Ian Jacobs (oncologist)

{{Infobox officeholder

| name =

| image = Ian Jacobs.jpeg

| caption = Jacobs in 2014

| office = 9th Vice Chancellor and President of UNSW

| termstart = February 2015

| termend = January 2022

| chancellor = David Gonski

| predecessor = Fred Hilmer

| successor = Attila Brungs

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1957|10|06|df=y}}

| occupation = academic
medical doctor
gynaecological
oncologist researcher

| education =

| alma_mater = Trinity College, Cambridge (BA, MA)
University College London (MBBS)
University of London (MD)

}}

Ian Jacobs (born 6 October 1957{{cite web|url=https://www.recordkeeping.unsw.edu.au/historicalresources/onlineexhibitions/vice-chancellor.html#jacobs |title=University of New South Wales – Records and Archives Office – The Vice-Chancellors of the University of New South Wales Exhibition |website=Recordkeeping.unsw.edu.au |access-date=13 March 2017}}) is an academic, medical doctor, gynaecological oncologist, charity founder{{cite web |title=The Eve Appeal's History |url=https://eveappeal.org.uk/about-us/eve-appeals-history/ |website=The Eve Appeal |access-date=19 February 2021}} and university leader from the UK, with dual British and Australian citizenship.{{cite web |last1=Jacobs |first1=Ian |title=Message from President and Vice-Chancellor |url=https://www.inside.unsw.edu.au/vc-message/message-president-and-vice-chancellor-professor-ian-jacobs-2-march-2020 |website=Inside UNSW |publisher=UNSW Sydney |access-date=10 June 2021 |date=2 March 2020}}

He began as the ninth president and vice-chancellor of the University of New South Wales in Australia in February 2015. Jacobs announced his resignation in January 2021, to take effect at the beginning of 2022.{{Cite web|last=Baker|first=Jordan|date=2021-01-28|title=Wanted: Vice-chancellors for state's two top unis as UNSW boss resigns|url=https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/wanted-vice-chancellors-for-state-s-two-top-unis-as-unsw-boss-resigns-20210128-p56xf4.html|access-date=2021-01-28|website=The Sydney Morning Herald|language=en}}

Early life and education

Jacobs was born in the East End of London and raised in Cockfosters in North London.{{cite news |last1=Elmes |first1=John |title=Q&A with Ian Jacobs |url=https://www.timeshighereducation.com/cn/news/people/qa-with-ian-jacobs/2019486.article |access-date=10 June 2021 |work=Times Higher Education |date=9 April 2015}}

Jacobs is an alumnus of Trinity College, Cambridge, and the Middlesex Hospital Medical School, which is now part of University College London. He received a bachelor of arts and master of arts in medicine and law from Cambridge in 1980 and 1983, respectively. He qualified as a doctor of medicine (MBBS) from Middlesex Hospital Medical School in 1983. Jacobs was awarded a medical doctorate from the University of London in 1991.{{cite news |title=Jacobs's Journey |url=https://documents.manchester.ac.uk/display.aspx?DocID=9578 |access-date=2 June 2021 |work=UniLife |publisher=The University of Manchester |date=4 April 2011}}

Jacobs was the first in his family to gain a tertiary education, benefitting from the era of publicly funded education in the UK.{{cite web |last1=Jacobs |first1=Ian |title=Address at the 2019 AFR Higher Education Summit |url=http://www.president.unsw.edu.au/speeches/address-2019-afr-higher-education-summit |website=President and Vice Chancellor |publisher=UNSW Sydney |access-date=19 February 2021 |date=27 August 2019}}

Career

After qualifying as a doctor, Jacobs worked as a junior doctor at the Middlesex Hospital and at Mount Vernon Hospital. In 1984, he commenced specialist training in obstetrics and gynaecology at the Royal London Hospital and then Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge, which he completed in 1990.

Also in 1984, Jacobs founded [https://eveappeal.org.uk/ The Eve Appeal] (first called the Gynaecology Cancer Research Fund), a charity with the aim of raising funds for research in gynaecologic cancer. In 1985, he began a program of research into ovarian cancer screening. He was subsequently Medical Director of the charity as well as Emeritus Trustee.{{cite web |title=About Professor Ian Jacobs |url=http://www.president.unsw.edu.au/about/professor-ian-jacobs |website=UNSW Australia |access-date=19 July 2021}}

From 1990 to 1991, Jacobs received a fellowship from the Medical Research Council to research cancer genetics at Duke University. He became a member of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists in 1991{{cite web |title=Public Register of Fellows and Members |url=https://www.rcog.org.uk/en/patients/who-is-your-doctor/register/ |website=Royal College of Obstetricians & Gynaecologists |access-date=19 February 2021}} and received a Cancer Research Campaign (now Cancer Research UK) McElwain fellowship at Cambridge University from 1992 to 1994. He completed his subspecialist training in gynaecologic oncology at St Bartholomew's Hospital and the Royal Marsden Hospital in 1996, and began working as a consultant and senior lecturer at Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry in the same year. Jacobs was promoted to Professor of Gynaecological Cancer at the Queen Mary University of London in 1999{{cite web |title=Past keynote speakers: Professor Ian Jacobs |url=http://www.festivalofpublichealth.co.uk/keynotespeakers/pastkeynotespeakers/professorianjacobs/ |website=International Festival of Public Health |publisher=The University of Manchester |access-date=19 February 2021}} and was Director of the Cancer Institute and Associate Research Dean before joining University College London (UCL) in 2004 as the head of the gynaecologic oncology research department.{{cite web |title=Eminent cancer scientist joins UCL |url=https://www.ucl.ac.uk/news/2004/apr/eminent-cancer-scientist-joins-ucl |website=University College London |access-date=18 February 2021 |date=8 April 2004}}{{cite web |title=Professor Ian Jacobs moves to UCL and UCLH |url=https://www.ucl.ac.uk/news/2004/mar/professor-ian-jacobs-moves-ucl-and-uclh |website=University College London |access-date=18 February 2021 |date=23 March 2004}} At UCL, Jacobs established the [https://www.ucl.ac.uk/womens-health/ega-institute-womens-health Elizabeth Garrett Anderson Institute for Women's Health] (iFWH),{{cite web |title=Elizabeth Garrett Anderson Institute for Women's Health Fifteenth Anniversary Report |url=https://www.ucl.ac.uk/womens-health/sites/womens-health/files/iowh_2019_report_v5_march_2020_web.pdf |website=University College London |access-date=19 February 2021 |page=5 |date=2019}} the Ugandan Women's Health Initiative (UWHI),{{cite web |title=Women's Health |url=https://www.ucl.ac.uk/news/2005/may/womens-health |website=University College London |access-date=11 June 2021 |date=16 May 2005}}{{cite news |last1=Craze |first1=Jack |title=A boost for women's health in Uganda |url=https://newint.org/features/web-exclusive/2012/06/12/womens-health-uganda |access-date=18 February 2021 |work=New Internationalist |date=12 June 2012}}{{cite news |last1=John |first1=Ross |title=Ian Jacobs to return to UK after leaving UNSW Sydney |url=https://www.timeshighereducation.com/news/jacobs-leave-unsw |access-date=19 February 2021 |work=Times Higher Education |date=28 January 2021}} and the UCLH/UCL Biomedical Research Centre.{{cite web |title=UCLH biobank used to develop early cancer tests |url=https://www.uclhospitals.brc.nihr.ac.uk/news/uclh-biobank-used-develop-early-cancer-tests |website=University College London Hospitals |access-date=18 February 2021 |date=28 June 2013}}{{cite web |title=Three UCL health research centres of excellence announced |url=https://www.ucl.ac.uk/news/2006/dec/three-ucl-health-research-centres-excellence-announced |website=University College London |access-date=19 February 2021 |date=12 December 2006}}{{cite web |title=Ian Jacobs |url=https://theconversation.com/profiles/ian-jacobs-204912 |website=The Conversation |access-date=19 July 2021}} From 2009 to 2011, Jacobs was dean of the Faculty of Biomedical Sciences.{{cite web |title=New leadership team for UCL Life and Medical Sciences |url=https://www.ucl.ac.uk/news/2009/jun/new-leadership-team-ucl-life-and-medical-sciences |website=University College London |access-date=18 February 2021 |date=30 June 2009}}

After seven years, he departed from UCL in 2011 to take up the position of vice-president of the University of Manchester and the dean of its Faculty of Medical and Human Sciences. He also led the Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, which partnered the university with six NHS hospitals.{{cite news |last1=Smith |first1=Alexandra |title=UNSW vice-chancellor Ian Jacobs has many strings to his bow |url=https://www.smh.com.au/education/unsw-vicechancellor-ian-jacobs-has-many-strings-to-his-bow-20151013-gk7tw4.html |access-date=18 February 2021 |work=The Sydney Morning Herald |date=23 October 2015}}{{cite news|url=http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/professor-ian-jacobs-replaces-fred-hilmer-as-vicechancellor-of-university-of-nsw-20140606-39o6b.html|title=Professor Ian Jacobs replaces Fred Hilmer as vice-chancellor of University of NSW|date=6 June 2014|access-date=7 May 2015|work=The Sydney Morning Herald|first=Heath|last=Gilmore}} While in Manchester, Jacobs founded the Northern Health Science Alliance (NHSA), involving leading universities, Academic Health Science Networks and NHS trusts across the north of England.{{cite news |last1=Parsons |first1=Bob |title=How harnessing the strengths of Yorkshire's NHS could help kickstart the Northern Powerhouse |url=https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/uk-news/how-harnessing-strengths-yorkshires-nhs-could-help-kickstart-northern-powerhouse-1744273 |access-date=2 June 2021 |work=The Yorkshire Post |date=18 January 2020}}

=UNSW Sydney president and vice-chancellor=

In 2015, Jacobs relocated from the UK to Sydney, Australia, after he was appointed president and vice-chancellor of the University of New South Wales (UNSW Sydney).{{cite news|url=http://www.theaustralian.com.au/higher-education/busy-jacobs-has-foot-in-two-worlds/story-e6frgcjx-1227223201022|title=Busy Jacobs has foot in two worlds|date=18 February 2015|work=The Australian|first=Julie|last=Hare|access-date=7 May 2015}}{{cite web |title=UNSW Sydney |url=https://www.timeshighereducation.com/world-university-rankings/unsw-sydney |website=Times Higher Education |access-date=19 February 2021}}

In his first year at UNSW Sydney, Jacobs launched the UNSW 2025 Strategy, a 10-year strategic plan to enhance the university's global impact and reputation. The strategy, published in October 2015 after wide-ranging consultation with the UNSW Sydney community, incorporated Jacobs’ belief in universities as the drivers of societal and economic transformation.{{cite web |last1=Knight |first1=Denise |title=UNSW launches 2025 strategy as report shows unis are a smart investment |url=https://newsroom.unsw.edu.au/news/general/unsw-launches-2025-strategy-report-shows-unis-are-smart-investment |website=Newsroom |publisher=UNSW Sydney |access-date=19 February 2021 |date=20 October 2015}}

He was elected a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences in 2019.{{Cite web |date=2019-10-10 |title=Academy elects new Fellows and discusses global pandemic threat at annual meeting |url=https://aahms.org/news/new-fellows-2019/ |access-date=2025-02-18 |website=Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences |language=en-AU}}

=Research=

Jacobs initiated and was chief investigator for the following ovarian cancer research programs, which were funded by a combination of the Medical Research Council (MRC), the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), Cancer Research UK (CRUK) and The Eve Appeal:

UKFOCSS (UK Familial Ovarian Cancer Screening Study){{cite web |title=Professor Ian Jacobs BA, MA, MBBS, MD, FRCOG |url=https://www.treasury.nsw.gov.au/people/professor-ian-jacobs |website=NSW Treasury |publisher=NSW Government |access-date=19 February 2021 |date=4 February 2021}}{{cite web |title=UK FOCSS results indicate screening high-risk women may reduce risk of advanced ovarian cancer diagnosis |url=https://eveappeal.org.uk/our-research/our-research-programmes/ukfocss/ |website=The Eve Appeal |access-date=19 February 2021}}
UKCTOCS (UK Collaborative Trial of Ovarian Cancer Screening)
PROMISE (Prediction of Risk of Ovarian Malignancy Screening and Early Detection) program{{cite web |title=PROMISE |url=https://eveappeal.org.uk/our-research/our-research-programmes/promise-2016/ |website=The Eve Appeal |access-date=19 February 2021}}{{cite web |title=Professor Ian Jacobs |url=http://www.iru.edu.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Professor-Ian-Jacobs-September-2018.pdf |access-date=20 July 2021}}
GCaPPS (Genetic Cancer Prediction through Population Screening){{cite web |title=A study looking at testing all Ashkenazi Jewish people for a cancer gene (GCaPPS) |url=https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/find-a-clinical-trial/a-study-testing-ashkenazi-jewish-people-for-cancer-gene-gcapps |website=Cancer Research UK |access-date=10 June 2021 |date=16 April 2015}}{{cite news |title=Current way of detecting gene mutations misses people at high risk of cancer |url=https://www.manchester.ac.uk/discover/news/current-way-of-detecting-gene-mutations-misses-people-at-high-risk-of-cancer/ |access-date=20 July 2021 |work=The University of Manchester |date=1 December 2014}}

Since the early 2000s, Jacobs’ research programs have received approximately AUD $100 million in funding and resulted in more than 400 publications with an h-index greater than 85.{{cite web |title=Ian Jacobs |url=https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=INZvL8oAAAAJ&hl=en |website=Google Scholar |access-date=11 June 2021}}

In May 2021, the results of the UKCTOCS were published in The Lancet. The research found that although ovarian cancer can be detected early and before women develop symptoms, this does not translate into saving lives.{{cite journal |author1=Usha Menon |author2=Aleksandra Gentry-Maharaj |author3=Matthew Burnell |author4=Naveena Singh |author5=Andy Ryan |author6=Chloe Karpinskyj |author7=Giulia Carlino |author8=Julie Taylor |author9=Susan K. Massingham |author10=Maria Raikou |author11=Jatinderpal K. Kalsi |author12=Robert Woolas |author13=Ranjit Manchanda |author14=Rupali Arora |author15=Laura Casey |author16=Anne Dawnay |author17=Stephen Dobbs |author18=Simon Leeson |author19=Tim Mould |author20=Mourad W. Seif |author21=Aarti Sharma |author22=Karin Williamson |author23=Yiling Liu |author24=Lesley Fallowfield |author25=Alistair J. McGuire |author26=Stuart Campbell |author27=Steven J. Skates |author28=Ian J. Jacobs |author29=Mahesh Parmar |title=Ovarian cancer population screening and mortality after long-term follow-up in the UK Collaborative Trial of Ovarian Cancer Screening (UKCTOCS): a randomised controlled trial |journal=The Lancet |date=12 May 2021 |volume=397 |issue=10290 |pages=2182–2193

|doi=10.1016/S0140-6736(21)00731-5 |pmid=33991479 |pmc=8192829 |s2cid=234683329 }} Jacobs wrote an account of his 35-year involvement in the research in The Conversation, expressing his sadness and disappointment that the study did not find the outcome for which the research team had hoped.{{cite web |last1=Jacobs |first1=Ian |title='Devastated and sad' after 36 years of research — early detection of ovarian cancer doesn't save lives |url=https://theconversation.com/devastated-and-sad-after-36-years-of-research-early-detection-of-ovarian-cancer-doesnt-save-lives-160999 |website=The Conversation |access-date=2 June 2021 |date=19 May 2021}}

Jacobs is founder, non-executive director and consultant to Abcodia, a University College London spin-out company involved in biomarker discovery and development.{{cite web |title=Board of Directors |url=http://www.abcodia.com/about/board-of-directors/ |website=Abcodia |access-date=18 February 2021}}{{cite journal |last1=Jacobs |first1=Ian J |last2=Parmar |first2=Mahesh |last3=Skates |first3=Steven J |last4=Menon |first4=Usha |title=Ovarian cancer screening: UKCTOCS trial – Authors' reply |journal=The Lancet |date=June 2016 |volume=387 |issue=10038 |pages=2603–2604 |doi=10.1016/S0140-6736(16)30849-2 |pmid=27353822 |s2cid=41949656 |doi-access=free }}

Personal life

Jacobs is married to Chris Jacobs, a nurse and genetic counsellor whom he met at Middlesex Hospital. They have three children. His great grandparents were migrants from Poland and Russia. His parents grew up in East London and until retiring ran a retail pharmacy.{{cite web|url=http://www.uhsm.nhs.uk/Documents/J3262_UniLife_Profile.pdf|title=Jacobs' Journey|work=UniLife|publisher=University Hospital of South Manchester NHS Foundation Trust|access-date=7 May 2015}}{{cite web|url=http://www.uhsm.nhs.uk/Documents/J3262_UniLife_Profile.pdf|title=Jacobs' Journey|work=UniLife|publisher=University Hospital of South Manchester NHS Foundation Trust|access-date=7 May 2015}}