Dr Robert (Robb) Hollis (PhD)

Group Leader & CRUK Career Development Fellow

Biography

Background

Dr Hollis completed his undergraduate degree in Biomedical Sciences at Newcastle University (2011–2014). He undertook a summer studentship and an honours research project within the Paediatric Brain Tumour Group at the Northern Institute for Cancer Research, for which he received the NICR Research Project Prize. At graduation, he received the School of Biomedical Sciences Prize for Scientific Achievement for his work in science communication and public engagement. He subsequently joined the Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine at the University of Edinburgh as an MRC-funded PhD student (2014–2018), where he focused on the molecular profiling of ovarian carcinomas and the identification of subgroups with distinct clinical behaviour and therapeutic vulnerabilities. The findings from Robb’s doctoral studies were recognised by a Pezcoller Foundation Scholar-in-Training Award from the American Association for Cancer Research.

Following his PhD, Robb was awarded an MRC DTP PhD–Postdoctoral Transition Research Fellowship (2018–2019) and subsequently secured funding from Target Ovarian Cancer to take up the post of Research Fellow at the Nicola Murray Centre for Ovarian Cancer Research (2020-2022). Here, he continued to integrate multi-omic approaches to define prognostic and predictive biomarkers across different types of ovarian cancer. In 2019, he secured a Tenovus Scotland Pilot Grant to initiate his first independent research project, focussed on ovarian carcinosarcoma, a rare and poorly characterised type of ovarian cancer. Robb received the Edgar Gentilli Research Prize for this work from the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists.

Robb was appointed an Institute of Genetics and Cancer Langmuir Talent Fellow in 2022 to support his transition to independence, establishing a research programme centred on translational ovarian cancer research. His work has included identifying novel risk stratification frameworks for endometrioid and high-grade serous ovarian cancers, alongside identification of novel therapeutic strategies in low-grade serous ovarian cancer and characterisation of the fundamental molecular landscape in ovarian carcinosarcomas. He was awarded a Wellbeing of Women postdoctoral research grant in 2024 in partnership with the British Gynaecological Cancer Society to further support his studies in endometrioid ovarian cancers.

In 2025, Robb was awarded a 6-year Cancer Research UK Career Development Fellowship to identify new ways to prevent and reverse treatment resistance in ovarian cancer, leading a research group within the Institute of Genetics and Cancer at the University of Edinburgh. In 2026, he received the Sir Robin MacLellan Prize for his Tenovus Scotland-funded work establishing new laboratory models of ovarian cancer.

Robb is the Theme Co-Lead for Gynaecological Cancers within the Cancer Research UK Scotland Centre, which spans the Universities of Edinburgh and Glasgow to bring together multidisciplinary expertise in gynaecological cancer research. Robb holds honorary positions as a Data Analyst within NHS Lothian and Principal Information Analyst within Public Health Scotland to support clinical research studies. His ongoing research programme aims to deliver clinically actionable biological insights that support improved stratification and novel therapeutic opportunities for patients with ovarian cancer.

 

Qualifications

PhD, Edinburgh University: 2014-2018

BSc (Hons) (First class), Newcastle University: 2011-2014

Responsibilities & affiliations

Group Leader, CRUK Scotland Centre, Insitute of Genetics and Cancer

Cancer Research UK Career Development Fellow, University of Edinburgh

Gynaecological Cancer Theme Co-Lead, CRUK Scotland Centre

Honorary Data Analyst, NHS Lothian 

Honorary Principal Information Analyst, Public Health Scotland

Undergraduate teaching

BSc Reproductive Honours: 2019-present. Course materials, lectures, tutorials, exam assessment

BSc Early Detection and Prevention of Cancer: 2026-present. Lectures

Postgraduate teaching

Dissertation programme lead, MSc Cancer Biology and Precision Oncology. 2024-2026

MSc Cancer Biology and Precision Oncology. 2022-2024. Course development, lectures, tutorials

Open to PhD supervision enquiries?

Yes

Areas of interest for supervision

Open to queries from potential masters by research students (MScR: https://study.ed.ac.uk/programmes/postgraduate-research/237-cancer-edinburgh-cancer-research-centre)

Current PhD students supervised

PhD:

Karim El-Shakankery (primary supervisor): 2025 – present

Rashi Krishna (primary supervisor): 2023 – present

Eve Merry (co-supervisor): 2023 – present

Manal Alharbi (co-supervisor): 2023 – present

Joanna Porter (co-supervisor): 2025 – present  

Past PhD students supervised

PhD:

Ben King (PhD, co-supervised): 2021-2026

Ailsa Oswald (TRACC PhD, associate supervisor): 2021 – 2025

Lorna Stillie (TRACC MB-PhD, associate supervisor): 2020 – 2024

Jess Lim (ECAT PhD, associate supervisor): 2019 – 2022

 

Masters:

Dan Roberts (MScR, primary supervisor): 2025 – 2026

Fiona Torres (MSc, primary supervisor): 2025 – 2026

Pavlos Dogranlis (MSc, primary supervisor): 2025 – 2026

Maria Alba Bernal (MSc, primary supervisor): 2025 – 2026

Angela Dola (MSc, primary supervisor): 2025 – 2026

Yuchen Wang (MScR, primary supervisor): 2024 – 2025

Juin Low (MSc, primary supervisor): 2024 – 2025

  • Sir Robin MacLellan prize for outstanding research 2026
  • Cancer Research UK Career Development Fellow 2025
  • Inaugural host lab for Ovarian Cancer Foundation New Zealand Travel Grant 2025
  • Edgar Gentilli Research Prize 2024 (Royal Society of Obstetrics and Gynaecology)
  • Sole-authored review article in top 10 cited articles for Cancer Letters 2023
  • Moray Endowment Award 2022
  • ICR Pathways to Independence Programme 2021
  • Institute of Genetics and Cancer Early Career Award 2021
  • AACR Pezcoller Foundation Scholar-in-training Award 2019
  • Lady Eda Jardine Charitable Trust 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

Drug licensing/reimbursement application support: mirvetuximab soravtansine for platinum-resistant ovarian cancer (analytical support with Abbvie; NICE approval 2026)

GOG281: trametinib in low grade serous ovarian cancer: translational biospecimen analysis of practice-changing trial, identifying biomarkers of benefit/response

Drug licensing/reimbursement application support: first-line niraparib in ovarian cancer (analytical support with GSK; NICE approval 2020)

Drug licensing/reimbursement application support: first-line olaparib in BRCA-mutant ovarian cancer (analytical support with AstraZeneca; NICE approval 2019)

Ovarian cancer survival disparities across Scotland: characterised regional outcome disparities in Scotland (with Public Health Scotland & NHS Health Boards)

Development of the Edinburgh Ovarian Cancer Database

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