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ABOUT US

Our Mission

To help find a cure for breast cancer by funding promising Breast Cancer Research in Alabama and to raise community awareness and funding for that research.

ABOUT

OUR STORY

The Breast Cancer Research Foundation of Alabama

In December of 1995, the O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center at UAB introduced two people who had a shared experience with breast cancer. Dolly O’Neal, an 18-month breast cancer survivor, was one of those people. The other was Bruce Sokol, whose wife D.D. was undergoing breast cancer treatment at the time. Both shared a fervent desire to do something to fight this disease.

The following year, they founded the Breast Cancer Research Foundation of Alabama.

Today, we continue to uphold their work as we partner with Alabamians across the state to fundraise for research. Through individual donations, corporate partnerships, and special events, we have contributed nearly $14 million to local, lifesaving research since our founding.

As we continue the fight against breast cancer and bring hope to everyone affected by breast cancer, we always operate with our mission in mind.

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IMPACT NUMBERS

1 in 8 women are diagnosed with breast cancer

1 in 1,000 men are diagnosed with breast cancer

Nearly $14 million invested in Alabama-based research since 1996

93% of every donation supports our mission

IMPACT NUMBERS

1 in 8 women are diagnosed with breast cancer

1 in 1,000 men are diagnosed with breast cancer

Nearly $14 million invested in Alabama-based research since 1996

93% of every donation supports our mission

OUR RESEARCH

What Are Our Goals? 

Receive sought-after and sustaining grant dollars

Recruit and retain world-class breast cancer researchers

Seize every opportunity for groundbreaking discovery

O'Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center

This funding we provide to our partners allows researchers to successfully compete and receive sought-after and sustaining grant dollars, recruit and retain world-class breast cancer researchers, and seize every opportunity for groundbreaking discovery.

The O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center at UAB is one of the leading national academic medical centers that make up the Translational Breast Cancer Research Consortium, which is 100% philanthropy-funded. The effective stewardship of our donations to this organization & their partners creates a multiplier effect, using the BCRFA donations as “seed money” to attract grant funding – turning every one dollar donated into 16 dollars!

More than 90% of every donation we receive supports our mission of funding research and raising awareness. For further information on how the BCRFA stewards the resources received from our supporters, please review copies of our latest Financial Audit and Form 990.

OUR LEADERSHIP

We are passionate about raising funds and awareness to find solutions for breast cancer treatment.

Staff

Beth Davis
President & CEO
[email protected]

Wright Wiggins Rouse
Marketing & Communications Director
[email protected]

Brandy Key
Events Coordinator
[email protected]

Sonja Jordan
Administrative Assistant
[email protected]

2023 Board of Directors

Brian Grainger
Chair / Treasurer

Camper O’Neal
Vice Chair

Celya L. Caston
Secretary

Hope B. Bosworth

Denise Bryant

Gloria Buie

Meredith Woods Carpenter

Jill N. Carter

Fran Chaiprakob

Vivian Weaver Davis

James L. Dye

Laura Hinton

Gary Johnson

Sri Karra

Kate Kiefer

Ginger Milam

Carol Sue Mitchell

Dianne Mooney

Carol Myers

Wendy Paschal

Greg Schumann

George Shaw

Renee Steed

George C. Thompson

2023 Advisory Committee

Charles Baker

Anne-Michelle Barnett

Sandra Little Brown

Kate Darden

Susie Denson

Diane Dudney

Cherri Ellis

Cathy Friedman

Rosalind Griffin

Shane Hill

Melinda Mathews

Cathleen Moore

Carol Myers

Mauricio Papapietro

Philip Passafiume

Betsy Printz

Ryan Ramage

Dr. Caroline Reich

Jean C. Thompson

Marion Walker

Mary Welden

Kay Zarzour

Medical Advisory Council

Deepa Bedi, M.D., Ph.D.
Tuskegee University (Tuskegee, AL)
Associate Professor, Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine

Joel L. Berry, Ph.D.
Astound Research, Inc. (Birmingham, AL)
Chief Scientific Officer

Rebecca J. Boohaker, Ph.D.
Southern Research (Birmingham, AL)
Associate Fellow, Oncology

Karim Budhwani, PhD
CerFlux (Birmingham, AL)
CEO-Scientist

Sara Cooper, Ph.D.
HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology (Huntsville, AL)
Faculty Investigator

Andres Forero-Torres, M.D.
Seagen (Bothell, WA)
Global Development Lead, Early-Stage Clinical Development
Inaugural holder of the O’Neal-Sokol BCRFA Endowed Chair at UAB

Manoj K. Mishra, Ph.D.
Alabama State University (Montgomery, AL)
Professor and Director, Cancer Biology Research and Training Program

Omar Moukha-Chafiq, Ph.D.
Southern Research (Birmingham, AL)
Principal Scientist

Shreyas S. Rao, Ph.D.
University of Alabama (Tuscaloosa, AL)
Associate Professor, Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering

Gabrielle Rocque, M.D., MSPH
University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) (Birmingham, AL)
Associate Professor of Medicine in the Divisions of Hematology & Oncology and Gerontology, Geriatrics, & Palliative Care

Seema Singh, Ph.D.
Mitchell Cancer Institute, University of South Alabama (Mobile, AL)
Professor of Pathology; Professor of Oncologic Sciences; Head, Inflammation and Immunobiology Laboratory; Senior Member, Cancer Biology Program

Bruce F. Smith V.M.D., Ph.D.
Auburn University (Auburn, AL)
Director, Auburn University Research Initiative in Cancer
Professor of Pathobiology

2023 Junior board

William Lynch
President

Megan Carter

Morgan Carter

Marie Ehrhardt

Rebecca Johnson

Carolyne Kontomitras

Laura LaFonte

Erica Mitchell

Megan Patterson

Ellie Priester

Hannah Sanford

Daniel Seehase

Baret Steed

Amy Stevens

Co-Founders

BCRFA Founders - Bruce Sokol and Dolly O'Neal

Bruce H. Sokol and Dolly A. O’Neal

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