President’s Message: Larry Copeland steps down as GOG President

Dear Members and Friends,

My long-time mentor, friend, and colleague, Prof. Larry J. Copeland has recently stepped down as President of the GOG Foundation (GOG-F) —a position he has held since 2017. I wanted to take a moment to congratulate and recognize his contributions to the subspecialty and to personally express my gratitude for his mentorship and friendship over the years.

Early in my career, it was through my involvement with the GOG and other clinical trials groups such as GCIG, JGOG, and GOTIC, that I was introduced to evidence-based medicine and connected to the global community of investigators. I teach my students that clinical trials provide the highest level of evidence and that being involved in clinicals trials is a way to improve their level of daily practice in a number of ways. This is exactly what I have learned from him.

Larry and I have had many interactions over the span of our careers and I’m glad to not only be able to call him my teacher, but also a friend.

Through our conversations, we’ve bonded over our shared passion for clinical trials and the important role they serve in improving the standards of clinical practice, encouraging multidisciplinary teamwork, and collaborating with patients. Specifically, I remember watching him work through difficult decisions when he served as Chair of the GOG Protocol Committee. In this role, he demonstrated true leadership, grace, humanity, and a sense of humor. He’s been a great role-model for me and so many others.

Under Dr. Copeland’s leadership, the GOG-F experienced unprecedented growth in its clinical trials program, expanded and engaged their investigator base, and developed a clinical trial mentorship program. Their educational initiatives focused on novel agents, clinical trial design, and clinical trial execution have been excellent opportunities for clinicians and researchers worldwide to learn from some of the leading experts in the field.