Professor Ellen Copson

I am a consultant medical oncologist specialising in the medical treatment of breast cancer. I specialise in the treatment of early and advanced breast cancer using chemotherapies, hormonal therapies and targeted drugs. I am very active in clinical research and have extensive experience in enrolling and supervising patients on clinical trials. I work closely with my colleagues in breast surgery, radiology, pathology and palliative care to ensure that every patient receives the optimum treatment for their individual situation.

I graduated in medicine with honours from the University of London in 1996 having also gained a first class Bachelor of Science degree in immunology. I went on to train in Medical Oncology firstly at St. George’s Hospital, London and then Southampton General Hospital and I completed my specialist training in 2008, having also achieved a PhD researching inherited breast cancer in 2007.

In 2009 I took up a position as a full-time NHS medical oncology consultant specialising in the medical treatment of breast cancer at Salisbury Foundation NHS Trust and University Hospital Southampton NHS Trust. I returned to academic medicine in 2012 and now combine my post as Associate Professor at the University of Southampton with my clinical practice at UHS and the Spire Southampton.

In addition to my clinical work I have a large research and educational portfolio in my role as Associate Professor at the University of Soutmathampton. I am particularly interested in host factors which influence the response to systemic treatments for early breast cancer. I am a key member of the team currently analyzing data from a large national cohort study (the Prospective study of Outcomes in Sporadic versus Hereditary breast cancer, POSH study and is currently working with the Southampton Biomedical Research Centre- Nutrition team to investigate the impact of body composition on early breast cancer. I also act as clinical advisor for a number of pre-clinical studies investigating the biology of breast cancer, and for several early breast cancer survivorship studies. I am principle investigator for a number of clinical trials in early and advanced breast cancer and a member of the NCRI Breast Cancer Clinical Studies Group.

I am the Cancer Lead for the Wessex Genomic Medicine Centre where I am responsible for delivering the Wessex cancer arm of the national 100,000 Genomes Project. I am also chair of the National Oncogenetics Training working party and sit on a number of national and regional committees which are examining the introduction of genomic and molecular testing of tumours into routine cancer care.

In addition I have a strong interest in the training of oncologists. I have acted as regional medical oncology programme director since 2013 and sit on both the national medical oncology speciality advisory committee and the national speciality examination board. I am currently responsible for the training of 10 medical oncology trainees in the Wessex region.