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WINTER 2010 | |
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A Message from Evelyn Lauder, Founder & Chairman For the last six years we have brought together the BCRF grantees for a scientific meeting on the day preceding BCRF's Symposium and Awards Luncheon. The day ends with a special, yet informal dinner for socializing and relaxed conversation. Our first year, we had 10 grantees for dinner around one small table. This year nearly 150 filled the room, including grantees from Canada, Latin America, the Middle East and Europe; so many brilliant minds in one room, it is truly awe-inspiring to sit among this collective group of extraordinary people. It is a privilege to chat informally with these dedicated professionals about their work and their lives. What is most amazing to us is that so many grantees tell us that this scenario is very unusual for them. They don't often have a chance to gather in such a small, intimate setting with their fellow scientists. This relaxed atmosphere fosters open discussions and the opportunity to share ideas with one another. We would like to believe that friendships blossom in this environment as well.
While the discussion around the table is lively and varied, inevitably a grantee will speak about what she or he thinks makes BCRF different. They cite BCRF's openness to take risks and fund the germ of an idea. They will speak about BCRF's entrepreneurial spirit that permits a scientist to work on an unusual project which allows them to conduct some of their most interesting work. One cannot leave this dinner without hope that breast cancer will soon be eliminated. The promise of a future without breast cancer is dimmed by the reality that today only about 11% of meritorious, peer-reviewed applications receive funding from the National Institutes of Health. The scientists in this room are keenly aware of this fact. Therefore BCRF's support for encouraging yet untried ideas is crucial. We need your continued support to help us inch closer to the finish line. Thank you for believing in BCRF and a world without breast cancer.  |
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