Grant Recipients to be Announced, Panel of Connecticut Breast Cancer Research Experts to Explore the “Why”

It will be a fun evening of heart, sparkle, purpose and hope on Friday, October 9 from 6:00 to 8:30 PM at the Hartford Golf Club in West Hartford as Connecticut Breast Health Initiative (CT BHI) celebrates the “bold thinkers, passionate doers, and unstoppable believers” energizing the organization’s statewide effort in support of breast cancer research in Connecticut.

October is recognized as Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and CT BHI will be announcing the 2026 Breast Cancer Research Grant Award recipients. Grant applications were reviewed and considered in recent months, following the annual RACE IN THE PARK fundraiser held in May.CT BHI will also be presenting Awards of Distinction and will be featuring a panel discussion among the state’s leading expert breast cancer researchers.

Through the years - since 2005 – CT BHI has awarded 126 grants to Connecticut researchers across the state, totaling $5.2 million.

“This is so much more than just an event,” said Joyce Bray, President of CT BHI. “It is a very special evening, reflecting the commitment, expertise, and passion of researchers and those who unwaveringly support their work and the families impacted by breast cancer.”

The researchers to be featured on the unprecedented panel of experts include:

Daniel Morganstern, MD, Co-Director, Breast Program, Neag Comprehensive Cancer Center, UConn Health

Christina Metcalf, MD, Division Director, Breast Surgery, Trinity Health of New England Medical Group

Eric P. Winer, MD, Director, Yale Cancer Center, President & Physician-in-Chief, Smilow Cancer Hospital

Richard Zelkowitz, MD, Director Breast Program, St. Vincent’s Medical Center, Hartford Healthcare

Moderator for the panel will be Lisa Carberg, Media Specialist and Communications Officer at Yale Cancer Center and previously a television news reporter and anchor in Connecticut for two decades.

CT BHI’s annual RACE IN THE PARK, held on Mother’s Day weekend annually, has become a popular gathering place for renewed commitment, and additional events through the year add to the legacy of the state’s leading breast cancer research advocacy and fundraising organization.100% of the money raised throughout the year stays in Connecticut.

Registration for the October 9 “SMARTY PARTY 3” panel discussion and announcement of the grant recipients is now available at https://www.ctbhi.org/smartyparty.

CT BHI leaders note recent statistics that highlight the imperative for continued research, including research conducted in Connecticut:

Breast cancer incidence trends in U.S. women under 40 vary by geography, according to a study by researchers at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health. Connecticut is one of five states with the highest early-onset incidence from 2001 to 2020, according to the data.

§Breast cancer rates rose by 1 percent per year from 2012-2021 for all U.S. women combined, with steeper increases for women under 50, according to the American Cancer Society.

CT BHI grants in previous years have been provided to support breast cancer research and education initiatives across the state, including to researchers and healthcare organizations in Bridgeport, Danbury, Farmington, Hartford, Middletown, New Britain, New Haven, Norwalk, and Stamford.

For additional information about CT BHI and SMARTY PARTY 3, including sponsorships, please go to www.ctbhi.org.