Our Mission

The International Breast Cancer Research Foundation believes that only through practical, cost-effective breakthrough research that takes advantage of the most promising opportunities and ideas everywhere in the world can we reach our goal of ending the suffering and death caused by breast cancer.

Each year, 1.5 million women in the world are diagnosed with breast cancer. Approximately one hundred eighty-two thousand of them live in the United States.

As difficult as it is to comprehend those figures, what lies behind them is something that cannot be reduced to a cold, hard fact:
The pain and suffering of those women and that of their families. It is, quite simply, immeasurable. It is also something that we believe you also understand all too well.

It doesn't have to be that way.
As a physician, Dr. Richard Love of the University of Wisconsin had become increasingly frustrated by the lack of progress in combating breast cancer. Research in the United States had become both a low priority and prohibitively expensive. His concern was shared by a number of other cancer physicians and in 1992 they founded the International Breast Cancer Research Foundation (IBCRF).

IBCRF, currently in its fifteenth year, is committed to practical, cost-effective, breakthrough research that takes advantage of the most promising opportunities and ideas everywhere in the world. This research – especially clinical research – holds the key to understanding, preventing and curing breast cancer.

The high ethical standards of IBCRF research were recognized by the award of the 1997 Westerman Prize in Clinical Research Ethics from the American Federation for Medical Research.

Our Scientific Director
Dr. Richard R. Love is a professor of Internal Medicine in Hematology/
Oncology, a professor of Public Health in Epidemiology and Biometrics, and director of International Oncology at the Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center in Columbus, Ohio. He has been an advisor to the National Institute of Oncology in Rabat, Morocco, the National Cancer Institute in Hanoi, Vietnam, and the Cancer Research Center of Hawaii in Honolulu. In May 2007 Dr. Love was appointed Senior Investigator for The National Cancer Institute in Washington, D.C.

Our Executive Director
Elizabeth Greer worked in development and member relations for Hospice Care, the American Cancer Society, and the Republican Party of Wisconsin prior to coming to IBCRF. In addition to writing the non-profit column for WisBusiness.com, she is an active volunteer for the Junior League of Madison and the Madison Club Foundation.

Our Board of Directors
A Board of Directors supports the International Breast Cancer Research Foundation. These members are individuals with a strong, personal interest in breast cancer; who are dedicated to both the IBCRF mission and excellence.

Lynn Adams is the vice president of private banking for Park Bank. She has worked in the banking industry for 20 years and has been active in numerous community groups including Rotary Club of Madison, Downtown Madison Inc., the Madison Parks Foundation, and TEMPO.

Dennis Anderson is with the Cardinal Bernardin Cancer Center at Loyola University in Chicago.

Katherine Blankenburg returned to Madison to retire after an extensive career building high-impact sales cultures for the financial services industry. Having lost both her mother and grandmother to breast cancer, she has been an active participant in Dr. Love's research programs for many years. Diagnosed with breast cancer in 2007 and now a 7 year survivor, she has firsthand experience with what IBCRF's innovative research can do to save lives.

Sharon Chamberlain is the president and founder of Chamberlain Research Consultants, Inc. Previously, she was Director of Consumer Affairs at the Wisconsin Gas Company and the first Executive Director of the Wisconsin Citizens Utility Board. She is on the Board of Directors and Executive Board of Downtown Madison, Inc., as well as on the Board of Directors of Johnson Bank and Madison Cutting Die.

Heidi Fujko works for McDonalds Corporation in Louisiana.

Mary Houghton is President of Shorebank Corporation, Chicago; a holding company that specializes in the market-based restoration of economically distressed communities, both in the United States and abroad. She consults with other financial institutions worldwide and is on the board of Women's World Banking and a member of the Policy Advisory Board of the Cities Alliance.

Phyllis Leach is a nurse and survivor of breast cancer. She has received numerous community service awards including the Wisconsin Health and Hospital Association Trustee Award in 1998, the first Women in Philanthropy Award awarded by the Oshkosh Community Foundation in 2001.

Susan Reynolds is the President of the Board of Directors. She spent 20 years in the Los Angeles retail community before returning to her native Wisconsin as the Director of Website Merchandising and Artist Services for Guild.com. She spent 3 years as a Senior Merchant for Famous Footwear and was the Executive Director for IBCRF. Susan is an alumnus of the University of Wisconsin in Madison.

James Woods, M.D. practices at Milwaukee General and Vascular Surgery, S.C. specializing in comprehensive breast care. Dr. Woods has received numerous honorary degrees and awards - a four-time recipient of the Physician Recognition Award from the American Medical Association, ranked 4th in “The Best Doctors in America” listing, and in 2000, awarded “Teacher of the Year” by the Medical College of Wisconsin.