What They're Saying About the BCRP

The Best Science

“By harnessing the talents of clinicians and basic scientists and real life experiences of cancer survivors, the California Breast Cancer Research Program ensures that the best science with potential for the greatest benefit to breast cancer patients is funded. In my opinion it is the best conceived, most effective state-based research funding program in the nation and should be copied by other states.”

Emmanuel T. Akporiaye, Ph.D.
Professor
Department of Microbiology and Immunology
University of Arizona
Tucson, Arizona

Exciting Research

“Every year, BCRP funds exciting research to test new ideas that would not be funded without their grants. It's extremely important that they fund this risk-taking research.”

Kristiina Vuori, M.D., Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
The Burnham Institute
La Jolla, California

Advocates at the Table

“I appreciate the California Breast Cancer Research Program allowing breast cancer advocates like myself to play a role in the peer review process. Having me sit at the table with scientists gives women with breast cancer and survivors a voice in research funding decisions. It also gives me the opportunity to learn more about the ins and outs of breast cancer research.”

Sara Williams
3-Year Cancer Survivor
President
Breast Cancer Coalition of North Carolina
Chapel Hill, North Carolina

Lives in the Balance

“At the last BCRP research symposium that I attended in September 1999, I was very much struck by the significant presence and considerable role played by the advocates. I'm a cancer survivor myself. These patients and survivors not only brought back my own experience, but also dramatically underscored the importance of everyone's efforts in fighting this disease. The very personal testimony from these women vividly demonstrated that there are literally lives in the balance that depend upon our research to improve the current, largely primitive ways of controlling the disease. I applaud the participation of these advocates and hope they will continue to play a major and interactive role in the research process.”

Cary Lai, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Scripps Research Institute
La Jolla, California

Non-Mainstream Research

“BCRP provided start-up funding for our study into diet and breast cancer, an area that's somewhat hard to get funded by national agencies. They're willing to fund non-mainstream research areas relevant to breast cancer, like social, psychological and dietary factors.”

Kent Erickson, Ph.D.
Professor and Chair
Department of Cell Biology, School of Medicine
University of California - Davis
Davis, California

Remarkably Efficient

“The thing that really impresses me most about the California Breast Cancer Research Program is the way that it works as an instrument of the citizens of the state of California. This is apparent from the instructions given to the investigators in the requests for proposals, the mandate offered as guidance for the reviewers, and the structure and administration of the grants. By emphasizing the availability and affordability of new treatments and modalities to all people, it has proven itself a remarkably efficient instrument of public health policy.”

John Mark Carter, Ph.D.
Director of Chemistry
Acting Director of Environmental Health and Safety
AxCell Biosciences Corporation
Newtown, Pennsylvania

Giant Leaps

“One of the BCRP's best features is that it nurtures new avenues into breast cancer research. Their New Investigator and IDEA grants are immediately relevant to the problems of breast cancer patients, and could yield answers in the very near future. At SRI, BCRP-funded research has generated several new drug candidates that will be further developed for treatment of breast cancer. Several novel drug targets have been studied on BCRP grants. BCRP-funded research has made giant leaps into several research areas of breast cancer, not matched by any federal or state-funded programs in the entire country.”

Nurulain Zaveri, Ph.D.
Medicinal Chemist/Project Leader
Pharmaceutical Discovery Division
SRI International
Menlo Park, California

Very Supportive

“I received a postdoctoral fellowship from the BCRP at a critical time in my career. I had done some research on breast cancer as part of my dissertation, and BCRP funding gave me the extra push to continue doing research in this area. BCRP is very supportive of individuals beginning their research careers. Their workshops on how to apply for funding are very helpful. The staff members are pleasant, willing and available to answer questions. My experiences with the BCRP have helped me to become more confident as I continue my research career.”

Carol Koprowski, Ph.D., R.D.
Family Environmental Sciences Department
California State University
Northridge, California

Premium on Diversity

“When I served on BCRP's Research Council, I saw that breast cancer advocates really have a say about how the program spends its grant money. BCRP also places a high premium on hearing the voices of diversity-ethnic, racial and socio-economic. Their community-based research efforts give validated scientific methods to community groups to attack the problem of breast cancer. They've done a fantastic job, and supported some really good research that wouldn't have been done if they weren't around.”

Marco Gottardis, Ph.D.
Director of Oncology
Discovery Bristol-Myers-Squibb
Princeton, New Jersey