LBCA is pleased to announce Stephen Connor Purdy, PhD, as the recipient of the 2026 American Association for Cancer Research/Lobular Breast Cancer Alliance Invasive Lobular Carcinoma Research Fellowship. Dr. Purdy is a postdoctoral associate in the joint laboratory of Dr. Steffi Oesterreich and Dr. Adrian Lee at UPMC Hillman Cancer Center at the University of Pittsburgh.

Dr. Purdy’s research project, E-Cadherin Loss Reprograms the Endoplasmic Reticulum to Remodel the Membrane Proteome in ILC, will investigate how the loss of E-cadherin, a defining characteristic of invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC), changes the way proteins are organized and produced within ILC cells.

His preliminary research suggests that E-cadherin loss may cause changes to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), a part of the cell responsible for producing and processing proteins. Dr. Purdy will investigate how and why these changes occur and whether ILC cells become particularly dependent on this process to survive and grow. He will also test whether drugs that interfere with ER function could selectively target ILC cells, including in combination with hormone therapies already used to treat breast cancer. Ultimately, the research aims to identify a potential vulnerability unique to ILC that could lead to future treatments designed specifically for the disease.

“I am truly honored to receive the AACR-LBCA ILC research fellowship! This award will provide critical funding and protected research time, enabling me to further define the unique biology of ILC and explore new therapeutic strategies that hopefully will help patients in the future!”
— Stephen Purdy, PhD

LBCA echoes Dr. Purdy’s excitement and looks forward to the findings from his important research!