The Terri Brodeur Breast Cancer Foundation announced Friday that it has distributed $400,000 to four breast cancer researchers, chosen from 45 grant proposals received for 2016.  

The awards are for $50,000 per year for each of two years.

Since its inception 10 years ago, the southeastern Connecticut-based nonprofit has given $3.4 million in 34 grants, the organization said in a news release.

“TBBCF research grants are highly sought as evidenced by the receipt of 45 grant proposals from scientists from all over the United State and Europe,” said John LaMattina, former president of Pfizer Global Research and Development, who is co-chair of the foundation’s Scientific Advisory Committee.

In 2015, the foundation received 25 grant proposals. In its 10 years, TBBCF has received 245 proposals in all.

The foundation said that 100 percent of funds it raises go directly to breast cancer research.

This year’s recipients are:

• Jean Albrengues of the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, who will focus on regulation of breast cancer dormancy by the tumor micro-environment;

• Mihriban Karaayvaz of Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, who will study the incidence and lethality of breast cancer by focusing on early events in breast cancer development;

• Dr. Daniel Stover of the Dana Farber Cancer Institute, who will focus on understanding tumor infiltrating immune cells and which patients are likely to benefit from chemotherapy and other immune-directed therapies;

• Eneda Toska of the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, who will explore mechanisms of resistance and their role in patient biopsies related to specific genes that are the most frequent genomic alterations in estrogen receptor-positive breast cancers.

For information about the foundation, visit: www.tbbcf.org.