The risk of breast cancer is intimately linked to hormone exposure. To define how hormone exposure drives breast cancer risk and how endocrine therapy is lowering risk we have assessed hormone exposure is influencing the mammary epithelial and immune compartments.
Associate Professor Kara Britt leads the Breast Cancer Risk and Prevention Lab at Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre. Kara obtained her PhD from Monash University by working on female reproductive endocrinology. She undertook a CJ Martin fellowship at the Institute of Cancer Research in the labs of Professors Alan Ashworth and Matt Smalley moving to her passion of breast cancer research. Upon her return to Australia she spent time under the mentorship of Professors Gail Risbridger and Robin Anderson before beginning her own lab in 2016.
Kara’s work has helped define why women in today’s society have an increased incidence of breast cancer. Her lab have defined the cell types which are specifically altered and are now working to develop novel drug targets with the long term aim to reduce breast cancer incidence. Kara’s work has been supported by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC), Victorian Cancer Agency (VCA) and the National Breast Cancer Foundation (NBCF).