Liverpool Ocular OncologyResearch Group

CONGRATULATIONS to our PROF SARAH COUPLAND, who was elected as VICE PRESIDENT for Communications of the ROYAL COLLEGE OF PATHOLOGISTS!

30/10/2020

The recent election enabled all Fellows of the College to participate, and it had a wide field of candidates from all of its different specialty areas and professional backgrounds within the College.

Sarah was elected to the prestigious role of Vice President for Communications. She will also be specifically taking a lead in Genomics for the College.

Together with the two other Vice Presidents -Professor Peter Johnston (Vice President for Professionalism) and Dr Angharad Davies (Vice President for Learning) - Sarah will be supporting the President-Elect, Dr Mike Osborn.

All of the elected Fellows will take up their appointments at the Annual General Meeting to be held on 19 November 2020, and serve a term of three years.
rcpath elections

LOORG'S PROF SARAH COUPLAND AND DR HELEN KALIRAI PARTICIPATING IN 2020 CUREOM SYMPOSIUM

29/10/2020

Sarah and Helen participating in the 9th Annual CURE OM Science Meeting.
With over 160 active viewers throughout the event and presentations from three different continents and numerous countries!
Please visit the virtual event platform and view the session recordings. The recordings will appear under the "Stage" tab, then under "Past Presentations".

WENDYS WISH DONATES £10K TO LOORG RESEARCH

9/10/2020

The Liverpool Ocular Oncology Research Group wishes to thank all of the supporters of the Charity "Wendy's Wish", who recently donated £10,000 towards our research into uveal (intraocular) melanoma.

Wendy's Wish is a wonderful family run charity that started in memory of Mrs Wendy Reed, who unfortunately passed following the development of widespread uveal melanoma.
The Charity provides support to cancer patients and their families, to create memories or to give treats and provide a little bit of comfort during difficult circumstances.

Over the last few years, Wendy's Wish has also sponsored the Liverpool Ocular Oncology Centre at the Liverpool University Hospitals Foundation Trust, where Wendy was initially treated.

Thank you again to Wendy's Wish from all the team here at LOORG for your very generous donation.
For further information see www.wendyswish.co.uk

LANDMARK LOORG PUBLICATION

8/10/2020

L/R Natalie Kipling, Dr Helen Kalirai, Dr Yamini Krishna (first author), Prof Sarah Coupland

Transcriptome Profiling Reveals New Insights into the Immune Microenvironment and Upregulation of Novel Biomarkers in Metastatic Uveal Melanoma.
Krishna Y, Acha-Sagredo A, Sabat-Pośpiech D, Kipling N, Clarke K, Figueiredo CR, Kalirai H,Coupland SE.

Cancers (Basel). 2020 Sep 30;12(10):E2832.
doi: 10.3390/cancers12102832.
PMID: 33008022

Read LOORG's new landmark paper published in Cancers, examining Metastatic Uveal Melanoma.

WALKING FOR RENEE - THANK YOU UNILEVER

7/9/2020

On 3rd September 2020 Unilever invited employees to re-create last year's hugely successful charity walk in remembrance of Renée Metroka who sadly lost her fight with ocular cancer in Jan 2018.

The 'Virtual' Great Walk 2020 challenge was to walk a half or full marathon. Colleagues up and down the country walked independently or in small groups...Here are a few snaps of LOORG members taking part in a half marathon walk around Liverpool.

We can't thank Unilever fundraisers and their donors enough for their continued support which is making such a significant difference to our research group. Please see link for Unilever's full story https://www.justgiving.com/team/TheGreatWalk2020

SINGLE LARGE DONATION PAYS FOR SPECIALIST EQUIPMENT TO AID RESEARCH INTO CHOROIDAL MELANOMAS

2/9/2020

Post-Doc, Dr Karen Aughton, successfully publishes paper about spheroid cultures of uveal melanoma cells.

For this work, she employed the piece of equipment (Cytation) that LOORG acquired through the generosity of a donor, who contacted the 'Isle of Man Anti Cancer Association' (https://www.iomaca.org.im/about/) to help contact us.

Karen has further projects planned assessing the effects of various drugs on these spheroids - all with aim of improving the outcome of uveal melanoma patients.

See Karen's paper here

CELEBRATING OVER 50 SCIENTIFIC PAPERS TOGETHER

25/8/2020

Professor Sarah Coupland and Dr Helen Kalirai reach 50 target of scientific paper collaborations - a fantastic achievement - well done to you both!

Publications

PhD Student Graham Shields - First Publication

18/8/2020

Melanoblasts Populate the Mouse Choroid Earlier in Development Than Previously Described
Paul G. McMenamin; Graham T. Shields; Yashar Seyed-Razavi; Helen Kalirai; Robert H. Insall; Laura M. Machesky; Sarah E. Coupland

Here is a video description from lead author, Professor Paul McMenamin, explaining the distribution of melanoblasts in the early embryonic mouse choroid

Click for Video

CONGRATULATIONS TO DOROTA ON PASSING HER PHD VIVA!!!

13/8/2020

Following a marathon (5.5 hour) Viva on Friday 7th August, Dorota Sabat-Pospiech passed her PhD Thesis entitled:
"Regulation of kinesis KIFC1 and centrosome clustering by the OTUD6B deubiquitylase”.
Examiner: Mark Morgan (internal) and Susana Godhino (Barts Cancer Institute).

Well done Dorota from all of the LOORG team!
Congratulations also to:
Supervisors: Judy Coulson, Ian Prior, Andrew Fielding

The Power List 2020 – Big Breakthroughs - UoL Prof Sarah Coupland

11/8/2020

Part of the Power List 2020
Sarah Coupland
Sarah is George Holt Chair in Pathology and an Honorary Consultant Histopathologist at the University of Liverpool. Running one of NHS England’s four supraregional eye pathology services, Sarah also leads the Liverpool Ocular Oncology Research Group and is molecular pathology lead for the North West Genomic Laboratory Hub. Her numerous accolades include a 2019 RCPath Excellence Award and the International Council of Ophthalmology’s Eye Pathology Award. “The pandemic has actually brought me closer to my research team. I used to rush between buildings, cities, and countries – but a lot of time can be saved through virtual platforms,” says Sarah.

Find out more:
You nominated and our expert judging panels deliberated – and now, we proudly showcase this diversity of talent in The Pathologist’s 2020 Power List.

Go to The Power List 2020
From motivating mentors to trailblazing innovators, social media gurus to laboratory medicine heroes, it is the inspirational individuals who make laboratory medicine such a fantastic field. You nominated and our expert judging panels deliberated – and now, we proudly showcase this diversity of talent in The Pathologist’s 2020 Power List.

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