The Breast Cancer Coalition of Rochester is awarding $75,000 in breast cancer research grants to two University of Rochester researchers.
The coalition has been awarding these grants since 2003. Executive Director Holly Anderson said it’s because they wanted to see the money that gets raised in the region stay here.
"It was very frustrating to breast cancer survivors, and I’m included in that population, to raise millions and millions of dollars and see this money actually leave the region,” Anderson said. “This happens all across the country."
The coalition serves Monroe County and the surrounding nine counties, but this year, both grants happened to go to UR recipients.
UR professor Mark David Noble, who is receiving a $50,000 grant, will be looking into tamoxifen resistance in women.
Anderson said a $25,000 grant will go to UR student Danielle Erin Desa, whose research will focus on predicting metastasis in certain breast cancers.
"What she’s looking at is, is there a better way to predict which of the breast cancers are more lethal?” Anderson said. “Which ones are going to be the bad actors and sort of overexpress themselves?"
A board of local scientists and breast cancer survivors determines the research projects chosen.