The Victoria Cohen Eye Cancer Charitable Trust was set up in memory of the late Vicky Cohen, an internationally renowned eye cancer specialist, who sadly passed away in 2020.
Training to become an eye specialist takes many years. Each year, the Victoria Cohen Scholarship for aspiring Ocular Oncologists provides an award of US$30,000 to help an individual through their fellowship.
There are not enough eye cancer surgeons in the world. The Victoria Cohen Eye Cancer Charitable Trust will help identify and train the Vicky Cohens of tomorrow.
Victoria’s contribution to ocular oncology was hugely significant.
She graduated from Cambridge University with a first-class honours degree in Natural Sciences, studied medicine at Addenbrookes Hospital, Cambridge, UK, and specialised in Ophthalmology with subsequent supra-specialist training in Ocular Oncology.
While training she won a scholarship from Pfizer which allowed her to continue her fellowship at some of the leading eye hospitals in the USA, including Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and the Wills Eye Hospital. It is this award, and the opportunities which arose from it, that has served as the inspiration for the VCECCT.
Victoria was the Director of the London Ocular Oncology Service based at Moorfields and St Bartholomew’s, London. She was the serving President of the International Society of Ocular Oncology (ISOO) and a prominent member of the Ocular Oncology Group (OOG).
The VCECCT will ensure that her name and good work live on by supporting the next generation of eye surgeons in their education.
Dr Rana’a Al-Jamal is a consultant ocular oncologist at the Department of Ophthalmology, Helsinki University Central Hospital, Finland.
His area of specialty focuses mainly on diagnosis and treatment of both pædiatric and adult ophthalmic tumors. He is involved in academic research, and has published several articles and textbook chapters.
He completed a fellowship in ophthalmic pathology and ocular oncology at the University of Helsink, followed by a PhD from the same university. He also completed three further fellowships in ocular oncology and oculoplastics at the Royal Hallamshire Hospital, Royal Liverpool University Hospital, and Moorfields Eye Hospital, where he spent several years working.
Dr Al-Jamal is a member of the European Ophthalmic Oncology Group, International Society of Ocular Oncology, the European Association for Vision and Eye Research (EVER), Eye Cancer Network, Euretina, and many others.
Dr Jesse L. Berry is an Associate Professor Ophthalmology, Clinical Scholar at the University of Southern California (USC). She serves as the Associate Director of Ocular Oncology at the USC Roski Eye Institute and Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA) and Associate Division Head for the Vision Center.
Her clinical expertise includes anterior segment, intraocular and external tumors with a specific focus on retinoblastoma and uveal melanoma. Her research endeavors are supported by the National Cancer Institute and focus on development of the aqueous humor as a liquid biopsy for retinoblastoma.
She received her undergraduate and medical degree from Harvard University. Following her residency at USC, she was assistant chief of service at LAC+USC. She then completed a fellowship in ocular oncology at CHLA and USC.
Dr Berry is the founder of Women in Ocular Oncology and current Vice President and Secretary of the International Society of Ocular Oncology (ISOO).
Dr Dan Gombos is Professor and Chief of the Section of Ophthalmology at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas. He serves as Clinical Co-Director of the Retinoblastoma Center of Houston with joint academic appointments at the Baylor College of Medicine and University of Texas Medical Branch.
He completed specialist fellowship training in ocular oncology at the University of California, San Francisco, and at St Bartholemew’s and Moorfields Eye Hospitals London.
He received his medical degree from Stanford University and completed his ophthalmology residency at the University of Pennsylvania.
Dr Gombos is a past President of the American Association of Ocular Oncology and Pathology, and currently serves as President of the International Society of Ocular Oncologists.
Dr Alexandre Moulin is a senior lead consultant in Jules-Gonin Eye Hospital, Lausanne University, where he leads the Eye Pathology Laboratory.
He holds board certifications both in Ophthalmology and Pathology, and his training included an eye pathology fellowship at Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary (MEEI) in Boston. His research interests focus mainly on conjunctival and uveal melanoma.
He received his medical degree from Lausanne University.
Dr Moulin is currently the secretary for the Ocular Oncology Group (OOG) as well as programme secretary for the pathology and oncology section of the European Association for Vision and Eye Research (EVER).
Mr Mandeep Sagoo is Professor of Ophthalmology and Ocular Oncology at UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, and Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeon with subspecialist interest in adult and pædiatric eye tumours at the London Ocular Oncology Service at Moorfields Eye Hospital and the London Retinoblastoma Service at Royal London Hospital. He is the Programme Director for the MSc course in Ophthalmology at UCL/Moorfields.
His Fellowship training was in Ocular Oncology, as a Fulbright Scholar, under Dr Jerry Shields and Dr Carol Shields at Wills Eye Hospital and Medical Retina Fellowship at Moorfields.
He holds numerous awards, including the Gedge Prize of Cambridge University, John Glyn Young Fellows Prize of the Royal Society of Medicine, the PJ Hay Medal of the North of England Ophthalmology Society, the Syme Medal, and the King James IV Professorship of Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh.
Having graduated from Cambridge University, he undertook residency in Ophthalmology at Oxford and then Moorfields Eye Hospital.
Prof. Sagoo is a Member of Macula Society, Council Member of Oxford Ophthalmological Congress and has served as Honorary Secretary of the International Society of Ocular Oncology.
Dr Carol L. Shields is Director of the Ocular Oncology Service, Wills Eye Hospital, and Professor of Ophthalmology at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, PA, USA.
She has been in practice for 37 years and takes special interest in the management of retinoblastoma, uveal melanoma, conjunctival malignancies and many other intraocular, conjunctival, and orbital tumours.
She has received Honorary Degrees from the University of Notre Dame, IN, and the Catholic University in Washington, DC. Numerous awards include the Donders Lecture and Award, the Doyne Lecture and Award, and the Gass Lecture and Award. She is included in the Ophthalmology Power List (top 100 ophthalmologists worldwide).
She has served as President of the International Society of Ocular Oncology (ISOO), and of The Macula Society.
In addition to her academic work, she enjoys sports, and was inducted into the Academic All-American Hall of Fame for her years playing collegiate basketball.
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