BRCA Initiatives
We are the leading funder of BRCA research, supporting world-class scientists to accelerate early detection and interception of BRCA-related cancers.

The Challenge

Genetic Inheritance

50%

chance male and female carriers will pass the mutation to each child.
Increased Cancer Risk
Increased lifetime cancer risk with a BRCA mutation
Unknown Carriers

1 million

estimated men and women in the U.S. are not aware they carry a BRCA mutation

The Progress

Since the Gray Foundation made its first grant in 2015,
we have celebrated some major milestones with our partners:

Launch of BRCA carrier vaccine trial

Discovery of PARP Inhibitors

Identification of early disease in fallopian tubes

Implementation of cascade screening tools

The Progress

Since the Gray Foundation made its first grant in 2015,
we have celebrated major milestones with our partners:

Launch of BRCA carrier vaccine trial

Discovery of PARP Inhibitors

Identification of early disease in fallopian tubes

Implementation of cascade screening tools

Featured Partners

See full list of our partners

Press Highlights

See more articles

February 7, 2025

Should You Get BRCA Testing?

New Beauty

October 13, 2024

Jill Martin raises awareness of genetic testing for breast cancer

The TODAY Show

A major new database for breast cancer research

Harvard Medical School

Featured BRCA Initiatives

Basser Center for BRCA

In 2012, Mindy and Jon Gray made a transformative gift to establish the Basser Center for BRCA at Penn Medicine’s Abramson Cancer Center in honor of Mindy’s sister, Faith Basser, who died of BRCA-related ovarian cancer.
The Basser Center is the global leader in funding research, education and care for individuals and their families living with BRCA1/2 mutations. In 2023, the Foundation committed an additional $55M to create the Basser Cancer Interception Center.
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Gray BRCA Team Science

The Gray Foundation supports the research of leading physicians and scientists who are focused on the prevention, interception and early detection of BRCA-related cancers.
In 2023, the Foundation awarded $25 million in funding to 7 multi-institutional, multidisciplinary teams. This commitment builds upon the breakthroughs and findings from the 7 research collaboratives that were funded in 2019 with $25M.
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Image Credit:  Harvard Medical School

Gray BRCA Pre-Cancer Atlas

The Gray BRCA Pre-Cancer Atlas utilizes cross-institutional data harmonization, sample collection, and visualization to transform treatment and prevention for BRCA-associated cancers.
This collaborative effort has brought together teams from Harvard, Massachusetts General Hospital, University of Pennsylvania, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, University of British Columbia, and MSKCC. The completed Atlas will provide insights into cellular/molecular changes at the earliest stage of cancer development.
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© 2025 Gray Foundation

Our BRCA Partners

BRCA Grant Process
The Foundation periodically issues requests for proposals which are distributed widely to the community of cancer researchers. We do not accept unsolicited proposals.