Rate My Professor Mhairi Copland

Professor Mhairi Copland is Professor of Translational Haematology in the School of Cancer Sciences at the University of Glasgow, where she directs the Paul O'Gorman Leukaemia Research Centre. She also holds an honorary consultant haematologist position at the Beatson West of Scotland Cancer Centre, supporting myeloid, teenage and young adult cancer services, and the clinical research unit. Copland earned her BSc (hons) and MB ChB from the University of Aberdeen in 1996, relocated to Glasgow in 1999 as a clinical trainee in haematology, and was appointed Clinical Senior Lecturer and Honorary Consultant in 2008. She completed her PhD in Cancer Sciences at the University of Glasgow in 2007 and founded the Leukaemia Stem Cell Self-Renewal group that same year. As Head of the Experimental Haematology Section and former Chair of the UK NCRI Chronic Myeloid Leukaemia (CML) Subgroup, she leads the Bloodwise Trials Acceleration Programme at the Beatson and serves as principal investigator for multiple acute leukaemia trials.

Copland's research centres on leukaemia stem cells in myeloid malignancies, particularly chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML) and acute myeloid leukaemia (AML), examining self-renewal abnormalities, bone marrow microenvironment interactions, Hedgehog pathway activation, quiescence-mediated drug resistance, and the CXCL12/CXCR4 axis. Her laboratory explores molecular pathways, immune evasion, mitochondrial metabolism, and novel in vitro bone marrow niche models for diagnostic and therapeutic applications. She translates these findings into clinical trials, acting as chief investigator for the Phase 1 MATCHPOINT trial (ponatinib with chemotherapy in CML), Phase 2 TASTER trial, and DESTINY trial (therapy reduction prior to treatment-free remission in CML), and co-chief investigator for LI-1 (novel therapies in elderly AML). Her work has produced over 250 publications, including recent contributions such as 'A metabolism-specific drug-repurposing screen reveals itraconazole as a potent OXPHOS inhibitor in acute myeloid leukemia' (Blood, 2026), 'Sequential BCR::ABL1 evaluation during dose de-escalation in peripheral blood is more predictive of TFR success' (Leukemia, 2026), and 'Venetoclax-based non-intensive combinations for relapsed/refractory acute myeloid leukaemia' (British Journal of Haematology, 2025). Funded by Bloodwise and Cancer Research UK, her efforts maintain the centre's international reputation while mentoring early-career researchers in laboratory studies, trial design, and patient involvement.