First National Consortium Dedicated to Lobular Breast Cancer Research Launches in the United States

Independent investigator-led collaboration, the Lobular American Research Consortium (LARC), brings together leading cancer centers, supported by $250,000 in catalytic seed funding from The Dynami Foundation to accelerate research in an underfunded disease.

DETROIT, May 19, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- For the first time, leading U.S. scientists have united to build a coordinated national research effort focused exclusively on invasive lobular breast cancer (ILC) — a disease affecting up to 20% of breast cancer patients yet receiving less than 1% of dedicated research funding.

The Lobular American Research Consortium (LARC; www.LARC-ILC.org), an independent, investigator-led national scientific consortium, has been established to accelerate collaborative research while being supported by coordinated infrastructure designed to enable cross-institutional collaboration at scale. LARC brings together leading researchers and academic cancer centers across the United States and Canada to organize scientific collaboration, share data, and accelerate advances in lobular biology, biomarker discovery, imaging strategies, clinical trial design, and patient outcomes.

LARC's launch is being supported by The Dynami Foundation, which has committed $250,000 in catalytic seed funding to help establish the infrastructure and coordination required to accelerate early collaborative research initiatives. The Dynami Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated exclusively to advancing research and scientific understanding of invasive lobular breast cancer.

Although invasive lobular breast cancer accounts for approximately 15% of breast cancer diagnoses and continues to rise in incidence, it has historically received less than 1% of dedicated research funding. As a result, major gaps remain in understanding the biology, progression, detection, and treatment of this distinct disease.

LARC was created because the field can no longer afford to wait for change to happen on its own.

"This is about building what has never existed before in the United States — a coordinated national research effort dedicated specifically to lobular breast cancer."  — Flora Migyanka, Founder, The Dynami Foundation

Scientific Leadership

The Lobular American Research Consortium brings together a distinguished group of clinicians and scientists who have helped define the modern scientific understanding of lobular breast cancer.

Co-Chairs:
Rachel Jankowitz, MD — University of Pennsylvania
Matthew J. Sikora, PhD — University of Colorado Anschutz

Executive Committee:
Suzanne Conzen, MD — University of Texas Southwestern
Julia Foldi, MD PhD — University of Pittsburgh
Rita Mukhtar, MD — University of California San Francisco
Steffi Oesterreich, PhD — University of Pittsburgh
Sherry Shen, MD — Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
Jennifer Zhang, MD — University of Pennsylvania

Founding Philanthropic Partner & Patient Champion:
Flora Migyanka — Founder, The Dynami Foundation

"Lobular breast cancer has unique biological characteristics that require dedicated research. By bringing together investigators across institutions, LARC creates the collaborative infrastructure needed to accelerate discovery and translate that science into better outcomes for patients."  — Matthew J. Sikora, PhD, Co-Chair, Lobular American Research Consortium

The Role of The Dynami Foundation

LARC is an independent, investigator-led scientific consortium, with scientific priorities, project design, and research direction fully governed by its academic leadership. The Dynami Foundation is providing infrastructure, coordination, and catalytic funding so that LARC investigators can advance independent, collaborative research without operational burden.

This structure reflects a growing recognition across biomedical research: scientific independence is best preserved when investigators are enabled by a strong operational foundation that can facilitate collaboration and accelerate execution. Importantly, accelerating progress in ILC will require additional philanthropic organizations, institutions, and partners — LARC and The Dynami Foundation welcome collaboration in this inclusive consortium framework.

The role of The Dynami Foundation in supporting the launch of LARC reflects deep relationships built by Flora Migyanka, a nearly 14-year survivor of invasive lobular breast cancer and founder of The Dynami Foundation, with many of the world's leading lobular breast cancer investigators. Flora serves as LARC's Founding Philanthropic Partner and Patient Champion, bringing the leadership and patient insight that helped catalyze the consortium's launch.

Through The Dynami Foundation, Migyanka has spent nearly a decade convening investigators, building trusted relationships across the lobular research community, and helping support critical research initiatives in this underserved breast cancer subtype. Her sustained engagement has earned recognition across academic medicine and the broader oncology community, including participation in scientific forums such as the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium.

"Patients can't afford slow science. When a disease has been overlooked for decades, leadership means building the platform that allows independent scientists to move faster. Our role is not to direct discovery; it's to fund the infrastructure that allows discovery to happen."  — Flora Migyanka, Founder, The Dynami Foundation

A Model for Accelerating Progress

The structure behind LARC reflects a growing recognition across biomedical research that complex diseases often require coordinated national collaboration to accelerate progress.

In several fields, patient-driven foundations have played a catalytic role in convening investigators, funding shared infrastructure, and enabling cross-institutional research.

The collaboration between LARC and The Dynami Foundation reflects a similar philosophy: independent scientific leadership supported by a philanthropic platform. This structure helps coordinate infrastructure, align resources, and accelerate collaboration and discovery without compromising LARC's scientific independence.

An Open Invitation to Advance Lobular Breast Cancer Research

Leaders of the Lobular American Research Consortium emphasize that accelerating progress in ILC will require collaboration across the scientific, advocacy, and philanthropic communities.

Organizations and individuals who share the goal of advancing research and improving outcomes for patients are invited to engage with and support this collaborative national effort.

During the launch, development, and growth of LARC, The Dynami Foundation serves as a coordinating philanthropic platform supporting the consortium.

Looking Ahead

LARC will convene investigators and partners through a series of scientific meetings beginning in 2026. An inaugural LARC convening is planned for September 2026 ahead of the International Lobular Breast Cancer Symposium, followed by additional collaborative meetings in conjunction with major oncology conferences including the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium.

These gatherings will establish research priorities and launch collaborative initiatives designed to accelerate discovery in lobular breast cancer.

About The Dynami Foundation

The Dynami Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated exclusively to advancing research and scientific understanding of invasive lobular breast cancer. Founded by breast cancer survivor Flora Migyanka, the foundation supports innovative research initiatives, scientific collaboration, and patient-driven efforts aimed at improving outcomes for individuals diagnosed with lobular breast cancer.

Media Contact:
Jill Giacomino
Public Relations Director, The Dynami Foundation
773-791-3922
[email protected]

SOURCE The Dynami Foundation