Over the past month, we've highlighted a number of events hosted by the Carol Baldwin Breast Cancer Research Fund. As we've been telling you, the proceeds fund grants awarded to SUNY Upstate Cancer Research Institute. Our Iris St. Meran took a tour inside the laboratories there and shows us how your donations are being put to use.

  To view our videos, you need to
enable JavaScript. Learn how.
install Adobe Flash 9 or above. Install now.

Then come back here and refresh the page.

SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- Over the years, this community has rode, kicked and most recently run for Breast Cancer Research. Carol Baldwin's Foundation has raised over a million dollars to fund the scientists' work at the SUNY Upstate Cancer Research Institute.

SUNY Upstate Cancer Research Institute Director Ziwei Huang, Ph.D., said, "Our success in finding a cure for cancer, such as breast cancer depends on the funding support from our community."

There are five laboratories in the institute with more than 120 scientists working on their own research projects. Monday, these scientists were studying new molecules to treat breast cancer and learning how breast cancer cells die.

"Then we know a better way to try to overcome the resistance of the breast cancer cell, to transition the therapeutic agent. And then we can come up with a more potent way to cure them," said Dr. Huang.

Dr. Huang says the fight for a cure takes place outside of the classroom as well. Some of the scientists participated in the Baldwin Foundation's inaugural race, A Run for Their Life earlier this month.

"We want the community to know that we are part of them. We are part of this great Syracuse community," Huang said. "We hope that our work here will help to better the health of the people here in Syracuse."

The study of cancer cells here goes beyond finding a cure. Scientists also get insight into other diseases.

Huang said, "For example, the brain. We have brain cancer. So therefore, by studying cancer, you get to know a great deal about the brain function. So that would help us in terms of studying and finding new cure for brain disease, like degenerative disease."

The scientists spend long hours here and they believe with every dollar donated and every hour spent here, they are getting one step closure to making this community healthier.

Since 2002, the Baldwin Foundation has awarded more than one million dollars in grants to the institute.

To learn more about the institute, visit www.upstate.edu.