Rays of Hope Center for Breast Cancer Research

The (Co-directors: Dr. Grace Makari-Judson, MD; Dr. D. Joseph Jerry, PhD) is a close collaboration among scientists at UMass Amherst and clinicians at the Breast Center, Baystate Medical Center and housed within the Pioneer Valley Life Sciences Institute in Springfield, MA. The Center maintains the Breast Research Patient Registry that combines lifestyle and clinical information together with primary tissues (formalin-fixed, fresh frozen, primary cultures). The patients have provided broad consent for use of the tissues as well as willingness to be re-contacted for participation in follow-up studies. This longitudinal database provides opportunities for investigations of biomarkers as well as effectiveness of clinical interventions. The technical expertise includes clinicians from Oncology, Surgery and Pathology as well as scientists working in epidemiology, genomics, metabolism and drug delivery.

Contact Information:

Grace Makari-Judson, Baystate Health Network
(413) 794-5433
grace.makari-judson@baystatehealth.org

Joseph Jerry, Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Pioneer Valley Life Science Institute
(413) 545-5335
jjerry@vasci.umass.edu

Roxanne Labonte, Baystate Research Facility, PVLSI and BACF
(413) 794-0523
Roxanne.LaBonte@baystatehealth.org