Support the Next Generation of Research Leaders
The future of breast cancer research depends on the inspiring, committed, and innovative early-career researchers.
Your generosity enables researchers at critical stages in their careers to pursue groundbreaking, hypothesis-driven research. Together, we can unlock new knowledge about breast cancer, advance patient care, and improve outcomes for everyone affected by the disease.
Dr. Long Nguyen: Overcoming Immunotherapy Resistance in Triple Negative Breast Cancer
Long Chi Nguyen, M.D., Ph.D., is a postdoctoral scholar and Career Transition Award grantee at the University of Chicago, focusing on overcoming immunotherapy resistance in triple-negative breast cancer. Supported by his research grant, Dr. Nguyen investigates innovative strategies to tackle treatment resistance, aiming to enhance therapeutic options and improve outcomes for patients with this aggressive disease.
Komen Research Grants:
An Investment in the Next Generation of Breast Cancer Researchers
Komen Research Grants:
An Investment in the Next Generation of Breast Cancer Researchers
Meet Recent ASPIRE Grantees
(A Supplement to Promote Inclusion for Research Excellence)
ASPIRE grants are intended to enhance the diversity of the breast cancer research workforce by providing established breast cancer scientists with supplemental funding to support research trainees from communities historically minoritized and marginalized in research.
Uncovering Drivers of Organ Specific Breast Cancer Metastasis
Jesus Garcia-Lerena
Michigan State University
Investigating the Impact of Immune and Brain Cells Communication on Brain Metastasis
Aìlen Garcia-Santillan
Virginia Commonwealth University
PREPARE: Preparing Hispanic Advanced Breast Cancer Dyads for End-of-Life Care
Lianel Rosario
Ponce Medical School Foundation, Inc., PR
Activating Natural Killer Cells to Treat Breast Cancer
Isabella Terrazas
The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
Targeted Therapeutics for Triple Negative Breast Cancer
Ailed Cruz-Collazo, Ph.D.
University of Puerto Rico, Medical Sciences Campus
Image-Driven Breast Cancer Risk Assessment and Racial Disparities
Juanita Hernandez, Ph.D
Washington University in St. Louis
Role of Immunosuppressive T cells in Progesterone-Promoted Breast Cancer
Julio Tinoco
University of Kansas Medical Center Research Institute, Inc.
Modeling Chromosomal Abnormalities in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer
Catalina Alvarez Yela
University of Virginia
Background Parenchymal Enhancement as a Biomarker of Breast Cancer Risk in Black Women
Mattia Mah’Moud
University of Pennsylvania
Deimplementation of Preference-Sensitive Low Value Breast Cancer Care
Faith Dickerson, M.D.
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Neighborhood Disadvantage, Tumor Characteristics, and Breast Cancer Survival in U.S. Black Women
Etienne Holder, Ph.D.
Boston University
SIM2 Regulation of Metabolism and Progression in ER+ Breast Cancer
Hannah Carter
Texas A&M AgriLife Research
Targeting Tumor-Associated Macrophage Heterogeneity to Treat TNBC
Alex Smith
Baylor College of Medicine
Retrograde Signaling of Mitochondrial tRNAs Suppresses Breast Cancer Progression
King Faisal Yambire, Ph.D.
The Rockefeller University
Deciphering Cancer Metabolism in Skeletal Metastases of Breast Cancer
Cheyenne Ernst
Roswell Park Alliance Foundation
Patient Derived Models to Understand Tumor Evolution in Response to Therapy
Zannel Blanchard, Ph.D.
The University of Utah
Targeting Antigen Presentation to Improve Immunotherapy Response
Brandie Taylor, Ph.D.
Vanderbilt University
Targeting Metabolism to Enhance immunotherapy in Advanced Breast Cancer
Carlos Wanderley, Ph.D.
Brigham and Women’s Hospital
Targeting ZFP296 to Prevent Reactivation of Dormant Metastatic Breast Cancer Cells
Carolina Rodriguez Tirado, Ph.D.
Albert Einstein College of Medicine
Effects of Chronic Social Stress on Mammary Gland Development and Cancer Risk
Briana Banks, Ph.D.
The University of Chicago
Mechanical Regulation of Estrogen Signaling in Breast Cancer Bone Metastasis
Logan Northcutt, Ph.D.
Vanderbilt University
Alcohol as a Dietary Factor for Breast Cancer
Kelsey Salcido
University of Pennsylvania
Targeting Druggable Protein Modifications in HR+ Breast Cancer
Kacie Waiters, Ph.D.
University of Houston
Evaluation of Steroidal Natural Compounds for the Treatment of Inflammatory Breast Cancer
Luz Arroyo-Cruz, Ph.D.
University of Puerto Rico
Progesterone Promotes an Immune Privileged Microenvironment in Breast Cancer
Harmony Saunders
The University of Kansas
Oxygen Tension – Dependent Changes in Breast Cancer and Drug Sensitivity
Adedeji Kolawole Adebayo
Winship Cancer Institute
Komen ASPIRE Grantee Briana Banks is Building a Bridge to Eliminate Breast Cancer Disparities for Black Women
Briana Banks, a Komen ASPIRE Grantee, is committed to addressing breast cancer disparities that disproportionately impact Black women. Mentored by Matthew Brady, Ph.D., from the University of Chicago, and supported by a Komen ASPIRE grant, Briana is working to identify and overcome barriers to equitable care. Her research aims to improve outcomes and build a future where breast cancer no longer takes an unequal toll, reflecting her dedication to eliminating disparities and fostering health equity for all.
Meet Recent Career Transition Award (CTA) Grantees
Career Transition Awards provide up to five years of funding in two phases: Phase 1 supports the final years of mentored, postdoctoral training and Phase 2 supports the independent research of the early career, tenure-track investigators.
Physical Activity to Reduce Breast Cancer Treatment Morbidity
Moriah Bellissimo, Ph.D.
Virginia Commonwealth University
Evaluating Germline Genetics and Tumor Genomics of Young-Onset Breast Cancer
Kristen Brantley, Ph.D.
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Ceramide Actions in Endocrine Therapy-Resistant Breast Cancer Models
Douglas B. Fox, Ph.D.
Massachusetts General Hospital
Targeting the Tumor-Stroma Interactions in Breast Cancer Brain Metastasis
Siting Gan, Ph.D.
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
Breast Cancer Immunoprevention in BRCA Mutant Carriers
Emanuela Marchese, Ph.D.
Massachusetts General Hospital
Overcoming Immunotherapy Resistance in Triple Negative Breast Cancer
Long Chi Nguyen, M.D., Ph.D.
The University of Chicago
Ceramide Actions in Endocrine Therapy-Resistant Breast Cancer Models
Purab Pal, Ph.D.
University of Illinois at Chicago
Targeting Fusion RNAs in Metastatic Breast Cancer
Nolan Priedigkeit, M.D., Ph.D.
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Microbial-inspired Strategy to Enhance Breast Cancer Immunotherapy
Yifan Wang, Ph.D.
University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center
Topological Heterogeneity of Breast Cancer Brain Metastases
Jun Nishida, Ph.D.
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Meet Recent Career Catalyst Research (CCR) Grantees
Career Catalyst Research (CCR) Grants support promising breast cancer researchers who are in the early stages of their independent, faculty careers for up to three years of “protected time” for conducting their hypothesis-driven research.
Novel Therapy to Inhibit DNA Repair Mechanisms and Prevent Tumor Cell Division in Ethnically Diverse Breast Cancer
Nathan Merrill, Ph.D.
University of Michigan
Seeking New Immunotherapy Benefits for Obese Women with TNBC
Erika Crosby, Ph.D.
Duke University
Eliminating Metastasis Potential by Promoting Breast Cancer Dormancy via Macrophages
Lucia Borriello, Ph.D.
Temple University
Closing the Gap: Mixed Methods Approaches to Reducing Breast Cancer Disparities
Anand Narayan, M.D., Ph.D.
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Holistic Decision-Making Framework for Personalized Breast Cancer Screening
Bruno Barufaldi, Ph.D.
University of Pennsylvania
Using Natural Killer Cells to Treat Metastatic Breast Cancer
Isaac Chan, M.D., Ph.D.
University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
Deep Learning Mammographic Evaluations to Refine Breast Cancer Risk
Julia McGuinness, M.D.
Columbia University
Using AI-Based Methods on Medical Imaging to Predict Breast Cancer Risk in Black Women
Aimilia Gastounioti, Ph.D.
Washington University in St. Louis
Examining Immune Mechanisms of Margetuximab vs Trastuzumab in HER2+ Breast Cancer
Adrienne Waks, M.D.
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Targeting Dysfunctional DNA Replication Origin Control in Breast Cancer
Sarah Hill, M.D., Ph.D.
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Targeting GPR84 to Overcome Resistance to Immunotherapy
Gang Xin, Ph.D.
The Ohio State University
A New Chromatin-Directed Vulnerability in BRCA-Mutant Breast Cancers
Priyanka Verma, Ph.D.
Washington University in St. Louis
Biomarkers of Racially Disparate Drug Response in Triple Negative Breast Cancer
Sheheryar Kabraji, BM BCh
Roswell Park Alliance Foundation
Navigator-Assisted Hypofractionation (NAVAH) Short-Course Radiation Therapy in Black Breast Cancer Patients
Shearwood McClelland III, M.D.
University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center
Big Data for Breast Cancer Grants
The Susan G. Komen Big Data for Breast Cancer (BD4BC) Initiative funds data science projects to address challenges in breast cancer research and care
Big Data-Guided Metabolic Targeting of Metastasis-Promoting Immune Cells
Xin Lu, Ph.D.
Deep Learning-Based Discovery of Drug Targets for PIK3CA Mutated Breast Cancers
Harikrishna Nakshatri, Ph.D.
ASPIRE Grantee Dr. Zannel Blanchard: Patient Derived Models to Understand Tumor Evolution in Response to Therapy
Mentored by Dr. Alana Welm
Under the mentorship of Alana Welm, Ph.D., at the University of Utah, postdoctoral fellow Zannel Blanchard, Ph.D., is investigating how breast cancer evolves in response to treatment. This research aims to identify factors that contribute to treatment resistance, providing critical insights to improve therapeutic strategies for breast cancer patients.
More information and grant naming opportunities please contact:
Trish Davis, CFRE
VP, Major Gifts & Planned Giving
tdavis@komen.org | (972) 701-2171
Susan G. Komen
Attn: Next Gen. Research
13770 Noel Rd. | Suite 801889 | Dallas, TX 75380
Susan G. Komen’s federal tax identification number is 75-1835298.
