Funding Supports Innovative Research Leveraging Artificial Intelligence, Advanced Technologies and Novel Therapies to Improve Patient Outcomes
DALLAS – Susan G. Komen®, the world’s leading breast cancer organization, today awarded $15.4 million in grants to cutting-edge breast cancer researchers who are bringing us closer to the cures for all breast cancers. The funded projects span some of the most promising areas of research, including the use of artificial intelligence for better health outcomes and vaccine-based approaches targeting the most aggressive and deadliest forms of breast cancer.
In total, 35 researchers representing 24 leading medical and research institutions in the United States received funding. The investment includes support for long-term, well-established researchers who have made a profound impact in the field and early-career investigators whose work represents the next generation of scientific discovery and innovation in breast cancer research. In addition to advancing research on AI and vaccine development, the grants support research on breast cancer in younger populations, role of weight loss on breast cancer risk and prevention and reducing disparities in breast cancer outcomes for all.
“At a time when federal funding for scientific research is increasingly limited and complicated, Komen’s investment is helping sustain critical momentum in the search for breakthroughs. Demand exceeds currently available government funding, creating growing challenges for scientists — particularly early-career investigators — whose groundbreaking ideas often face the greatest barriers to securing support,” said Victoria Wolodzko Smart, senior vice president of Mission at Susan G. Komen.
Many of today’s most significant advances in breast cancer treatment began as bold, early-stage concepts. Continued investment in innovative science has helped us detect breast cancers earlier, drive more effective treatments and save more lives. By funding researchers at pivotal stages in their careers, Komen is helping ensure that promising discoveries continue moving forward rather than being delayed or lost.
“The researchers receiving grants from Susan G. Komen are making lasting contributions to our understanding of breast cancer and bringing the innovation and technology that’s needed to this disease so that all patients can receive the best care possible and enjoy a high quality of life after a breast cancer diagnosis,” said Dr. Ann Partridge, Chief Scientific Advisor for Komen.
Key Highlights of Komen’s 2026 Research Grants Investment:
- 72% of funding is dedicated to metastatic breast cancer (MBC). MBC is the most advanced stage of breast cancer and the cause of nearly 43,000 deaths each year in the U.S.
- 88% is focused on precision medicine to tailor treatments to each patient’s unique biology.
By investing in research for metastatic breast cancer, health inequities and the need for more precise, personalized treatment strategies to improve care and outcomes for everyone, Komen can help discover and deploy the solutions for the greatest challenges facing breast cancer patients today.
“The treatments we rely on today were once only a dream,” said Jennifer A. Pietenpol, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Advisor for Komen. “By continuing to invest in bold, promising ideas, and in the passionate researchers who pursue them, we have the potential to drive the next generation of lifesaving breakthroughs in breast cancer.”
Recipients of Komen Grants
Recipients of Career Catalyst Research Grants
Di Martino, Julie, PhD, New York Medical College
Li, Carman, PhD, University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine
González Díaz, Eva, PhD, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Zhang, Anli, PhD, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center (UT Southwestern)
Sayaman, Rosalyn, PhD, The Regents of the University of California, San Francisco
Schrank, Benjamin, MD, PhD, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
Recipients of Career Transition Awards
Ransohoff, Julia, MD, Stanford University School of Medicine
Peiffer, Daniel, MD, PhD, The University of Chicago
Karvonen, Hanna, PhD, NYU Grossman School of Medicine
Recipients of Opportunity Grants
Wolff, Antonio, MD, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
Derksen, Patrick, PhD, University Medical Center Utrecht
Curtis, Christina, PhD, Stanford University School of Medicine
Recipients of Leadership Grants
Polyak, Kornelia, MD, PhD, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Pietenpol, Jennifer, PhD, Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Ramirez, Amelie, DrPH, The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio
Krop, Ian, MD, PhD, Yale School of Medicine
Newman, Lisa, MD, MPH, Weill Cornell Medicine
Park, Ben Ho, MD, PhD, Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Troester, Melissa, PhD, University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill
Curtis, Christina, PhD, Stanford University School of Medicine
Tamimi, Rulla, ScD, MS, Weill Cornell Medicine
Pal, Tuya, MD, Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Jagsi, Reshma, MD, DPhil, Emory University
Kurian, Allison, MD, MSci, Stanford University School of Medicine
Ma, Cynthia, MD, PhD, Washington University in St. Louis
Tolaney, Sara, MD, MPH, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
McDonnell, Donald, PhD, Duke University
Domchek, Susan, MD, University of Pennsylvania
Coussens, Lisa, PhD, Oregon Health & Science University
Lin, Nancy, MD, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Battaglia, Tracy, MD, MPH, Yale University
Shah, Sohrab, PhD, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
Chavez MacGregor, Mariana, MD, MSc, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
Recipients of Scientific Strategy and Programs Grants
Quinn, Kate, CFRE, American Society of Clinical Oncology
Mukhtar, Rita, MD, The Regents of the University of California, San Francisco
Welm, Alana, PhD, Metastasis Research Society
Komen is the largest nonprofit funder of breast cancer research outside of the U.S. government, having invested more than $1.1 billion in research since its founding. This work is made possible through the support of generous donors, corporate partners and communities committed to advancing breakthroughs in breast cancer care.
Read more about the research led by this year’s grants recipients and previous funding from Susan G. Komen.
