Sarah Coupland

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Professor Sarah Coupland

Sarah Coupland is an Australian-born pathologist and professor who is the George Holt Chair in Pathology at the University of Liverpool. Coupland is an active clinical scientist whose research focuses on the molecular genetics of cancers, with particular interests in uveal melanoma, conjunctival melanoma, intraocular and ocular adnexal lymphomas and CNS lymphoma. Coupland is also an NHS Honorary Consultant Histopathologist at the Royal Liverpool University Hospital. Since 2006, Coupland has been head of the Liverpool Ocular Oncology Research Group; [1] from which she runs a multidisciplinary oncology research group focussing on Uveal melanoma, based in the Department of Molecular and Clinical Cancer Medicine at the University of Liverpool. [2] Her research laboratory is currently located in the Institute of Translational Medicine [3] From April 2014 to December 2019, Coupland was also Director of the North West Cancer Research Centre, [4] @UoL. [5] In both 2019 and 2020, Coupland was included on the 'Pathology Powerlist' on The Pathologist website. [6]

Contents

Education

Coupland was born in Sydney, raised in Canberra and was educated at the University of New South Wales, Australia, where she received her MBBS Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery clinical degree in 1988, after which she studied for a Ph.D. at the University of Sydney. For most of her career, Coupland has been based in Europe, and since 2005, she has been an academic research-based clinician at the University of Liverpool. [7]

Following the completion of her Ph.D. studies, Coupland moved to Germany to continue her specialist pathology training at the Charité University Hospital Benjamin Franklin, FU Berlin between 1995 – 2002, obtaining a Klein Sprachdiplom from the Goethe Institute, Berlin in 1994, and completing her Facharzt ('specialist') examinations in Surgical Histopathology in 2002 at the Free University of Berlin, from where she was also awarded a Habilitation degree in Surgical Histopathology (Assoc. Professor thesis) in 2005. She was then made Consultant Pathologist at the Charité University Hospital Benjamin Franklin, Berlin from 2002–2005. In 2005, she has registered by the General Medical Council, a public body that maintains the official register of medical practitioners within the United Kingdom. She re-registered in 2015 and as a Liverpool-based pathologist was Director of the Liverpool Tissue Bank between 2011 – 2016 and a contributor to the Athena SWAN agenda as Deputy Lead for the Institute of Translational medicine at the University of Liverpool.

Research

Coupland is an active research collaborator and has received significant funding, both as both a principal investigator and as a co-investigator. Recent funding, with the support of Innovate UK includes the creation of a Northern (N6) Academic Pathology Network Digital Pathology (2019-2021), funding from North West Cancer Research to characterise the tumour- immune microenvironment in metastatic uveal melanoma (2018-2020), a once renewed NWCR Programme Grant (2014-2021) that funds prestigious NWCR prize DTP PhD studentships. Coupland has also received competitive research funding from EU-based Horizon 2020, Fight for Sight, NIHR and MRC schemes, totalling some £3.5million as PI and £14.5 million as Co-I.

In addition to her research activities, she has contributed to numerous international meetings, giving international keynote lectures. She dedicates much of her career to service within her field, including roles as Vice-Chair of the ‘Ophthalmic Tumor Writing Group’, 7th & 8th Ed’ns AJCC/TNM Classification (since 2005), as a member of the International Society of Ophthalmic Pathology (and President from 2011–present), a member for the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) (and Vice-President between 2017-2018), and she has been a trustee of ARVO Anatomy-Pathology-Oncology group & an ARVO Board Member (2013 - 2018). Coupland was also Chair of the ‘Ophthalmic Pathology Working Group’ of the European Society of Pathology (2013- 2018), the European Society of Medical Oncology (ESMO), where she was Pathology rep on the “Clinical Trials Committee” (>2015–present). She has also served on the Mucosal Melanoma Guidelines Writing group (2016-2018), the ACCEA Merseyside Regional Committee for National Awards (>2011–present), the National Cancer Research Institute CM-Path Workstream 4 – Molecular technologies, Digital Pathology (>2016–present). She is an elected committee member of the Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland and served on the Education & Training Subcommittee (2016-2019. She was a Committee Member of the WHO Eye Tumour Writing Group (2016-2018). She was a member of the European Ophthalmic Oncology Group (and Secretary between 2008–2011, and President (between 2011-2014). Coupland is an active patient advocate, and part of the OcuMelUK patient support group [8] and the NCRI Lymphoma Biological Studies Subgroup (Chair from 2008-2011). In terms of scientific publishing and scholarship, she has been a member of the Editorial Board of the journal Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science since 2016, an Associate Editor for Acta Ophthalmologica (since 2014), and was an Associate Editor (pathology) for Graefe's Archives for Clinical and Experimental Ophthalmology. She was a Reviewing Editor of “Ocular Immunology and Inflammation” (between 2013-2018) and an Editorial Board Member of BMC Cancer (between 2010 and 2018).

Awards

As well as serving on multiple committees and charities, especially in the broader field of ocular diseases, Coupland is a decorated clinical pathologist, and in recognition of her science, she has received numerous awards. Her most recent prizes include an ARVO Silver Fellow Award (2012), [9] an ARVO Gold Fellow Award (2014/5) [10] and a prestigious ARVO Distinguished Service Award (2018). [11] In 2018, she received the International Council of Ophthalmology Eye Pathology Award – 2018 [12] and most recently, in 2019, a Royal College of Pathology Excellence Award in the Subspecialty of Ophthalmic Pathology and Oncology. [13] The citation reads 'Professor Coupland is an outstanding pre-eminent ocular pathologist in the UK and is internationally acclaimed for her work in ocular oncology. She has been instrumental to the care delivered to the world-recognised ocular oncology service in Liverpool through her pathology work, development of molecular and tumour signatures of ocular tumours, providing the evidence that informs treatments, prognosis and optimal patient care'. In further recognition of her work and achievements, Coupland was included on the Pathologist Power List for 2019 [14]

Coupland has given over 150 invited seminars at universities across the world, and she is credited with the supervision of dozens of Masters and PhD students, in addition to serving as a Pathology International Training Fellowship supervisor for over 20 students. Coupland has also acted as an external PhD examiner at over 20 European and UK universities.

Publications

She has published over 280 peer-reviewed publications, with an h-index of 47 (as of 2020) and a total of over 7,000 citations, according to Scopus or >10,600 according to Google Scholar. [15] Highly cited papers include a large number of enduring important first author and corresponding author publications, and citation classics such as [16] and [17] Coupland also contributed to important high-impact studies of genotyping in choroidal uveal melanoma [18] and clinical subtying in uveal melanoma. [19] With colleagues, she has recently reviewed the field of targeted therapy for uveal melanoma, where she discusses cautious optimism for the treatment of patients with new types of targeted, and perhaps patient-specific, therapeutics [20] [21]

Related Research Articles

The Institute of Cancer Research is a public research institute and a member institution of the University of London in London, United Kingdom, specialising in oncology. It was founded in 1909 as a research department of the Royal Marsden Hospital and joined the University of London in 2003. It has been responsible for a number of breakthrough discoveries, including that the basic cause of cancer is damage to DNA.

Uveal melanoma Uveal cancer that has material basis in uvea pigment cells

Uveal melanoma is a cancer (melanoma) of the eye involving the iris, ciliary body, or choroid. Tumors arise from the pigment cells (melanocytes) that reside within the uvea and give color to the eye. These melanocytes are distinct from the retinal pigment epithelium cells underlying the retina that do not form melanomas. When eye melanoma is spread to distant parts of the body, the five-year survival rate is about 15%.

Ciliary Body Melanoma is a type of cancer arising from the coloured part (uvea) of the eye.

Denise Sheer was appointed Professor of Human Genetics at The Institute of Cell and Molecular Science at Queen Mary, University of London in November 2006. Her fields of expertise include cell and molecular biology; cancer genetics and epigenetics; and molecular pathology of paediatric brain tumours.

Zeynel A. Karcioglu is a medical and surgical practitioner, researcher and medical educator. He is a diplomate of the American Board of Ophthalmology, specializing in Ophthalmic Oncology and Pathology particularly in areas of retinoblastoma, external eye tumors, and primary and metastatic orbital neoplasms. Karcioglu is also residency and fellowship trained in Anatomic Pathology and Neuropathology and certified by the American Board of Pathology.

Paul T. Finger, MD, FACS, is an ophthalmologist in New York, New York, specializing in ocular oncology. Finger is a Clinical Professor of Ophthalmology at the New York University School of Medicine in New York City, New York. He is also the director of The New York Eye Cancer Center and Ocular Tumor Services at New York University and The New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mt. Sinai. He consults for Northwell Health Complex of affiliated Hospitals including Manhattan Eye, Ear and Throat Hospital. He also served two terms as chairman of the American Joint Committee on Cancer Ophthalmic Oncology Task Force, developing the first consensus staging system for ocular cancers, he developed and served as chair of The American Brachytherapy Society’s 2014 Committee that provided consensus guidelines for ophthalmic plaque brachytherapy for choroidal melanoma and retinoblastoma, he was the only ophthalmologist asked to serve on the 2012 American Association of Physicists in Medicine’s Task Group-129 that produced both dosimetry and quality assurance standards for plaque brachytherapy. Finger earned his MD from Tulane University School of Medicine, served his internship at St. Vincent’s Medical Center in New York City, and completed a residency at The Manhattan Eye, Ear and Throat Hospital in New York City, New York. He finished a fellowship in ocular tumor, orbital disease and ophthalmic radiation therapy with Samuel Packer, MD, at North Shore University Hospital-Cornell University Medical College. Finger is a life member of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, the American Joint Committee on Cancer, the Commission on Cancer, the Retina Society, the American Society of Retinal Specialists, The International Council of Ophthalmology, the Union for International Cancer Control, the International Society of Ophthalmic Oncology and the American Society for Radiation Oncology.

Jerry A. Shields

Jerry A. Shields is an ophthalmologist practicing at the Wills Eye Institute in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, specializing in ocular oncology. He is also a professor at Thomas Jefferson University.

Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, of the University of Miami Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine, is a center for ophthalmic care, research, and education. Faculty and staff treat patients from around the world in facilities in Miami-Dade County, Broward County, Palm Beach County, and Collier County. The institute's full-time faculty and researchers encompass many ophthalmic sub-specialties and has been consistently ranked as the #1 eye hospital and vision research center in the country by US News & World Report.

Orbital lymphoma Human disease of the eye

Orbital lymphoma is a common type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma that occurs near or on the eye. Common symptoms include decreased vision and uveitis. Orbital lymphoma can be diagnosed via a biopsy of the eye and is usually treated with radiotherapy or in combination with chemotherapy.

DecisionDx-UM is a prognostic test that accurately determines the metastatic risk associated with ocular melanoma tumors of the eye. Ocular melanoma is a term commonly used to describe tumors of the uveal tract such as uveal melanoma, choroidal melanoma, ciliary body melanoma, and iris melanoma. The DecisionDx-UM test was clinically validated on these tumors of the uveal tract. DecisionDx-UM assesses the gene expression profile (GEP) of a subset of genes which are differentially expressed in primary tumor cells compared to cells that have undergone transformation to a metastatic phenotype.

Marie Diener-West is the Helen Abbey and Margaret Merrell Professor of Biostatistics and the chair of the Master of Public Health Program at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Diener-West is an editor for the Cochrane Eyes and Vision Group and a member of the American Public Health Association, American Statistical Association, Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology, and the Society for Clinical Studies.

Wallace H. Clark Jr. was an American dermatologist and pathologist. He is best known for devising the "Clark's level", or Clark Level, system for classifying the seriousness of a malignant melanoma skin cancer based on its microscopic appearance.

Vasculogenic mimicry is the formation of microvascular channels by aggressive, metastatic and genetically deregulated tumour cells. This process differs from angiogenesis in that it occurs de novo without the presence of endothelial cells. It was first described in uveal melanomas by Maniotis et al. in 1999. There are two main types of vasculogenic mimicry: tubular and patterned. The former is morphologically similar to normal blood vessels, whereas the latter is visibly different although capable of undergoing anastomosis with blood vessels.

Molecular Partners AG is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company based in Zürich, Switzerland. The company is developing a new class of potent, specific and versatile small-protein therapies called DARPins, with potential clinical applications in a range of disease areas including oncology, immuno-oncology, ophthalmology, and immunology. Molecular Partners currently has two DARPin molecules in clinical development, and a broad pipeline of molecules in preclinical development.

J. William Harbour

J. William Harbour, M.D., is an American ophthalmologist, ocular oncologist and cancer researcher. He currently serves as the vice chairman for translational research and director of ocular oncology at the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute and the associate director for basic research at the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center of the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. His clinical practice focuses on intraocular tumors, including uveal (ocular) melanoma, retinoblastoma, lymphoma and other neoplasms. His field of research includes the genetics and genomics of cancer, with a focus on prognostic biomarkers, mechanisms of metastasis, and molecular targeted therapies. He has given over 300 invited scientific lectures, and published over 150 peer-reviewed scientific articles and book chapters. Dr. Harbour founded the Ocular Oncology Service at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, where he was the Paul A. Cibis Distinguished Professor of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences.

Richard Anthony Scolyer is an Australian pathologist. He is a senior staff specialist in tissue pathology and diagnostic oncology at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, co-medical director at the Melanoma Institute Australia, and clinical professor at the University of Sydney.

Daniel M. Albert

Daniel M. Albert is an American ophthalmologist, ocular cancer researcher, medical historian, and collector of rare books and ocular equipment. As of 2018, he is Professor of Ophthalmology at the Casey Eye Institute, Oregon Health & Science University.

Noemi Lois is a Clinical Professor of Ophthalmology at Queen's University Belfast and an Honorary Consultant Ophthalmologist and Vitreoretinal Surgeon at the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust.

Christine M. Lovly is an Associate Professor of Medicine at Vanderbilt University. Her research involves the development of novel treatment strategies for ALK positive lung cancer.

Fátima Carneiro is a Portuguese pathologist. Since 2001 she has been director of the Pathological Anatomy Service at the University Hospital Centre of São João in Porto. In September 2018 she was voted first in a list of the hundred "Best & Brightest" pathologists in the world, by the magazine, The Pathologist.

References

  1. ↑ "Liverpool Ocular Oncology Group".
  2. ↑ "North West Cancer Research Centre".
  3. ↑ "Institute of Translational Medicine - University of Liverpool".
  4. ↑ "North West Cancer Research".
  5. ↑ "Molecular and Clinical Cancer Medicine - University of Liverpool".
  6. ↑ "The Power List 2020 - Big Breakthroughs".
  7. ↑ "Liverpool Ocular Oncology Group".
  8. ↑ "The Ocular Melanoma UK patient support group".
  9. ↑ "The Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology".
  10. ↑ "The Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology".
  11. ↑ "The Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology)".
  12. ↑ "International Council of Ophthalmology Eye Pathology".
  13. ↑ "The Royal College of Pathology Excellence Award".
  14. ↑ "The Pathologist".
  15. ↑ "Google Scholar".
  16. ↑ Coupland S, Krause L, Delecluse I, Anagnostopoulos I, Foss HD, Hummel M, Bornfeld N, Lee WR, Stein, H (1998). "Lymphoproliferative lesions of the orbit and ocular adnexa: analysis of 112 cases". Ophthalmology. 105 (8): 1430–1441. doi:10.1016/S0161-6420(98)98024-1. PMID   9709754.
  17. ↑ Damato B, Duke C, Coupland SE, Hiscott P, Smith PA, Campbell I, Douglas A, Howard P (2007). "Clinical cytogenetics in uveal melanoma: seven years experience". Ophthalmology. 114 (10): 1925–1931. doi:10.1016/j.ophtha.2007.06.012. PMID   17719643.
  18. ↑ Damato B, Dopierala JA, Coupland SE (2010). "Genotypic profiling of 452 choroidal melanomas with multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification". Clinical Cancer Research. 16 (24): 6083–6092. doi: 10.1158/1078-0432.CCR-10-2076 . PMID   20975103.
  19. ↑ Robertson AG, Shih J, Yau C, Gibb EA, Oba J, Mungall KL, Hess JM, Uzunangelov V, Walter V, Danilova L, Lichtenberg TM, Kucherlapati M, Kimes PK, Tang M, Penson A, Babur O, Akbani R, Bristow CA, Hoadley KA, Iype L, Chang MT, Cherniack AD, Benz C, Mills GB, Verhaak RG, Griewank KG, Felau I, Zenklusen JC, Gershenwald JE, Schoenfield L, Lazar AJ, Rahman MH, Roman S, Stern MH, Cebulla CM, Williams MD, Jager MJ, Coupland SE, Esmaeli B, Kandoth C, Woodman SE (2017). "Integrative Analysis Identifies Four Molecular and Clinical Subsets in Uveal Melanoma". Cancer Cell. 33 (1): 204–220. doi: 10.1016/j.ccell.2017.12.013 . PMID   29316429.
  20. ↑ Sacco JJ, Kalirai H, Kenyani J, Figueiredo CR, Coulson JM, Coupland SE (2018). "Recent breakthroughs in metastatic uveal melanoma: a cause for optimism?". Future Oncology. 14 (14): 1335–1338. doi: 10.2217/fon-2018-0116 . PMID   29741103.
  21. ↑ Bailey FP, Clarke K, Kalirai H, Kenyani J, Shahidipour H, Falciani F, Coulson JM, Sacco JJ, Coupland SE, Eyers PA (2018). "Kinome-wide transcriptional profiling of uveal melanoma reveals new vulnerabilities to targeted therapeutics". Pigment Cell and Melanoma Research Oncology. 31 (2): 253–266. doi: 10.1111/pcmr.12650 . PMID   28972303.
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