Robb Hollis (PhD, BSc Hons)
IGC Langmuir Talent Fellow
- Nicola Murray Centre for Ovarian Cancer Research
- Cancer Research UK Scotland Centre
- Institute of Genetics and Cancer, University of Edinburgh
Contact details
- Tel: 01316518579
- Email: robb.hollis@ed.ac.uk
Address
- Street
-
Nicola Murray Centre for Ovarian Cancer Research,
Level 3, Cancer Research UK Scotland Centre
Institute of Genetics and Cancer, University of Edinburgh
Crewe Road South - City
- Edinburgh
- Post code
- EH4 2XU
Background
Robb completed his degree in Biomedical Sciences at Newcastle University (2011-2014), undertaking a summer research studentship and undergraduate research project with the Paediatric Brain Tumour Group at the Northern Institute for Cancer Research, for which he received the NICR Research Project Prize. He was then awarded an MRC IGMM PhD Studentship at The University of Edinburgh (2014-2018); his PhD focussed on molecular profiling of ovarian cancer specimens, identifying disease subgroups associated with differential treatment response and patient survival.
He was awarded a MRC-funded Transition Research Fellowship in September 2018, a Target Ovarian Cancer Translational Award in March 2020 (Co-investigator) and a Tenovus Scotland Pilot Grant in April 2020 (Principal investigator). His work focusses on molecular characterisation of ovarian carcinomas to identify patient groups with distinct clinical behaviour and sensitivity to specific therapies. Robb holds a position as an Honorary Data Analyst within NHS Lothian and is a member of the Edinburgh Ovarian Cancer Database development group. He has provided analytical support for drug licensing applications that have led to new treatment options becoming available for ovarian cancer patients (first-line olaparib, first-line niraparib), and contributed toward the translational analysis of the first positive late phase clinical trial for low grade serous ovarian cancer.
Robb currently holds an IGC Langmuir Talent Fellowship to develop his own independent research in ovarian cancer.
Qualifications
PhD, Edinburgh University: 2014-2018
BSc (Hons) (First class), Newcastle University: 2011-2014
Undergraduate teaching
Lectures, tutorials, course materials: undergraduate Reproductive Honours Reproductive Cancer Biology (2019-present)
Postgraduate teaching
Lectures, course materials: Cancer Biology and Precision Oncology (2022-present)
Seminars: MSc Cancer Cell Biology (2019)
Current PhD students supervised
Ailsa Oswald (TRACC PhD, associate supervisor): 2021-present
Lorna Stillie (TRACC MB-PhD, laboratory supervisor): 2020-present
Jess Lim (ECAT PhD, associate supervisor): 2019-present
Past PhD students supervised
Rebecca Ainslie (Masters): 2020-2021
Zhuoqing Wu (Masters): 2020-2021
Anushka Irodi (undergraduate research): 2019-2020
Research summary
My research focuses on ovarian cancer, which is an umbrella term for a collection of distinct disease entities, each with its own molecular characteristics and clinical behaviour. Through molecular profiling studies using human tissue samples, my work focusses on identifying groups of patients who respond best to specific therapies and groups for which current treatment strategies are insufficient (where new therapies are urgently needed). The molecular profile of these high-risk cases helps us identify potential new treatment approaches that may improve survival in these patients. This tissue-based work is complemented by laboratory studies with ovarian cancer models, which we use to characterise the role of specific molecular changes, and to assess the effectiveness of new therpeutic approaches for specific patient groups.
Current project grants
CRUK Scotland Centre Development Award: Identifying novel treatment strategies in CCNE1-gained ovarian cancer. 2023-2025. PI, ~£15K
Tenovus Scotland Pilot Grant: Establishing representative models of ovarian carcinoma. 2023-2025. PI, ~£20K
IGC Langmuir Talent Fellowship: Knowledge transfer from carcinosarcoma to identify opportunities for reversing chemoresistance in high grade serous ovarian carcinoma. 2022-2024. PI, ~£130K
International Consortium for Low Grade Serous Ovarian Cancer Project Grant: Identifying novel drug combinations to increase trametinib efficacy in low grade serous ovarian cancer. 2022-2024. Co-PI, ~£20K
Past project grants
Target Ovarian Cancer Translational Research Award: Genomic drivers & novel treatment strategies in low grade serous ovarian cancer. 2020-2022. Co-I, ~£200K
Nicola Murray Foundation Consumables Grant: Compartment-specific multiomic characterisation of ovarian carcinosarcoma. 2021-2022. PI. ~£7K
Tenovus Scotland Pilot Grant: Investigating the clinical and molecular landscape of ovarian carcinosarcoma. 2019-2021. PI, ~£20K
MRC DTP Fellowship: Investigating the impact of integrated molecular subgrouping on clinical outcome and chemosensitivity in ovarian carcinoma. 2018-2019. PI, ~£60K
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Molecular characteristics and clinical behaviour of epithelial ovarian cancers
In:
Cancer letters, vol. 555, pp. 216057
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.canlet.2023.216057
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (Published) -
Multisite gynecologic endometrioid adenocarcinomas: Can mutation profiling be used to distinguish synchronous primary cancers from metastases?
In:
Gynecologic Oncology Reports, pp. 101076
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gore.2022.101076
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (Published) -
Multiomic characterisation of high grade serous ovarian carcinoma enables high resolution patient stratification
In:
Clinical Cancer Research
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (Published) -
Trametinib versus standard of care in patients with recurrent low-grade serous ovarian cancer (GOG 281/LOGS): a randomised, open-label phase 2/3 trial
In:
The Lancet
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (Published) -
Clinicopathological Determinants of Recurrence Risk and Survival in Mucinous Ovarian Carcinoma
In:
Cancers
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers13225839
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (Published) -
Structural variants at the BRCA1/2 loci are a common source of homologous repair deficiency in high grade serous ovarian carcinoma
In:
Clinical Cancer Research
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1158/1078-0432.CCR-20-4068
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (Published) -
Molecular stratification of endometrioid ovarian carcinoma predicts clinical outcome
In:
Nature Communications, vol. 11
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-18819-5
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (E-pub ahead of print) -
Clear Cell Carcinoma of the Ovary: A Clinical and Molecular Perspective
In:
International Journal of Gynecological Cancer
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1136/ijgc-2020-001656
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (Published) -
Role of Poly (ADP-Ribose) Polymerase inhibitors beyond BReast CAncer Gene-mutated ovarian tumours: definition of homologous recombination deficiency?
In:
Current opinion in oncology
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (Published) -
Estrogen signaling and its potential as a target for therapy in ovarian cancer
In:
Cancers
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers12061647
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (Published) -
Identifying and overcoming mechanisms of PARP 2 inhibitor resistance in homologous recombination 3 repair-deficient and repair-proficient high grade 4 serous ovarian cancer cells
In:
Cancers
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers12061503
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (Published) -
Infection‐driven activation of transglutaminase 2 boosts glucose uptake and hexosamine biosynthesis in epithelial cells
In:
EMBO Journal, vol. 39
DOI: https://doi.org/10.15252/embj.2019102166
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (Published) -
Patterns of clinicopathological features and outcome in epithelial ovarian cancer 1 patients: 35 years of prospectively collected data.
In:
BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/1471-0528.16264
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (Published) -
Hormone receptor expression patterns define clinically meaningful subgroups of endometrioid ovarian carcinoma
(6 pages)
In:
Gynecologic Oncology, vol. 155, pp. 318-323
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ygyno.2019.09.001
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (Published) -
High EMSY expression defines a BRCA‐like subgroup of high‐grade serous ovarian carcinoma with prolonged survival and hypersensitivity to platinum
In:
Cancer, vol. 125, pp. 2772-2781
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/cncr.32079
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (Published) -
Clinical and molecular characterization of ovarian carcinoma displaying isolated lymph node relapse
In:
American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology (AJOG)
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajog.2019.04.035
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (E-pub ahead of print) -
Endocrine treatment of high grade serous ovarian carcinoma; quantification of efficacy and identification of response predictors
In:
Gynecologic Oncology
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ygyno.2018.11.030
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (E-pub ahead of print) -
Enhanced response rate to pegylated liposomal doxorubicin in high grade serous ovarian carcinomas harbouring BRCA1 and BRCA2 aberrations
In:
BMC Cancer, vol. 18, pp. 16
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12885-017-3981-2
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (Published) -
Distinct implications of different BRCA mutations: efficacy of cytotoxic chemotherapy, PARP inhibition and clinical outcome in ovarian cancer
(13 pages)
In:
OncoTargets and Therapy, vol. 10, pp. 2539-2551
DOI: https://doi.org/10.2147/OTT.S102569
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (Published) -
Genetic and Molecular Changes in Ovarian Cancer
(12 pages)
In:
Cancer Biology and Medicine, vol. 13, pp. 236-47
DOI: https://doi.org/10.20892/j.issn.2095-3941.2016.0024
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (Published)
Conference details
SGO 2022, Phoenic, Arizona, US. Oral presentation: bridging the translational interface in rare ovarian cancers - endometrioid ovarian cancer
ESGO 2020, online. E-poster presentation: The use of real-world evidence from the Edinburgh Ovarian Cancer Database to explore a data gap in the PRIMA trial
AACR 2020, online. Poster presentation: Integrated molecular analysis of endometrioid ovarian carcinomas
AACR 2019, Atlanta. Poster presentation (prize recipient): Multi-layer molecular characterisation of high grade serous ovarian carcinomas
AACR 2018, Chicago. Poster presentation: High EMSY expression defines a BRCA-like subgroup of high-grade serous ovarian carcinoma with superior survival and platinum sensitivity
Scottish Oncology Summit 2017, Dunblane. Oral presentation: Stratifying therapy in high grade serous ovarian cancer – NGS data from the CRUK Edinburgh Centre
Combined Gynaecological and Sarcoma Pathology Symposium 2017, Edinburgh. Oral presentation: Importance of molecular pathology in epithelial ovarian cancer: clinical and research implications
Polyomics NGS 2017, Glasgow. Poster presentation (prize recipient): Enhanced response rate to pegylated liposomal doxorubicin in ovarian cancer patients with BRCA1/2 aberrations
OCTIPS consortium conference 2015, Vienna. Oral presentation: NGS of routine clinical archival FFPE material in translational studies
Invited speaker
Society for Gyne Oncology Annual Meeting 2022, Phoenic, Arizona, US. Oral presentation: bridging the translational interface in rare ovarian cancers - endometrioid ovarian cancer
Scottish Oncology Summit 2017, Dunblane. Oral presentation: Stratifying therapy in high grade serous ovarian cancer – NGS data from the CRUK Edinburgh Centre
Combined Gynaecological and Sarcoma Pathology Symposium 2017, Edinburgh. Oral presentation: Importance of molecular pathology in epithelial ovarian cancer: clinical and research implications
- BACR Travel Award 2022
- Moray Endowment Award 2022
- Institute of Genetics and Cancer Early Career Award 2021
- AACR Pezcoller Foundation Scholar-in-training Award 2019
- BACR Travel Award 2019
- Lady Eda Jardine Charitable Trust Travel Award 2018
- Poster Prize: NGS Glasgow Conference, 2017
- Northern Institute for Cancer Research Project Prize 2014
- Newcastle University School of Biomedical Sciences Prize for Scientific Achievement 2014
First-line nirparib for ovarian cancer: analytical support for NICE reimbursement application (GlaxoSmithKline), approved 2020
First-line olaparib for ovarian cancer: analytical support for NICE reimbursement application (AstraZeneca), approved 2019
Nation-wide ovarian cancer survival audit: a Scotland Cancer Network analysis (in collaboration with NHS ISD and NHS Scotland Health Boards)
Development of the Edinburgh Ovarian Cancer Database: new platform launched September 2019. Currently working toward a Scotland-wide ovarian cancer database.