PACES research group
The University of Canberra’s PREHAB | ACTIVITY | CANCER | EXERCISE | SURVIVORSHIP (PACES) Research Group focusses their research activity on three distinct areas of cancer care research:
- prehabilitation and/or rehabilitation
- physical activity
- cancer survivorship across the cancer care continuum
PACES aims to deliver evidence informed personalised, holistic, timely, accessibly cancer care for every individual and their family, by providing pre and/or rehabilitative survivorship care.
Our research focusses on finding solutions to important clinical problems experienced every day in cancer care. Our programme of research is oriented around improvement and is designed to impact regular practice. PACES researchers are clinical academic healthcare professionals; therefore, the work that they do is directly informed by unmet supportive care needs issues that are regarded as problematic or concerning to people affected by cancer. This includes individuals with cancer, families/carers, healthcare professionals, healthcare managers, and policymakers. The thorough multidisciplinary approach taken by PACES ensures that a variety of population groups and supportive care needs are taken into consideration.
Our researchers aim to:
- undertake world-leading innovative research in cancer care to make a meaningful difference to those affected by cancer.
- provide a collaborative focus from a variety of academic disciplines related to cancer care.
- increase the institutional capacity for strategic cancer partnerships and collaborations for cancer research and consultancy activities.
Core Research Staff
| Name | Research area |
|---|---|
| Professor Catherine Paterson | Professor Paterson provides senior research leadership for PACES and strategic direction for the group and is the Co-Chair. Professor Paterson RN, PhD, FHEA (Graduated with the Highest Distinctions: BA, MSc, PG Cert. LTA, non-medical prescribing) contributes to category 1 international trials, national and state-wide competitively research projects focused on optimising multidisciplinary cancer care models in health services to address the unmet supportive needs which she has identified from her program of evidence synthesis work across the whole cancer care continuum. |
| Dr Kellie Toohey | Dr Toohey is also the Co-chair, and one of the longest standing academics working in cancer care at UC, who has expertise in delivering exercise interventions to people affected by cancer. Dr Toohey PhD, AEP, AES contributes to research grants and projects which optimise the care for people diagnosed with cancer. |
| Dr Phil Kavanagh | Associate Professor Kavanagh is a core member of the PACES, researcher, academic, and clinical psychologist who has extensive experience in research and provision of psychological services to people experiencing mental health concerns. Dr Kavanagh contributes to research projects and grants examining any mental health or quality of life outcomes for people diagnosed with cancer. |
| Dr Rachel Bacon | Associate Professor Bacon is a core member of the PACES, an Advanced Practising Dietitian, researcher and academic. Her clinical and research interests are in oncology, mental health, culturally responsive practice and health education including digital health. Dr Bacon (PhD, AdvAPD, FHEA) contributes to research grants and projects in dietetics, interprofessional practice, and clinical education optimising the care for people diagnosed with cancer. |
| Dr Reza Mortazavi | I have a multi-disciplinary professional and academic background in various areas of Diagnostic Pathology (Clinical Laboratory Science) which are related to thrombosis and haemostasis. I have attained experience in biomedical sciences through teaching and supervising at universities, running professional |
| Dr Irmina Nahon | Dr Irmina Nahon graduated with a Bachelor of Applied Sciences (Physiotherapy) from the University of Sydney in 1991. She has since developed a strong interest in Pelvic Floor rehabilitation and has a Post Graduate Certificate in Continence and Pelvic Floor Physiotherapy from Melbourne University (2000) and a Master of Physiotherapy from the University of South Australia (2003). In November 2011, she was awarded her PhD entitled “Assessment and Management of Male Urinary Incontinence” from the University of Sydney. |
PACES Affiliate Members
| Name | Research interests |
|---|---|
| Professor Sandra Hayes (UC Adjunct) | Senior Research Fellow, Menzies Health Institute Queensland Cancer survivorship issues, exercise oncology and epidemiology, understanding the epidemiology of cancer survivorship concerns (in particular lymphoedema), the role of exercise following cancer |
| Professor Desmond Yip (UC Adjunct) | Medical Oncology, biological agents in cancer, renal cell carcinoma, and GI cancers |
| Associate Professor Ganes Pranavan (UC adjunct) | Medical Oncology, brain cancer, uro-oncology, clinical trials. |
| Associate Professor Hodo Haxhimolla (UC adjunct) | Urologist, prostate cancer, uro-oncology, clinical trials |
| Assoc Professor Jane Kellett (UC) | Nutrition and Dietetics Oncology, palliative care, nutrition and dietetics |
| Assoc Prof Andrew McKune (UC) | Human physiology, stress physiology, immunology and bioenergetics in adaptation to exercise in cancer stress responses |
| Professor Elisa Martinez Marroquin (UC) | Prostate cancer, artificial intelligence, machine learning, diagnostic pathways |
| Shayne Chau (UC) | Medical radiation, diagnostic radiography, neuroimaging biomarkers |
| Prof Stuart Semple (UC) | Exercise physiology, physical activity, CVD, exercise, immunology |
| Elyse Ladbrook (UC) | Cancer interest in infection prevention and control, quality and safety |
| Dr Joe Northey (UC) | Exercise in cancer care |
| Professor Ben Rattray (UC) | Brain exercise and cancer care |
| Sharon Stanton (UC) | Prostate cancer nursing, nurse-led services |
| Cara Robert (UC) | Unmet needs, caregivers, prostate cancer, daily living needs |
| Nikki Johnston (UC) | Areas of strength palliative care for adults and palliative care and aged care, ethics regarding decision making at end of life, alternate decision makers, advance care planning, pain and other symptoms, therapeutic relationships and communication |
| Associate Professor Paul Craft (Director ACT Cancer Regional Hospital) | Medical oncology, survival outcomes, evidence-based treatment breast cancer |
| Dr Rebecca Dwyer (Site Manager ICON Cancer Centre Canberra) | Cancer care, radiation oncology, strong passion for prostate cancer treatment, awareness, and support. Health service management and planning knowledge, specifically in oncology field. |
| Gillian Fraser (ACT Cancer Regional Hospital) | Bladder cancer, nurse led services, BCG cancer treatments |
| James Slade (ACT Cancer Regional Hospital) | Cancer care nurse practitioner |
| Dr Michael Chapman (ACT Cancer Regional Hospital) | Dementia, palliative care, supportive care, aged care, pain and symptom management |
| Tina Forshaw (ACT Cancer Regional Hospital) | ACT Cancer Regional Hospital, Urology, uro-oncology specialist nurse |
| Mingxia Wang (ACT Cancer Regional Hospital) | ACT Cancer Regional Hospital, Prostate cancer specialist nurse |
| Dr Elly Law (ICON Cancer Centre Canberra) | Cancer care, clinical psychology, brain cancer |
| Dr Iain Duncan (Garran Medical Imaging) | Imaging, PSMA, Prostate cancer, artificial intelligence |
PACES HDR students
| Name | Project |
|---|---|
| Kath Schubach Competitive Scholarship Australia and New Zealand Genitourinary Trial Group ($100,000) | What are the unmet supportive care needs of people affected by bladder cancer? |
| Julia Haxhimolla | How does pharmacist support affect the rehabilitation journeys of males diagnosed by prostate cancer post radical prostatectomy? |
| Delilah Shelly Competitive Scholarship UC & ACT Health ($100,000) | Oncology nurses’ experiences of using digital health systems with patients for cancer care within hospitals and community settings |
| Georgie Britton | Investigating the psychosocial effect of receiving enteral tube feeding on palliative head and neck cancer patients and their carer |
| Rebecca Cesnik | Evaluating and increasing physical activity levels in cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy |
| Maddison Hunter | Use of honey as a treatment of oral mucositis for oncology patients. This study includes reviews, protocol and human trials |
| Melanie Moore | Exercise for Haematological Cancer Patients |
| Tricia O’Connor | An Exploration of Pain Assessment in Unresponsive Patients at End-of-life: Pain, Assessment Tools, and Nursing Interventions |
| Alesha Sayner | Physiotherapy prehabilitation and urinary incontinence in radical prostatectomy: The clinician and the consumer |
| Asma Zaheer | Risk Assessment, Prediction and Prevention of Venous Thromboembolism in Ambulatory Cancer Patients with Solid Tumors |
| Ann Yan | Predictors of risk and prognosis of venous thromboembolism in patients with lung cancer. This research project aims to study the epidemiology of venous thromboembolism (VTE) in patients with lung cancer in Australian Capital Territory (ACT) and improve the current knowledge about the risk stratification of VTE in this group of patients. |
| Jay (add details) Competitive Scholarship PACES (MRES) Full-time | Exercise Intervention For Improving Mental Health And Wellbeing For Those Living With Cancer. |
PACES Honours students
| Name | Project |
|---|---|
| Blake Askelin Competitive ACT Health CNMO Synergy Nursing Scholarship | Exploring the clinical decision-making processes of uro-oncology multidisciplinary team meetings |
| Helen Legge UC PACES Competitive Scholarship | What are the unmet supportive care needs of people affected by cancer during the COVID-19 pandemic? |
PACES Research Interns
| Name | Project |
|---|---|
| Shayln Rourke Competitive ACT Health CNMO Synergy Nursing Scholarship | How does health-related quality of life change over time in cancer survivors following an admission to the ICU? |
HDR/Hons Completions
| Name | Project |
|---|---|
| Kittani Morrison (Honours) | 2021 1st Class. What are the perceived barriers and enablers to physical activity participation in women diagnosed with ovarian cancer? A qualitative study |
| Maddison Hunter (PhD) | 2022 PhD. Honey in the treatment of oral mucositis in oncology patients |
| Roxanne Miller (Honours) | 2021 2nd Class. Exercise during chemotherapy infusion |
| Lucas Logan (Honours) | 2021 2nd Class. Exercise and Prostate Cancer during ADT treatment |
| Georgina Alderman (Honours) | 2019 2nd Class. Knowledge, position, and practice of general practitioners in the promotion of physical activity for cancer patients |
PACES HDR students
| Name | Project |
|---|---|
| Kath Schubach Competitive Scholarship Australia and New Zealand Genitourinary Trial Group ($100,000) | What are the unmet supportive care needs of people affected by bladder cancer? |
| Julia Haxhimolla | How does pharmacist support affect the rehabilitation journeys of males diagnosed by prostate cancer post radical prostatectomy? |
| Delilah Shelly Competitive Scholarship UC & ACT Health ($100,000) | Oncology nurses’ experiences of using digital health systems with patients for cancer care within hospitals and community settings |
| Georgie Britton | Investigating the psychosocial effect of receiving enteral tube feeding on palliative head and neck cancer patients and their carer |
| Rebecca Cesnik | Evaluating and increasing physical activity levels in cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy |
| Maddison Hunter | Use of honey as a treatment of oral mucositis for oncology patients. This study includes reviews, protocol and human trials |
| Melanie Moore | Exercise for Haematological Cancer Patients |
| Tricia O’Connor | An Exploration of Pain Assessment in Unresponsive Patients at End-of-life: Pain, Assessment Tools, and Nursing Interventions |
| Alesha Sayner | Physiotherapy prehabilitation and urinary incontinence in radical prostatectomy: The clinician and the consumer |
| Asma Zaheer | Risk Assessment, Prediction and Prevention of Venous Thromboembolism in Ambulatory Cancer Patients with Solid Tumors |
| Ann Yan | Predictors of risk and prognosis of venous thromboembolism in patients with lung cancer. This research project aims to study the epidemiology of venous thromboembolism (VTE) in patients with lung cancer in Australian Capital Territory (ACT) and improve the current knowledge about the risk stratification of VTE in this group of patients. |
| Jay (add details) Competitive Scholarship PACES (MRES) Full-time | Exercise Intervention For Improving Mental Health And Wellbeing For Those Living With Cancer. |
PACES Honours students
| Name | Project |
|---|---|
| Blake Askelin Competitive ACT Health CNMO Synergy Nursing Scholarship | Exploring the clinical decision-making processes of uro-oncology multidisciplinary team meetings |
| Helen Legge UC PACES Competitive Scholarship | What are the unmet supportive care needs of people affected by cancer during the COVID-19 pandemic? |
PACES Research Interns
| Name | Project |
|---|---|
| Shayln Rourke Competitive ACT Health CNMO Synergy Nursing Scholarship | How does health-related quality of life change over time in cancer survivors following an admission to the ICU? |
HDR/Hons Completions
| Name | Project |
|---|---|
| Kittani Morrison (Honours) | 2021 1st Class. What are the perceived barriers and enablers to physical activity participation in women diagnosed with ovarian cancer? A qualitative study |
| Maddison Hunter (PhD) | 2022 PhD. Honey in the treatment of oral mucositis in oncology patients |
| Roxanne Miller (Honours) | 2021 2nd Class. Exercise during chemotherapy infusion |
| Lucas Logan (Honours) | 2021 2nd Class. Exercise and Prostate Cancer during ADT treatment |
| Georgina Alderman (Honours) | 2019 2nd Class. Knowledge, position, and practice of general practitioners in the promotion of physical activity for cancer patients |
PACES Honours students
| Name | Project |
|---|---|
| Blake Askelin Competitive ACT Health CNMO Synergy Nursing Scholarship | Exploring the clinical decision-making processes of uro-oncology multidisciplinary team meetings |
| Helen Legge UC PACES Competitive Scholarship | What are the unmet supportive care needs of people affected by cancer during the COVID-19 pandemic? |
PACES Research Interns
| Name | Project |
|---|---|
| Shayln Rourke Competitive ACT Health CNMO Synergy Nursing Scholarship | How does health-related quality of life change over time in cancer survivors following an admission to the ICU? |
HDR/Hons Completions
| Name | Project |
|---|---|
| Kittani Morrison (Honours) | 2021 1st Class. What are the perceived barriers and enablers to physical activity participation in women diagnosed with ovarian cancer? A qualitative study |
| Maddison Hunter (PhD) | 2022 PhD. Honey in the treatment of oral mucositis in oncology patients |
| Roxanne Miller (Honours) | 2021 2nd Class. Exercise during chemotherapy infusion |
| Lucas Logan (Honours) | 2021 2nd Class. Exercise and Prostate Cancer during ADT treatment |
| Georgina Alderman (Honours) | 2019 2nd Class. Knowledge, position, and practice of general practitioners in the promotion of physical activity for cancer patients |