LBCA recently spoke with Dr. Kate Beecher Matthews, recipient of the 2026 LBCA Early Investigator Invasive Lobular Carcinoma Research Grant, about her research exploring the role of SCUBE2 in invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC).

Early findings from Dr. Beecher Matthews and her team suggest that SCUBE2, a gene involved in maintaining cell structure, is often reduced or absent in ILC. Her new research will investigate whether the loss of SCUBE2 contributes to the distinct way lobular cancer cells grow and behave, helping build foundational knowledge about the unique biology of ILC.

In the interview, Dr. Beecher Matthews also discusses how committed Pamela Kinnon, Consumer Research Partner and ILC Patient Advocate, is to helping ILC research advance and how her participation helps keep the research team grounded in the experiences of people affected by ILC. In explaining the importance of this study from her perspective, Kinnon explains, “Breast cancer research is needed that recognizes that ILC is different and explores why and how it behaves differently.”

Watch the full interview to learn more about Dr. Beecher Matthews’ research.