History
The original vision for the centre was developed by Bill Freedman and his family, along with Professor Barry Gusterson. Bill Freedman lost his wife, Toby Robins, to breast cancer in 1986. Bill Freedman worked together with Professor Gusterson, the founding Director of the Breakthrough Research Centre, to develop the idea of a dedicated breast cancer research centre. Their aim was to bring scientists and clinicians together in a multidisciplinary approach to breast cancer research. Breakthrough Breast Cancer was founded to make this a reality.
The building of the Breakthrough Research Centre at The Institute of Cancer Research was made possible by the £15 million raised by the determination and commitment of individuals, many with direct experience of the disease, and the support of many companies and charitable trusts.
Throughout, the generosity of Peter Green and his family has been instrumental in achieving this vision, and the Breakthrough Research Centre is housed in the Mary-Jean Mitchell Green Building, dedicated to the memory of his late wife who died of the disease in 1990, at the age of just 38. The Mary-Jean Mitchell Green Foundation continues to be a key supporter of our research, and is currently helping to fund the work of Professor Mitch Dowsett at the Royal Marsden Hospital and the Breakthrough Research Centre.
The centre was opened in 1999 by Breakthrough's Patron, HRH The Prince of Wales. Directed by Professor Alan Ashworth, the centre now houses over 120 scientists and clinicians in ten teams, working on a coordinated research programme. Benefiting from links with other researchers and clinicians at The Institute of Cancer Research and the Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, scientists at the centre are at the hub of the largest cancer facility in Europe.
Breakthrough is building on the outstanding success of the Breakthrough Research Centre by creating a cohesive and collaborative UK network of breast cancer research. This will be achieved through the development of three new Breakthrough Research Units in London, Edinburgh and Manchester, and the Breakthrough Clinical Researcher Programme. This is an exciting and ambitious phase in the growth of Breakthrough’s research.
Funding
The Breakthrough Research Centre receives the majority of its funding from its parent charity Breakthrough Breast Cancer.
Since opening in 1999, funding of totalling over £32million has been awarded to the Breakthrough Research Centre, with £6.4m committed in 2007/2008 alone. In addition to funding for the Breakthrough Research Centre, Breakthrough also plans to spend approximately £12m a year on vital research by supporting the Breakthrough Generations Study, new Breakthrough Research Units and the Breakthrough Clinical Researcher Programme.
