Robert L. Coleman

Robert Coleman is Professor in the Department of Gynecologic Oncology and Reproductive Medicine at MD Anderson Cancer Center. He is a distinguished clinical investigator whose career has focused on advancing pharmacologic and surgical treatment strategies for ovarian cancer, particularly in the recurrent setting. Coleman served as the lead investigator for the ARIEL3 phase III trial, which demonstrated that rucaparib maintenance therapy significantly improved progression-free survival in recurrent platinum-sensitive ovarian cancer across multiple genomically defined patient subgroups, supporting FDA approval of rucaparib in this indication. Coleman's research contributions extend broadly across antiangiogenic agents, including bevacizumab and cediranib, where he has investigated mechanisms of resistance and predictive biomarkers of response. His translational work has explored the biology of ovarian cancer recurrence, including angiogenic signaling pathways, immune microenvironment features, and epigenetic alterations that drive therapeutic resistance. He has been a principal investigator or co-investigator on scores of GOG, GCIG, and industry-sponsored trials. Beyond his laboratory and clinical research, Coleman has contributed to the development of clinical practice guidelines through the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) and the Society of Gynecologic Oncology (SGO). He is a prolific author, mentor, and educator who has trained numerous gynecologic oncology fellows and junior faculty members at MD Anderson.