Breast Cancer Program

Program Leaders

Robert Clarke, PhD, DSc
Marc Lippman, MD

Program Overview

The primary mission of the Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center (LCCC) Breast Cancer (BC) Program is to improve outcomes for patients through a better understanding of the mechanisms underlying the development and progression of breast cancer and response to treatment. Members collaborate across three thematic areas to advance our portfolio of portfolio of high quality/high impact basic, translational, clinical and population-based research.  

The BC Program includes 24 full members and nine associate members representing an interdisciplinary group of basic scientists, translational scientists and clinicians who are involved in studies ranging from preclinical models to treatment and outcomes. Program highlights include: an active breast cancer patient advocacy group; support for development of novel investigator-initiated clinical trials across the consortium with correlative studies; and outreach and research initiatives in the Black and Hispanic communities within our catchment areas.

Three specific aims define the scientific goals of the Breast Cancer Program and are achieved by the innovative and interdisciplinary mix of basic, translational, clinical, and population research:

  • Aim 1: To advance understanding of the determinants of responsiveness to systemic therapies with a focus on endocrine and HER-2 directed therapies.
  • Aim 2: To elucidate the effects of nutritional, environmental, and/or hereditary risk factors on breast cancer susceptibility in experimental models and humans.
  • Aim 3: To explore the factors impacting malignant progression from preneoplasia through to metastatic disease.

Additional Resources

Full Members

Associate Members