NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Gray Foundation today announced $25 million in funding for 7 research teams to study new approaches for prevention, early detection, and interception of BRCA-related cancers.
The new grants are part of the Foundation’s ongoing Team Science program, which funds innovative BRCA-related collaborative research. For this cycle, the research teams were selected from more than 55 applications through an extensive evaluation led by Chi Van Dang, MD, PhD, Chief Science Advisor for the Gray Foundation, supported by a review committee composed of leading experts in the field.
The selected multi-institutional, multi-disciplinary teams will commence studies into a variety of topics related to prevention, early detection, and interception. Grants were awarded to teams led by:
- Angela Belcher, PhD – Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- Joan Brugge, PhD – Harvard Medical School
- Dipanjan Chowdhury, PhD – Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
- Amy Degnim, MD – Mayo Clinic
- Shawn Demehri, MD, PhD – Massachusetts General Hospital
- Judy Garber, MD – Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
- Kenneth Olive, PhD – Columbia University
Dr. Dang commented: “The new research supported by the Foundation is innovative and wide-ranging, but also coherent and focused on our mission of improving prevention, early detection and interception of BRCA-related cancers. The selected teams represent some of the most promising in cancer research and we look forward to the impact of their work.”
The Gray Foundation’s Mindy and Jon Gray added: “As we double down on our Team Science program, it is our fervent hope that families have far better options than exist today. We are inspired to support this cutting-edge research across institutions as we continue to make progress in early detection, prevention, and interception of BRCA-related cancers.”
With these grants, the Gray Foundation has committed $187 million to supporting BRCA research. In 2012, the Grays established the Basser Center for BRCA at Penn Medicine’s Abramson Cancer Center, the first center in the world exclusively focused on BRCA cancers, and in 2022 funded the creation of the Basser Cancer Interception Institute with an additional $55 million. The Foundation has supported leading medical institutions including the Cleveland Clinic, Duke Cancer Institute, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, University of Southern California Cancer Center, Weill Cornell Medicine, and Yale School of Medicine.
About the Gray Foundation
The Gray Foundation is focused on accelerating research, improving treatment and raising awareness for individuals who have inherited BRCA mutations.
In addition, the Foundation is committed to improving the lives of low-income youth in New York City. The Foundation partners with leading nonprofits to expand access to education, healthcare and opportunity for children across all five boroughs.
Jon and Mindy Gray founded the Gray Foundation in 2014. They have given over $375 million in support of these missions.