Young Women’s Breast Cancer Research Institute Launches YWBCRI–FMUL Lisbon Site to Advance Early Biology Research

YWBCRI–FMUL Lisbon will expand YWBCRI’s international network for early biology, discovery, detection, prevention, and collaborative research.

LISBON, LISNON, PORTUGAL, June 23, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Last week, the Breast Cancer in Young Women Foundation (BCYW Foundation), USA, established the Young Women’s Breast Cancer Research Institute (YWBCRI), USA.

The BCYW Foundation is pleased to announce the launch of the Young Women’s Breast Cancer Research Institute – FMUL site, Lisbon, under the leadership of Prof. Luis Costa, at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Lisbon, Portugal.

The signing ceremony on June 22 was opened with remarks by Prof. Luis Costa, who introduced Dean Prof. João Eurico da Fonseca. Prof. Sandra Cristina Cara de Anjo Casimiro then introduced Prof. Rakesh Kumar, who provided an overview of the Breast Cancer in Young Women Foundation and shared the vision behind the Young Women’s Breast Cancer Research Institute. The program concluded with remarks from Prof. Luis Costa, who outlined the purpose of the YWBCRI–FMUL site and his vision for advancing breast cancer research among young women in Portugal. The formal proceedings were followed by the signing of the MoU between the Breast Cancer in Young Women Foundation and the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Lisbon, as well as informal interactions with students, faculty, and guests.

The Lisbon launch marks an important step in the international development of the Young Women’s Breast Cancer Research Institute (YWBCRI), the first dedicated international research institute focused on breast cancer in young women. The institute was created to advance scientific understanding of why breast cancer develops early in some women, how early biological changes may be detected before diagnosis, and how future research may support earlier intervention and prevention.

The YWBCRI-FMUL, Lisbon site will contribute to the institute’s global research-site model by bringing together scientific, clinical, academic, and translational expertise in Portugal. Its mission is to advance research on the earliest biology of breast cancer in young women and to strengthen international collaboration across institutions and countries.

“The launch of YWBCRI-FMUL in Lisbon marks a meaningful step toward building a global scientific platform for breast cancer in young women,” said Rakesh Kumar, PhD, Founder of the Breast Cancer in Young Women Foundation and Founding Institute Scientific Director of YWBCRI. “Breast cancer in young women is not simply breast cancer occurring earlier in life. It is a complex biological, clinical, and societal challenge that warrants focused research, dedicated infrastructure, and international collaboration.”

“By targeting the earliest biological changes that might occur before the disease becomes clinically apparent, YWBCRI-FMUL establishes a new platform for discovery, collaboration, and translational research. As a global institute, it uniquely unites leading scientists, clinicians, and research facilities around a common goal: to detect breast cancer earlier in young women than ever before. As the Clinical Director of the Institute and Director of the YWBCRI-FMUL Lisbon site, I am eager to advance this mission and support a global scientific effort focused on early detection, prompt intervention, and improved outcomes for young women,” said Prof. Luis Costa, Professor and Chairman of Oncology at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Lisbon, Portugal.

YWBCRI is founded on a key scientific hypothesis: that early-onset breast cancer might not start with a tumor but much earlier, when normal biological processes subtly go awry. The institute seeks to advance discovery by examining early biological disruptions, tissue environment, biological timing, systemic signals, and the shift from normal biology to disease.

The establishment of the Lisbon site at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Lisbon reflects the growing need for collaborative research that connects laboratory science, clinical insight, preventive thinking, and patient-centered urgency. The work of YWBCRI is intended to complement existing breast cancer research by focusing specifically on young women, a population often facing delayed recognition, dense breast tissue, aggressive tumor biology, fertility and pregnancy-related concerns, and long-term survivorship challenges.

“Portugal has an important role in the global effort to understand breast cancer in young women,” said Prof. Costa. “The Lisbon location enhances YWBCRI’s capacity to link science, medicine, and international cooperation with a shared aim: to understand, detect, and prevent the disease at earlier stages."

The Lisbon launch follows the broader establishment of YWBCRI as a dedicated research initiative of the Breast Cancer in Young Women Foundation. Through its international site model, YWBCRI will support academic exchange, collaborative research planning, biospecimen-linked studies, early biology research, and future translational programs focused on breast cancer among young women.

The Foundation views the Lisbon site as both a scientific and symbolic milestone. Portugal has been an important part of BCYWF’s growing international network, supported by scientific meetings, clinical partnerships, educational engagement, and advocacy for young women affected by breast cancer.

“Awareness tells young women that breast cancer can occur. Research must now tell us why it occurs, when it begins, and how we can change its future,” said Prof. Kumar. “That is the purpose of YWBCRI, and the Lisbon site is an important part of that mission.”

“I am deeply grateful to Prof. Luís Costa, Director of YWBCRI-FMUL in Lisbon, and to our colleagues at the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Lisbon for helping to shape this important step for the benefit of young women in Portugal and globally,” said Prof. Kumar.

The Lisbon site exemplifies why international collaboration matters. Breast cancer in young women is not confined to one country, one health system, or one research tradition. It requires scientists, clinicians, research institutions, and philanthropic partners to work across borders with a shared sense of urgency.

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ABOUT

The Young Women’s Breast Cancer Research Institute (YWBCRI) is a U.S.-based research institute launched by the Breast Cancer in Young Women Foundation, USA, to advance research on the early biology, detection, interruption, and prevention of breast cancer in young women. Through a four-site collaborative research network, YWBCRI connects scientific, clinical, academic, and translational expertise to move breast cancer discovery upstream.

The Breast Cancer in Young Women Foundation (BCYWF) is a U.S.-based nonprofit public charity organization dedicated to breast cancer in young women. The BCYW Foundation brings together a diverse network of scientists, oncologists, surgeons, survivors, NGOs, and partners from 35 countries. The foundation is advancing its targeted awareness and research efforts and highlighting emerging advances in BCYW through its peer-reviewed, open-access Journal of Young Women's Breast Cancer and Health. The BCYWF is also conducting innovative research in early-onset breast cancer in young women through the Young Women's Breast Cancer Research Institute. Through evidence-based analysis, the Foundation works to improve outcomes and long-term survivorship horizons for young women diagnosed with breast cancer.

Rakesh Kumar, Ph.D., Founding Institute Scientific Director
The Young Women’s Breast Cancer Research Institute
+1 303-900-8066
rakeshkumar@ywbcri.org
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