Invest where impact begins: recommendations from Breast Cancer Research Foundation Early Career Investigator Working Group (Part 1 of 2)
Early-career investigators face growing challenges: dwindling public funding, limited trial leadership opportunities, systemic mentorship barriers, and widening global disparities. At the 20th Breast International Group (BIG) – NCI National Clinical Trials Network (NCTN) annual meeting, four key themes emerged: funding, mentorship, clinical trials, and translational research. This report outlines recommendations for funding and mentorship. Investment in this area is strategic to ensure continued advances for patients globally.
Authors
- Carlos Barrios (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6657-7246)
- Vernal Branch
- Dorraya El‐Ashry (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4665-7596)
- Theodora Goulioti (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0006-0178-5120)
- Antonio C. Wolff (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3734-1063)
- Teri Pollastro (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3958-8895)
- Larry Norton (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3701-9250)
- Samantha Chen (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0883-5569)
- Anna Thulin
- Nancy E. Davidson (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1520-6442)
- Eva Schumacher-Wulf
- Ioannis Zerdes (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8304-2462)
- Judy Garber
- M J Piccart
- Margaret Flowers
- Ritesh Parajuli
- Eric Winer
- Dario Trapani (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1672-9560)
- Yang Zhou
- David Cameron
- Susan M. Domchek (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5914-7272)
- Shane R. Stecklein (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8322-5886)
- Holly Tovey (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8324-0055)
- Nancy U. Lin (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2263-5413)
- Julia Foldi
- Sarra El-Abed (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8783-9671)
- Chayma Bousrih
- Lisa A. Carey (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2388-4649)
- Mariya Rozenblit (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0244-429X)
- Yara Abdou (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4827-8613)
- Boon H. Chua (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7561-7174)
- Natalie Klar (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5972-2265)
- Virginie Adam (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5271-7287)
- Erin Boudreau
- Seamus O’Reilly (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2887-7336)
- Christine Hodgdon
- Cesar A. Santa-Maria (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0979-8787)
- Jessica LC Hung (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9005-6718)
Institutions
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (US)
- Université Libre de Bruxelles (BE)
- Karolinska University Hospital (SE)
- Harvard University (US)
- Institute of Cancer Research (GB)
- Orlando Health (US)
- University of Milan (IT)
- Breast Cancer Research Foundation (US)
- University of Washington (US)
- University of California, Irvine (US)
- Breast Cancer Alliance (US)
- Royal Perth Hospital (AU)
- Institut Jules Bordet (BE)
- Institut Gustave Roussy (FR)
- Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital (CN)
- Cork University Hospital (IE)
- Yale Cancer Center (US)
- Karolinska Institutet (SE)
- UNSW Sydney (AU)
- Yale University (US)
- Breast International Group (BE)
- Fred Hutch Cancer Center (US)
- The University of Kansas Cancer Center (US)
- Cancer Trials Ireland (IE)
- Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (US)
- UPMC Hillman Cancer Center (US)
- Cancer Genetics (United States) (US)
- Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center (US)
- New York University (US)
- European Institute of Oncology (IT)
- University of Pennsylvania (US)
- University of Gothenburg (SE)
- University of Edinburgh (GB)
Publication Details
- Journal
- npj Breast Cancer
- Published
- 2026-05-11
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1038/s41523-026-00940-1
- Primary Topic
- Health and Medical Research Impacts
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00
Funders
- Breast Cancer Research Foundation