Marilyn Schneider, PhD, Executive Director

The Canadian Breast Cancer Research Alliance (CBCRA)

"Funds collected from this "Passion for Life" fund raising program will benefit all Canadian women struggling with breast cancer by helping to support the high quality research that women now recognize will ultimately make breast cancer a non-life-threatening disease. "Passion for Life" will help offer "hope of life" for women struggling with the disease", said Dr. Marilyn Schneider, Executive Director Canadian Breast Cancer Research Alliance

"Breast cancer is such a complex disease, and to beat it, the Canadian Breast Cancer Research Alliance needs all the support we can get from every ally we can find. It is wonderful that Antoine Gaber, a renowned artist is working with Orlane Paris, a cosmetics company and the Bay stores to raise funds that will be donated to one of our CBCRA partners to help support our research programs", said Dr. Marilyn Schneider, Executive Director, Canadian Breast Cancer Research Alliance

" Passion for Life" Video News release (B-Roll) Questions / Answers:

What are your views on this innovative way of fundraising for the Breast Cancer Research Alliance involving: a renowned artist painter / cancer researcher, a French cosmetic company and the Bay stores?

Breast cancer is such a complex disease, and to beat it, the Canadian Breast Cancer Research Alliance needs all the support we can get from every ally we can find. It is wonderful that a renowned artist such as Antoine Gaber is working with a cosmetics company and the Bay stores to raise funds that will be donated to one of our CBCRA partners to help support our research programs.

How do you see the link between art / beauty and cancer research?

There is a strong link between art and beauty and breast cancer research. Breast cancer was long such an accepted fact of life for women that artists such as Rembrandt depicted it on beautiful women. Today, better treatment can save the life of the woman, but the next step in her process of healing and choosing "life" is coming to terms with her own new beauty and new body image. Art, beauty and breast cancer are closely linked.

How are the funds collected from this "Passion for Life" fund raising event across Canada will benefit breast cancer patients?

Funds collected from this "Passion for Life" fund raising event will benefit all Canadian women struggling with breast cancer by helping to support the high quality research that women now recognize will ultimately make breast cancer a non-life-threatening disease. "Passion for Life" will help offer "hope of life" for women struggling with the disease.

BIOGRAPHY :

Dr. Marilyn Schneider is Executive Director of the Canadian Breast Cancer Research Alliance (CBCRA), an organisation she joined in September 1996. Dr. Schneider works with the CBCRA Board of Directors and Research Advisory Committee to move breast cancer research forward as effectively as possible.

Dr. Schneider is convinced that breast cancer can be made a chronic, non-life-threatening disease. A passionate advocate of excellence in research, she believes the only way to beat a disease is to encourage creative new approaches, to fund the highest quality research at effective and efficient levels -- then to demand results.

A breast cancer survivor of 11 years, she was a founding member of Dragons Abreast, a dragon boat team of breast cancer survivors.

Prior to joining CBCRA, she served as administrator of the Eye Bank of Canada (Ontario Division). During her four-year tenure, eye donations increased by 49 per cent and the Bank was named the fourth most successful eye bank in the world in terms donations received. Earlier, Dr. Schneider was the Manager of Grants and Patient Support at the Canadian Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. She also worked at the University of Toronto administering the Connaught grants program.

Dr. Schneider currently serves as a community representative on Cancer Care Ontario's Breast Cancer Disease Site Group Committee and as a board member of the Avon Flame Foundation. She has served as a community representative on Cancer Care Ontario's Ad Hoc Ethics Committee.

Dr. Schneider received her doctorate (Ph.D.), Master of Philosophy (M.Phil.) and Master of Arts (M.A.) degrees from Columbia University in New York. She has taught at Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario. She is married and has two grown sons.