27, 2021
Connecting the Dots Between Breast Cancer Risk and Obesity, with Dr. Vared Sterns
Wednesday Jan 27, 2021
Wednesday Jan 27, 2021
Women with breast cancer who are overweight or obese experience inferior outcomes compared to those with normal weight despite receiving optimal therapies. Dr. Vered Stearns discusses researching ways to reduce breast cancer recurrence through effective weight-loss interventions and why we need to bring more discoveries from the lab to the clinic. Dr. Stearns is a member of the BCRF Scientific Advisory Board and has been a BCRF Investigator since 2003.
Thursday Dec 10, 2020
BCRF Symposium and Awards Luncheon 2020
Thursday Dec 10, 2020
Thursday Dec 10, 2020
Each October, BCRF-funded investigators are honored at the Foundation’s Symposium & Awards Luncheon in New York City. This year, the program was held virtually, without the lunch—but with all of the important conversations and ideas.
The annual event announces the Foundation’s grant investment for the coming year and recognizes BCRF investigators for their trailblazing scientific inquiry. This year’s program included an extraordinary symposium, moderated by BCRF Scientific Director Dr. Judy Garber, that included Dr. Angela DeMichele, Dr. William G. Kaelin Jr. and Dr. Lori J. Pierce.
We’re proud to make their discussion available in a special episode of Investigating Breast Cancer.
Wednesday Nov 25, 2020
Wednesday Nov 25, 2020
Women of African descent are more likely to be diagnosed with aggressive breast cancers than white women and are more likely to die from their disease regardless of its type or stage. For those living in remote or low-resource areas, limited access to screening and genetic testing make improving outcomes even more challenging.
In this episode of our podcast, Dr. Funmi Olopade, talks about her work in Africa and Chicago, the critical importance of precision medicine, and why she’s “impatient” about eliminating barriers to breast cancer care around the world. Dr. Olopade, a BCRF investigator since 2001, serves as the founding director of the Cancer Risk and Prevention Clinic and associate dean for global health, both at the University of Chicago.
Wednesday Oct 28, 2020
A Closer Look at the Evolution of Breast Cancer Cells with Dr. Kornelia Polyak
Wednesday Oct 28, 2020
Wednesday Oct 28, 2020
The immune system plays a critical role in tumor growth by attacking cancer cells with white blood cells. Cancer cells that survive this immune attack can become invasive and metastatic (a process called immune escape). In this episode of Investigating Breast Cancer, Dr. Kornelia Polyak shares the impact of understanding breast cancer at a molecular level. Dr. Polyak, a BCRF investigator since 2008, is an internationally recognized leader in the breast cancer research field.
Monday Sep 28, 2020
Monday Sep 28, 2020
While genetic testing and counseling for breast cancer has been available in the U.S. for many years, accessing these services in Mexico and the rest of Latin America is more challenging due to limited resources. Leading genetics researcher and oncologist, Dr. Jeffrey Weitzel, has devoted his career to decreasing these barriers. Dr. Weitzel, a BCRF investigator since 2013, is director of the Clinical Cancer Genetics Program and professor of oncology and population sciences at the Beckman Research Institute at City of Hope.
Wednesday Aug 05, 2020
Closing the Gap in Breast Cancer Care with Dr. Mariana Chavez MacGregor
Wednesday Aug 05, 2020
Wednesday Aug 05, 2020
Research shows that when chemotherapy is delayed, a patient’s chance of survival falls significantly. Dr. Mariana Chavez MacGregor, a BCRF investigator since 2018, joined our podcast to talk about her work with underserved and underinsured patients—those who are most likely to experience delays—to develop personalized ways to improve healthcare access and, ultimately, outcomes.
Dr. MacGregor is an associate professor at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, holding a primary appointment in the Health Services Research Department and a joint appointment in the Breast Medical Oncology Department.
Tuesday Jun 30, 2020
The Promise and Potential of Breast Cancer Vaccines with Dr. Karen Anderson
Tuesday Jun 30, 2020
Tuesday Jun 30, 2020
One key goal in developing precision vaccines and immune therapies is to reduce the risk of breast cancer recurrence. Yet currently, there is only one FDA-approved immunotherapy drug for breast cancer, and it benefits just a small subset of women.
In this episode of Investigating Breast Cancer, we talk with Dr. Karen Anderson about vaccines, harnessing the power of a person’s immune system, and reducing the risk of breast cancer recurrence. And of course, we’d all like to know: What’s the progress? And how has COVID-19 impacted this research?
Thursday May 28, 2020
The Underlying Biology of Drug Resistance with Dr. Sarat Chandarlapaty
Thursday May 28, 2020
Thursday May 28, 2020
Advances in cancer therapy have dramatically contributed to the decline in breast cancer deaths over the last three decades. But even with these advances, drug resistance—when tumors stop responding to anti-cancer drugs—remains a serious clinical challenge. Dr. Sarat Chandarlapaty talks about the strategies to prevent cancer cells from evading the drugs designed to kill them.
Dr. Chandarlapaty is a laboratory head at the Human Oncology and Pathogenesis Program at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. He's also a BCRF Scientific Advisory Board member and has been a BCRF researcher since 2015.
Tuesday Apr 28, 2020
A Cross-disciplinary Approach to Breast Cancer Research with Dr. Antonio Wolff
Tuesday Apr 28, 2020
Tuesday Apr 28, 2020
In the fight to understand and solve breast cancer, “it takes a village.” In this case, the village is more like a globally connected series of research labs, scientists, patients, funders and more. In other words, something that looks a lot like the Translational Breast Cancer Research Consortium (TBCRC). The TBCRC is a collaborative group founded in 2005 to conduct innovative and high-impact clinical trials for breast cancer led by Dr. Antonio Wolff.
Dr. Wolff, a BCRF investigator since 2007, is the Chief Operating Officer for the Translational Breast Cancer Research Consortium (TBCRC).
Tuesday Mar 24, 2020
Breast Cancer Care and COVID-19: From the Frontlines with Dr. Judy Garber
Tuesday Mar 24, 2020
Tuesday Mar 24, 2020
Breast cancer—and any cancer—can be incredibly stressful under the best of circumstances for patients, survivors, and their families. In this time of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), concerns can feel like they’re rising exponentially. So, what do we all need to know? With tons of new information bombarding us at once, what should cancer patients and families consider? Are there practical tactics or is there tangible guidance to stay safe?
In this special episode of Investigating Breast Cancer, we talk to Dr. Judy Garber for the answers. Dr. Garber is BCRF’s scientific director and chief of the Division of Cancer Genetics and Prevention at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston.