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3 ORGS · 12 ACTIVITIES ← all strategies ·
approach

Research-Driven Acceleration

By accelerating high-impact research and enabling collaborative, translational science, breakthroughs in cancer prevention and treatment are achieved faster, because scientific discovery is the foundational engine of long-term progress in complex diseases. This strategy prioritizes the rapid funding and coordination of biomedical research as the primary lever for ending cancer, distinguishing it from awareness- or service-focused approaches. It emphasizes speed, collaboration, and biological precision—treating research not as one component but as the central pathway to systemic change.

3
orgs running it
12
activities of those orgs
5
activity groups touched
who runs it

Organizations running this strategy · 3

what it looks like in practice

Activities of orgs running this strategy

A sample of programmatic activities from the orgs above — what the strategy looks like on the ground.

  • Awarding the Heather Weeks Memorial Dance Scholarship HOPE FOR HEATHER
    grantmaking
    Annually awards a scholarship to a graduating high school senior majoring in dance at an accredited educational institution in honor of Heather Weeks.
  • Educating women about ovarian cancer symptoms and risk factors HOPE FOR HEATHER
    direct service
    Conducts public education initiatives to raise awareness of ovarian cancer symptoms, including distribution of symptom cards and a downloadable symptom diary, and promotes knowledge of the BRCA gene’s association with increased cancer risk.
  • Providing direct support to ovarian cancer patients and families HOPE FOR HEATHER
    direct service
    Offers emotional and practical support to women and families affected by ovarian cancer through monthly support groups, guidance for newly diagnosed individuals, curated expert resources, and financial assistance for treatment-related needs at Upstate Cancer Hospital.
  • Running the Men of Teal awareness campaign HOPE FOR HEATHER
    direct service
    Selects and features 30 men annually during September as "Men of Teal," distributing ovarian cancer symptom cards and teal ribbons for participants to share in their communities to promote awareness.
  • Supporting ovarian cancer research through funding HOPE FOR HEATHER
    grantmaking
    Funds ovarian cancer research to improve diagnosis and treatments, with over $1.37 million raised for awareness, local support, and research initiatives.
  • Advancing genetic and AI-driven risk assessment tools THE BREAST CANCER RESEARCH FOUNDATION INC
    research
    Supports research identifying genetic mutations linked to breast cancer, including BRCA1/BRCA2 and others beyond, and develops polygenic risk scores (PRS) for personalized risk prediction. Developed FDA-approved AI tools like Clairity Breast and MIRAI, and supports AI research to predict chemotherapy needs and brain metastasis risk using pathology and clinical data.
  • Conducting clinical trials and developing new treatments THE BREAST CANCER RESEARCH FOUNDATION INC
    research
    Leads and supports investigator-led clinical trials that have contributed to FDA approval of 17 new breast cancer drugs since 2015, including Trodelvy for metastatic triple-negative breast cancer. Conducts trials such as POSITIVE, CMIST, and WISDOM to evaluate hormone therapy interruption during pregnancy, contrast-enhanced mammography, and personalized screening, respectively.
  • Funding breast cancer research globally THE BREAST CANCER RESEARCH FOUNDATION INC
    research
    Invests $74.75 million annually in breast cancer research, supporting over 260 scientists across 17 countries. As the largest private funder of breast cancer and metastatic breast cancer research worldwide, it has raised over one billion dollars since 1993 to advance scientific understanding and treatment.
  • Leading metastatic breast cancer research initiatives THE BREAST CANCER RESEARCH FOUNDATION INC
    research
    Allocates nearly $25 million annually to fund 96 metastatic breast cancer research projects through the Evelyn H. Lauder Founder’s Fund, the largest privately funded program exclusively focused on this area. Supports AURORA US and AURORA EU, large-scale studies analyzing tumor and blood samples from metastatic patients, and operates the Global Data Hub, the world’s first centralized platform for breast cancer research data.
  • Supporting early-career researchers and genomic testing development THE BREAST CANCER RESEARCH FOUNDATION INC
    capacity building
    Recognized for funding promising early-career investigators in breast cancer research. Supported foundational studies (TAILORx, RxPONDER, MINDACT) and the PAM-50 gene assay, which contributed to the development of the Prosigna test for recurrence risk assessment and informed the OPTIMA trial design.
  • Funding ovarian cancer research Tell Every Amazing Lady About Ovarian Cancer
    grantmaking
    Provides grants to support research programs focused on ovarian cancer, including small grants for specific research initiatives.
  • Funding services for ovarian cancer survivors Tell Every Amazing Lady About Ovarian Cancer
    grantmaking
    Provides funding to organizations that deliver support services to ovarian cancer survivors.