Fergus J. Couch PhD

Fergus J. Couch, Ph.D., studies how genetic alterations influence the development of both breast and pancreatic cancer. The long-term goals of his research program are to develop methods that predict an individual's risk of developing breast cancer and facilitate cancer prevention efforts, as well as develop tests that improve the selection of treatment for individuals with breast and pancreatic cancer.

Specifically, inherited mutations that predispose to breast cancer are being identified by studying familial breast cancer. Separately, factors that influence the response of breast and pancreatic tumors to chemotherapy are being identified by characterizing early genetic alterations. Dr. Couch's team uses genomics and cell biological approaches and animal and mathematical models to address these goals.

Dr. Couch is affiliated with the Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center and the Center for Individualized Medicine. His research is supported by the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, the Minnesota Partnership for Biotechnology and Medical Genomics, the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and an NIH Specialized Program of Research Excellence (SPORE) in Breast Cancer.