I am an active clinical and basic investigator with a laboratory studying the molecular and genetic regulation of cancer development. This allows me to be on the forefront of new developments and use laboratory derived knowledge to develop new targeted treatments.
Publications
Vorwald VM, Davis DM, Van Gulick RJ, Torphy RJ, Borgers JS, Klarquist J, Couts KL, Amato CM, Cogswell DT, Fujita M, Castleman MJ, Davis T, Lozupone C, Medina TM, Robinson WA, Gapin L, McCarter MD, Tobin RP. Circulating CD8( ) mucosal-associated invariant T cells correlate with improved treatment responses and overall survival in anti-PD-1-treated melanoma patients. Clin Transl Immunology. 2022;11(1):e1367. PubMed PMID: 35028137
Wang K, Patkar S, Lee JS, Gertz EM, Robinson W, Schischlik F, Crawford DR, Schaffer AA, Ruppin E. Deconvolving clinically relevant cellular immune crosstalk from bulk gene expression using CODEFACS and LIRICS stratifies melanoma patients to anti-PD-1 therapy. Cancer Discov. 2022 Jan 4. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 34983745
Akturk HK, Couts KL, Baschal EE, Karakus KE, Van Gulick RJ, Turner JA, Pyle L, Robinson WA, Michels AW. Analysis of Human Leukocyte Antigen DR Alleles, Immune-Related Adverse Events, and Survival Associated With Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Use Among Patients With Advanced Malignant Melanoma. JAMA Netw Open. 2022 Dec 1;5(12):e2246400. PubMed PMID: 36512357
Tobin RP, Cogswell DT, Cates VM, Davis DM, Borgers JSW, Van Gulick RJ, Katsnelson E, Couts KL, Jordan KR, Gao D, Davila E, Medina TM, Lewis KD, Gonzalez R, McFarland RW, Robinson WA, McCarter MD. Targeting MDSC differentiation using ATRA: a phase I/II clinical trial combining pembrolizumab and all-trans retinoic acid for metastatic melanoma. Clin Cancer Res. 2022 Nov 15. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 36378549
Turner JA, Paton EL, Van Gulick R, Stefanoni D, Cendali F, Reisz J, Tobin RP, McCarter M, D'Alessandro A, Torres RM, Robinson WA, Couts KL, Schlaepfer IR. BRAF Modulates Lipid Use and Accumulation. Cancers (Basel). 2022 Apr 23;14(9). PubMed PMID: 35565240
Vorwald VM, Davis DM, Van Gulick RJ, Torphy RJ, Borgers JS, Klarquist J, Couts KL, Amato CM, Cogswell DT, Fujita M, Castleman MJ, Davis T, Lozupone C, Medina TM, Robinson WA, Gapin L, McCarter MD, Tobin RP. Circulating CD8( ) mucosal-associated invariant T cells correlate with improved treatment responses and overall survival in anti-PD-1-treated melanoma patients. Clin Transl Immunology. 2022;11(1):e1367. PubMed PMID: 35028137
Mukherjee N, Dart CR, Amato CM, Honig-Frand A, Lambert JR, Lambert KA, Robinson WA, Tobin RP, McCarter MD, Couts KL, Fujita M, Norris DA, Shellman YG. Expression Differences in BCL2 Family Members between Uveal and Cutaneous Melanomas Account for Varying Sensitivity to BH3 Mimetics. J Invest Dermatol. 2022 Jul;142(7):1912-1922.e7. PubMed PMID: 34942200
Torphy RJ, Friedman C, Ho F, Leonard LD, Thieu D, Lewis KD, Medina TM, Robinson WA, Gonzalez RC, Stewart CL, Kounalakis N, McCarter MD, Gleisner A. Adjuvant Therapy for Stage III Melanoma Without Immediate Completion Lymph Node Dissection. Ann Surg Oncol. 2022 Feb;29(2):806-815. PubMed PMID: 34537899
Mukherjee N, Dart CR, Amato CM, Honig-Frand A, Lambert JR, Lambert KA, Robinson WA, Tobin RP, McCarter MD, Couts KL, Fujita M, Norris DA, Shellman YG. Expression Differences in BCL2 Family Members between Uveal and Cutaneous Melanomas Account for Varying Sensitivity to BH3 Mimetics. J Invest Dermatol. 2021 Dec 20. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 34942200
DeAngelo DJ, Radia DH, George TI, Robinson WA, Quiery AT, Drummond MW, Bose P, Hexner EO, Winton EF, Horny HP, Tugnait M, Schmidt-Kittler O, Evans EK, Lin HM, Mar BG, Verstovsek S, Deininger MW, Gotlib J. Safety and efficacy of avapritinib in advanced systemic mastocytosis: the phase 1 EXPLORER trial. Nat Med. 2021 Dec;27(12):2183-2191. PubMed PMID: 34873347
Nassar KW, Hintzsche JD, Bagby SM, Espinoza V, Langouët-Astrié C, Amato CM, Chimed TS, Fujita M, Robinson W, Tan AC, Schweppe RE. Targeting CDK4/6 Represents a Therapeutic Vulnerability in Acquired BRAF/MEK Inhibitor-Resistant Melanoma. Mol Cancer Ther. 2021 Oct;20(10):2049-2060. PubMed PMID: 34376578
Borgers JSW, Tobin RP, Torphy RJ, Vorwald VM, Van Gulick RJ, Amato CM, Cogswell DT, Chimed TS, Couts KL, Van Bokhoven A, Raeburn CD, Lewis KD, Wisell J, McCarter MD, Mushtaq RR, Robinson WA. Melanoma Metastases to the Adrenal Gland Are Highly Resistant to Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors. J Natl Compr Canc Netw. 2021 Aug 4. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 34348236
Lee H, Li T, Wisell J, Schowinsky J, Robinson WA. Avapritinib for Cutaneous Mastocytosis. Acta Derm Venereol. 2021 Jan 5;101(1):adv00362. PubMed PMID: 33241424
Morton JJ, Alzofon N, Keysar SB, Chimed TS, Reisinger J, Perrenoud L, Le PN, Nieto C, Gomez K, Miller B, Yeager R, Gao D, Tan AC, Somerset H, Medina T, Wang XJ, Wang JH, Robinson W, Roop DR, Gonzalez R, Jimeno A. Studying Immunotherapy Resistance in a Melanoma Autologous Humanized Mouse Xenograft. Mol Cancer Res. 2021 Feb;19(2):346-357. PubMed PMID: 33087417
Goldstein NB, Steel A, Barbulescu CC, Koster MI, Wright MJ, Jones KL, Gao B, Ward B, Woessner B, Trottier Z, Pakieser J, Hu J, Lambert KA, Shellman YG, Fujita M, Robinson WA, Roop DR, Norris DA, Birlea SA. Melanocyte Precursors in the Hair Follicle Bulge of Repigmented Vitiligo Skin Are Controlled by RHO-GTPase, KCTD10, and CTNNB1 Signaling. J Invest Dermatol. 2021 Mar;141(3):638-647.e13. PubMed PMID: 32800877
Afrin LB, Ackerley MB, Bluestein LS, Brewer JH, Brook JB, Buchanan AD, Cuni JR, Davey WP, Dempsey TT, Dorff SR, Dubravec MS, Guggenheim AG, Hindman KJ, Hoffman B, Kaufman DL, Kratzer SJ, Lee TM, Marantz MS, Maxwell AJ, McCann KK, McKee DL, Menk Otto L, Pace LA, Perkins DD, Radovsky L, Raleigh MS, Rapaport SA, Reinhold EJ, Renneker ML, Robinson WA, Roland AM, Rosenbloom ES, Rowe PC, Ruhoy IS, Saperstein DS, Schlosser DA, Schofield JR, Settle JE, Weinstock LB, Wengenroth M, Westaway M, Xi SC, Molderings GJ. Diagnosis of mast cell activation syndrome: a global "consensus-2". Diagnosis (Berl). 2021 May 26;8(2):137-152. PubMed PMID: 32324159
Holman BN, Van Gulick RJ, Amato CM, MacBeth ML, Davies KD, Aisner DL, Robinson WA, Couts KL. Clinical and molecular features of subungual melanomas are site-specific and distinct from acral melanomas. Melanoma Res. 2020 Dec;30(6):562-573. PubMed PMID: 33156595
Newell F, Wilmott JS, Johansson PA, Nones K, Addala V, Mukhopadhyay P, Broit N, Amato CM, Van Gulick R, Kazakoff SH, Patch AM, Koufariotis LT, Lakis V, Leonard C, Wood S, Holmes O, Xu Q, Lewis K, Medina T, Gonzalez R, Saw RPM, Spillane AJ, Stretch JR, Rawson RV, Ferguson PM, Dodds TJ, Thompson JF, Long GV, Levesque MP, Robinson WA, Pearson JV, Mann GJ, Scolyer RA, Waddell N, Hayward NK. Whole-genome sequencing of acral melanoma reveals genomic complexity and diversity. Nat Commun. 2020 Oct 16;11(1):5259. PubMed PMID: 33067454
Mukherjee N, Amato CM, Skees J, Todd KJ, Lambert KA, Robinson WA, Van Gulick R, Weight RM, Dart CR, Tobin RP, McCarter MD, Fujita M, Norris DA, Shellman YG. Simultaneously Inhibiting BCL2 and MCL1 Is a Therapeutic Option for Patients with Advanced Melanoma. Cancers (Basel). 2020 Aug 5;12(8). PubMed PMID: 32764384
Amato CM, Hintzsche JD, Wells K, Applegate A, Gorden NT, Vorwald VM, Tobin RP, Nassar K, Shellman YG, Kim J, Medina TM, Rioth M, Lewis KD, McCarter MD, Gonzalez R, Tan AC, Robinson WA. Pre-Treatment Mutational and Transcriptomic Landscape of Responding Metastatic Melanoma Patients to Anti-PD1 Immunotherapy. Cancers (Basel). 2020 Jul 17;12(7). PubMed PMID: 32708981
Mukherjee N, Skees J, Todd KJ, West DA, Lambert KA, Robinson WA, Amato CM, Couts KL, Van Gulick R, MacBeth M, Nassar K, Tan AC, Zhai Z, Fujita M, Bagby SM, Dart CR, Lambert JR, Norris DA, Shellman YG. MCL1 inhibitors S63845/MIK665 plus Navitoclax synergistically kill difficult-to-treat melanoma cells. Cell Death Dis. 2020 Jun 8;11(6):443. PubMed PMID: 32513939
Afrin LB, Ackerley MB, Bluestein LS, Brewer JH, Brook JB, Buchanan AD, Cuni JR, Davey WP, Dempsey TT, Dorff SR, Dubravec MS, Guggenheim AG, Hindman KJ, Hoffman B, Kaufman DL, Kratzer SJ, Lee TM, Marantz MS, Maxwell AJ, McCann KK, McKee DL, Menk Otto L, Pace LA, Perkins DD, Radovsky L, Raleigh MS, Rapaport SA, Reinhold EJ, Renneker ML, Robinson WA, Roland AM, Rosenbloom ES, Rowe PC, Ruhoy IS, Saperstein DS, Schlosser DA, Schofield JR, Settle JE, Weinstock LB, Wengenroth M, Westaway M, Xi SC, Molderings GJ. Diagnosis of mast cell activation syndrome: a global "consensus-2". Diagnosis (Berl). 2020 Apr 22. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 32324159
Turner JA, Bemis JGT, Bagby SM, Capasso A, Yacob BW, Chimed TS, Van Gulick R, Lee H, Tobin R, Tentler JJ, Pitts T, McCarter M, Robinson WA, Couts KL. BRAF fusions identified in melanomas have variable treatment responses and phenotypes. Oncogene. 2019 Feb;38(8):1296-1308. PubMed PMID: 30254212
Tobin RP, Jordan KR, Kapoor P, Spongberg E, Davis D, Vorwald VM, Couts KL, Gao D, Smith DE, Borgers JSW, Robinson S, Amato C, Gonzalez R, Lewis KD, Robinson WA, Borges VF, McCarter MD. IL-6 and IL-8 Are Linked With Myeloid-Derived Suppressor Cell Accumulation and Correlate With Poor Clinical Outcomes in Melanoma Patients. Front Oncol. 2019;9:1223. PubMed PMID: 31781510
Friedman C, Lyon M, Torphy RJ, Thieu D, Hosokawa P, Gonzalez R, Lewis KD, Medina TM, Rioth MJ, Robinson WA, Kounalakis N, McCarter MD, Gleisner AL. A nomogram to predict node positivity in patients with thin melanomas helps inform shared patient decision making. J Surg Oncol. 2019 Dec;120(7):1276-1283. PubMed PMID: 31602665
Turner JA, Bemis JGT, Bagby SM, Capasso A, Yacob BW, Chimed TS, Van Gulick R, Lee H, Tobin R, Tentler JJ, Pitts T, McCarter M, Robinson WA, Couts KL. BRAF fusions identified in melanomas have variable treatment responses and phenotypes. Oncogene. 2019 Feb;38(8):1296-1308. PubMed PMID: 30254212
Couts KL, Bemis J, Turner JA, Bagby SM, Murphy D, Christiansen J, Hintzsche JD, Le A, Pitts TM, Wells K, Applegate A, Amato C, Multani P, Chow-Maneval E, Tentler JJ, Shellman YG, Rioth MJ, Tan AC, Gonzalez R, Medina T, Doebele RC, Robinson WA. ALK Inhibitor Response in Melanomas Expressing EML4-ALK Fusions and Alternate ALK Isoforms. Mol Cancer Ther. 2018 Jan;17(1):222-231. PubMed PMID: 29054983
Ravindran Menon D, Luo Y, Arcaroli JJ, Liu S, KrishnanKutty LN, Osborne DG, Li Y, Samson JM, Bagby S, Tan AC, Robinson WA, Messersmith WA, Fujita M. CDK1 Interacts with Sox2 and Promotes Tumor Initiation in Human Melanoma. Cancer Res. 2018 Dec 1;78(23):6561-6574. PubMed PMID: 30297536
Mukherjee N, Strosnider A, Vagher B, Lambert KA, Slaven S, Robinson WA, Amato CM, Couts KL, Bemis JGT, Turner JA, Norris DA, Shellman YG. BH3 mimetics induce apoptosis independent of DRP-1 in melanoma. Cell Death Dis. 2018 Sep 5;9(9):907. PubMed PMID: 30185782
Tobin RP, Jordan KR, Robinson WA, Davis D, Borges VF, Gonzalez R, Lewis KD, McCarter MD. Targeting myeloid-derived suppressor cells using all-trans retinoic acid in melanoma patients treated with Ipilimumab. Int Immunopharmacol. 2018 Oct;63:282-291. PubMed PMID: 30121453
Hintzsche JD, Yoo M, Kim J, Amato CM, Robinson WA, Tan AC. IMPACT web portal: oncology database integrating molecular profiles with actionable therapeutics. BMC Med Genomics. 2018 Apr 20;11(Suppl 2):26. PubMed PMID: 29697364
Lee H, King G, Garg K, Pan Z, Tobin J, Robinson WA. Successful treatment of disseminated Rosai-Dorfman disease with siltuximab. Haematologica. 2018 Jul;103(7):e325-e328. PubMed PMID: 29599203
Couts KL, Bemis J, Turner JA, Bagby SM, Murphy D, Christiansen J, Hintzsche JD, Le A, Pitts TM, Wells K, Applegate A, Amato C, Multani P, Chow-Maneval E, Tentler JJ, Shellman YG, Rioth MJ, Tan AC, Gonzalez R, Medina T, Doebele RC, Robinson WA. ALK Inhibitor Response in Melanomas Expressing EML4-ALK Fusions and Alternate ALK Isoforms. Mol Cancer Ther. 2018 Jan;17(1):222-231. PubMed PMID: 29054983
Korch C, Hall EM, Dirks WG, Ewing M, Faries M, Varella-Garcia M, Robinson S, Storts D, Turner JA, Wang Y, Burnett EC, Healy L, Kniss D, Neve RM, Nims RW, Reid YA, Robinson WA, Capes-Davis A. Authentication of M14 melanoma cell line proves misidentification of MDA-MB-435 breast cancer cell line. Int J Cancer. 2018 Feb 1;142(3):561-572. PubMed PMID: 28940260
Nooruddin Z, Miltgen N, Wei Q, Schowinsky J, Pan Z, Tobin J, Purev E, Gutman JA, Robinson W, Pollyea DA. Changes in allele frequencies of CSF3R and SETBP1 mutations and evidence of clonal evolution in a chronic neutrophilic leukemia patient treated with ruxolitinib. Haematologica. 2017 Feb 16. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 28209656
Goldstein NB, Koster MI, Jones KL, Gao B, Hoaglin LG, Robinson SE, Wright MJ, Birlea SI, Luman A, Lambert KA, Shellman YG, Fujita M, Robinson WA, Roop DR, Norris DA, Birlea SA. Repigmentation of Human Vitiligo Skin by NBUVB Is Controlled by Transcription of GLI1 and Activation of the ß-Catenin Pathway in the Hair Follicle Bulge Stem Cells. J Invest Dermatol. 2017 Oct 17. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 29054607
Hintzsche JD, Gorden NT, Amato CM, Kim J, Wuensch KE, Robinson SE, Applegate AJ, Couts KL, Medina TM, Wells KR, Wisell JA, McCarter MD, Box NF, Shellman YG, Gonzalez RC, Lewis KD, Tentler JJ, Tan AC, Robinson WA. Whole-exome sequencing identifies recurrent SF3B1 R625 mutation and comutation of NF1 and KIT in mucosal melanoma. Melanoma Res. 2017 Jun;27(3):189-199. PubMed PMID: 28296713
Nooruddin Z, Miltgen N, Wei Q, Schowinsky J, Pan Z, Tobin J, Purev E, Gutman JA, Robinson W, Pollyea DA. Changes in allele frequencies of CSF3R and SETBP1 mutations and evidence of clonal evolution in a chronic neutrophilic leukemia patient treated with ruxolitinib. Haematologica. 2017 May;102(5):e207-e209. PubMed PMID: 28209656
Turner J, Couts K, Sheren J, Saichaemchan S, Ariyawutyakorn W, Avolio I, Cabral E, Glogowska M, Amato C, Robinson S, Hintzsche J, Applegate A, Seelenfreund E, Gonzalez R, Wells K, Bagby S, Tentler J, Tan AC, Wisell J, Varella-Garcia M, Robinson W. Kinase gene fusions in defined subsets of melanoma. Pigment Cell Melanoma Res. 2017 Jan;30(1):53-62. PubMed PMID: 27864876
Hintzsche JD, Robinson WA, Tan AC. A Survey of Computational Tools to Analyze and Interpret Whole Exome Sequencing Data. Int J Genomics. 2016;2016:7983236. PubMed PMID: 28070503
Hintzsche J, Kim J, Yadav V, Amato C, Robinson SE, Seelenfreund E, Shellman Y, Wisell J, Applegate A, McCarter M, Box N, Tentler J, De S, Robinson WA, Tan AC. IMPACT: a whole-exome sequencing analysis pipeline for integrating molecular profiles with actionable therapeutics in clinical samples. J Am Med Inform Assoc. 2016 Jul;23(4):721-30. PubMed PMID: 27026619
Brechbuhl HM, Finlay-Schultz J, Yamamoto TM, Gillen AE, Cittelly DM, Tan AC, Sams SB, Pillai MM, Elias AD, Robinson WA, Sartorius CA, Kabos P. Fibroblast Subtypes Regulate Responsiveness of Luminal Breast Cancer to Estrogen. Clin Cancer Res. 2016 Oct 4. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 27702820
Ross E, Robinson SE, Amato C, McMillan C, Westcott J, Wolf T, Robinson WA. Therapeutic monoclonal antibodies in human breast milk: a case study. Melanoma Res. 2014 Jan 28. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 24476799
Prickett TD, Zerlanko B, Gartner JJ, Parker SC, Dutton-Regester K, Lin JC, Teer JK, Wei X, Jiang J, NISC Comparative Sequencing Program, Chen G, Davies MA, Gershenwald JE, Robinson W, Robinson S, Hayward NK, Rosenberg SA, Margulies EH, Samuels Y. Somatic Mutations in MAP3K5 Attenuate Its Proapoptotic Function in Melanoma through Increased Binding to Thioredoxin. J Invest Dermatol. 2014 Feb;134(2):452-60. PubMed PMID: 24008424
Redzic JS, Kendrick AA, Bahmed K, Dahl KD, Pearson CG, Robinson WA, Robinson SE, Graner MW, Eisenmesser EZ. Extracellular vesicles secreted from cancer cell lines stimulate secretion of MMP-9, IL-6, TGF-ß1 and EMMPRIN. PLoS One. 2013;8(8):e71225. PubMed PMID: 23936495
Gartner JJ, Parker SC, Prickett TD, Dutton-Regester K, Stitzel ML, Lin JC, Davis S, Simhadri VL, Jha S, Katagiri N, Gotea V, Teer JK, Wei X, Morken MA, Bhanot UK, NISC Comparative Sequencing Program, Chen G, Elnitski LL, Davies MA, Gershenwald JE, Carter H, Karchin R, Robinson W, Robinson S, Rosenberg SA, Collins FS, Parmigiani G, Komar AA, Kimchi-Sarfaty C, Hayward NK, Margulies EH, Samuels Y, Becker J, Benjamin B, Blakesley R, Bouffard G, Brooks S, Coleman H, Dekhtyar M, Gregory M, Guan X, Gupta J, Han J, Hargrove A, Ho SL, Johnson T, Legaspi R, Lovett S, Maduro Q, Masiello C, Maskeri B, McDowell J, Montemayor C, Mullikin J, Park M, Riebow N, Schandler K, Schmidt B, Sison C, Stantripop M, Thomas J, Thomas P, Vemulapalli M, Young A. Whole-genome sequencing identifies a recurrent functional synonymous mutation in melanoma. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2013 Aug 13;110(33):13481-6. PubMed PMID: 23901115
Jones TS, Jones EL, Gao D, Pearlman NW, Robinson WA, McCarter M. Management of external ear melanoma: the same or something different?. Am J Surg. 2013 Sep;206(3):307-13. PubMed PMID: 23664431
Clinical Interests
I have broad experience in the treatment of cancer using all available therapies, but I am particularly interested in the new targeted treatments that are rapidly entering clinical medicine.
Care Philosophy
I like to get to know the patients that I see - who they are, what they do and what their expectations are. I strive to be open and honest which is not always easy in cancer care. I share as much information as I can in an understandable way and believe that the more informed a person is the better.
Personal Interests
I have two active young sons who play basketball and baseball year round. If we are not shooting hoops together we are practicing baseball or going to a game. I ski and like to work with my hands. I grew up on a rocky old ranch near Boulder where we go every weekend to cut hay, fix fences and try to grow some wine grapes.
Volunteer Activities
I have spent almost two years working in India and have started a scholarship program for medical students from here to go to the developing world to experience first hand the difficulties of practicing medicine in areas with limited resources.
General Information
Medical Schools:
MD, University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine
(1962)
Graduate Schools:
PhD, University of Melbourne
(1968)
Undergraduate Schools:
BS, Colorado State University (CO)
(1962)
Internships:
Brigham and Women's Hospital/Massachusetts General Hospital Program
(1963)
Residency Programs:
University of Colorado (University Hospital) Program, Internal Medicine (1966)
Brigham and Women's Hospital/Massachusetts General Hospital Program, Internal Medicine (1964)