From the lab to the start line: Why Charlene’s chose to run the EMF 10K and support NHS Lothian Charity’s Breast Cancer Institute Fund

When Charlene lined up for the EMF 10K, it wasn’t just about running for the finish line. She was running for the work that’s shaped her life – and the people it’s there to help.

Charlene’s connection to breast cancer research goes back years. Inspired in part by her grandmother’s experience of the disease, she built a career dedicated to understanding it:

Watching someone you love go through it leaves a mark.”

When Charlene first came to Edinburgh in 2005, she thought she’d only stay for a year. She arrived to study for a master’s degree, where two of her projects focused on breast cancer — work that “completely pulled me in.”

What began as a short stay turned into a career. Over the years, Charlene worked in a range of research roles, took time out to have her three children, and eventually returned to join the Translational Oncology Research Group.

Then, in 2023, her journey reached a pivotal moment. Thanks to supporters of NHS Lothian Charity’s Breast Cancer Institute Fund (BCI), Charlene was able to undertake a funded PhD — giving her the opportunity to focus fully on research that could improve how breast cancer is treated.

That support didn’t just fund a PhD — it gave Charlene the time, stability and resources to focus on the questions that matter most to patients.

Her research has tackled some of the biggest unanswered questions in breast cancer: why tumours behave differently once they spread, and whether some patients are receiving more intensive treatment than they actually need. By comparing primary tumours with those that have spread to the lymph nodes, Charlene’s work is helping to build a clearer, more precise understanding of the disease.

The potential impact is significant.

Better-informed decisions.
Fewer unnecessary side effects.
Treatments that are not only effective, but kinder – protecting quality of life as well as extending it.

Charlene’s motivation has always been clear:

If what we do can help patients now or in 10, 20 or 30 years, then I feel privileged to be part of it.”

Then during her PhD, everything became very personal.

She found a lump.

One day it wasn’t there. The next day it was.”

Suddenly, Charlene was no longer the researcher – she was the patient. Sitting in the same waiting rooms, going through the same tests she had spent years studying. She describes the experience as “a shock,” and a reminder that this can happen to anyone.

And it was then she experienced the impact of BCI supporters in a completely different way.

The thoughtfully designed waiting room
The calm, reassuring environment shaped to ease what can be a terrifying experience.
The knitted heart‑shaped pillow given after her procedure — handmade, gentle, and offered with kindness.

These changes mattered to her.

They still do.

Her lump was benign, but the experience deepened her commitment to her work and her gratitude for the people who make it possible.

It made me even more passionate about what we do, and grateful for everyone who supports the BCI.”

So, when Charlene crossed the finish line at the EMF 10K, it meant more than completing a run.

It was a way of giving back.

A way of saying thank you.

And a way of helping to ensure that others – future patients, families, and also researchers like herself – benefit from the same support she did.

Today, as Charlene completes her PhD and continues her work as a postdoctoral researcher, that impact continues to grow. Alongside clinicians, researchers and volunteers across the Breast Unit, she is part of a team, working together to move breast cancer care forward.

Towards more personalised treatment.

Towards fewer harsh side effects.

Towards better quality of life for patients.

And none of it happens without our generous supporters.