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Interview with Sylvie Mader - Studying breast cancer: interconnected motivations
Published on October 29, 2025
The team led by Sylvie Mader, Principal Investigator in IRIC’s Molecular Targeting in Breast Cancer Research Unit, is working to understand the causes of breast cancer subtype diversity, identify new targets for drug development, and understand the causes of resistance to molecules used to treat breast cancer.
Sylvie, why did you decide to focus your research on breast cancer in particular?
Sylvie Mader (S.M.): My decision to work on breast cancer stems in part from the logical progression of my research since my training, but also from the need to better treat a disease that affects a growing number of women and remains a leading cause of death despite therapeutic advances.
Do you also have personal motivations for wanting to make a difference in breast cancer?
S.M.: This disease affected my mother, and then me a few years later, allowing me to see firsthand how breast cancer impacts patients’ lives for years after diagnosis.
What would be your ultimate wish for breast cancer research?
S.M.: Of course, I would like to see more funding dedicated to basic breast cancer research, but also more resources to develop and apply discoveries made in the laboratory to clinical practice.
