Judy Coulson

Professor Judy Coulson is a Professor in the Department of Molecular and Clinical Cancer Medicine at the University of Liverpool's Faculty of Health and Life Sciences. She serves as Deputy Associate Pro Vice Chancellor for Technology, Infrastructure and Environment and Faculty Lead for Equality Diversity and Inclusion. Coulson established the Liverpool Egg Facility with Dr. Sarah Barnett and is an active member of the Mesothelioma UK Research and Audit Scientific Committee.

She earned a first-class BSc in Biological and Biochemical Sciences from the University of Salford (1990) and a PhD in Biochemistry from the University of London (1994), followed by post-doctoral positions at Aston University and the University of Nottingham. She joined the University of Liverpool in 2001 as a Lecturer, obtaining a PG Certificate in Learning and Teaching in Higher Education with distinction (2004).

Her research focuses on reversible ubiquitylation in cell signaling, transcriptional regulation, and cancer therapeutics, with emphasis on mesothelioma, uveal melanoma, breast, and lung cancers. Her lab developed chick CAM xenograft models for preclinical testing and investigates BAP1-dependent therapeutic vulnerabilities. Key areas include deubiquitinase functions, centrosome clustering mechanisms, and biomarker discovery for precision oncology.

Analysis of her 15 most recent publications reveals dominant themes in cancer biology, particularly mesothelioma and uveal melanoma research, with strong emphasis on deubiquitinating enzymes (DUBs), ubiquitin signaling pathways, and innovative preclinical model development. Her work bridges molecular mechanisms with therapeutic applications, showing consistent progression toward clinical translation in solid tumor oncology.

Her scientific recognition includes:

• BACR AstraZeneca Young Scientist of the Year (British Association for Cancer Research, 2003)

Coulson has secured substantial research funding from major organizations including June Hancock Mesothelioma Research Foundation, North West Cancer Research, Worldwide Cancer Research, NC3Rs, Fight for Sight, Breast Cancer Now, and the British Lung Foundation. Current grants (2023-2027) focus on developing DUB inhibitors, personalized therapies, and advanced preclinical models for mesothelioma and uveal melanoma. She supervises PhD students on cancer signaling, ubiquitination pathways, and therapeutic targeting strategies.

She leads the Liverpool Egg Facility research team, which specializes in CAM xenograft models for drug testing and biomarker validation. Her group integrates molecular biology, preclinical imaging, and translational approaches to advance cancer therapeutics while adhering to 3Rs principles in animal research.