Women’s health research funding lags behind centuries of medical studies focused on men. Since 2006, the Center for Women’s Health Circle of Giving has stepped up to fill that gap. 

Each year, on Granting Day, the group of donors gathers to award $125,000 in funding to support women’s health research. To date, they have awarded more than $3 million to spark advances in women’s health at OHSU and beyond. The funded research has explored subjects such as heart disease, Alzheimer’s, ovarian cancer, and more. 

Granting Day Awardee

This year, they are tackling breast cancer. More specifically, their selected study, Determinants of clonal evolution and inflammatory complications occurring after therapy for breast cancer, investigates a long-term risk faced by some people previously treated with chemotherapy and radiation for breast cancer. Laura Newell, M.D., Maros Ferencik, M.D., Jennifer Dunlap, M.D. and Rachel Cook, M.D. are the principal investigators on the project. 

Breast cancer occurs in 1 out of 8 American women. Experts think there will be nearly 300,000 new cases this year alone. Survival rates have gone up, but treatment can be intense. It sometimes has long-lasting side effects. Complications from breast cancer treatment can appear over a decade later.

One complication after breast cancer treatment is an increased risk of bone marrow abnormalities. This can lead to often fatal blood cancers. These abnormalities start in bone marrow stem cells that have specific mutations. The research team’s goal is to find how the mutations lead to the development of blood cancers. They also want to know why some survivors with these mutations stay well, while others progress to bone marrow abnormalities. Their findings have the potential to lead to earlier treatment and prevention of this therapy-related complication.  

“Our team is thrilled to receive this award from the Circle of Giving members. The impact is huge,” says Dr. Newell, “The knowledge we gain from this study has the potential to greatly affect the health outcomes of breast cancer survivors.” 

Visit the Circle of Giving to learn more about past awardees and membership.