Overview

Current Work

As Director Menzies Health Institute Queensland, my role is to develop and build upon Griffith's ready strong program of allied health research, developing partnerships and leading research aimed at improving health and community care through the allied health professions.

I am the Chief Investigator on two current NHMRC project grants and two NHMRC partnership grants , one ARC Discovery grant and one ARC Linkage grant. I am also an Australian Research Council Future Fellow. Since 2002, I have received a total of $28.4 million in grant funding and I have also maintained scientific and strategic leadership for psycho-oncology at Cancer Council Queensland since 2011.

I am a health psychologist who has worked as a practitioner- researcher in psychological support for people with cancer for over 20 years. I have published extensively on the psychological effects of cancer and I’m currently leading large scale randomised control trials of interventions that address couple support and sexuality, lifestyle and unmet supportive care needs, and psychological distress in men with prostate cancer.

I currently chair the Quality of Life and Supportive Care Committee for the Australian and New Zealand Urogenital and Prostate Cancer Trials Group.

I am also affiliated with Cancer Council Queensland, Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia, Edith Cowan University and University of Southern Queensland. 		 

Related Media Items

News

Research Publications and Outputs

Recent Publications

Publications: 213 (Other: 213)

Funded Griffith Research

Engagement and Impact

Invitations

  • Plenary
    What Does it Mean to be a Survivor,   National Conference 2016 for Cancer Survivorship, Irish Cancer Society,   2016,  
  • Workshop
    What does it mean to be a Survivor,   National Conference 2016 for Cancer Survivorship, Irish Cancer Council,   2016,  
  • Conference Paper
    Best Podium Award for Addressing the Mental Health Consequences of Cancer: the Beating the Blues project,   Gold Coast Health and Medical Research Conference,   2010,  
  • Conference Paper
    Prize for the Best Oral Presentation for A novel approach to decision support for men with localised prostate cancer: The Proscan study.,   Annual Scientific Meeting of the Clinical Oncological Society of Australia,   2005,  
  • Conference Paper
    British Association of Urologic Surgeons Prize (BAUS Prize) for A Prospective Study of Men’s Decision Making for Localised Prostate Cancer,   Annual Scientific Meeting of the Urological Society of Australasia,   2001,  
  • Conference Paper
    Future Issues in Cancer Care,   International Society of Nurses in Cancer Care ,Oslo, Norway,   2000,  

Learning and Teaching

Research by Higher Degree Supervision or Scholarship

Theses Supervised at Griffith

Background

Bio

From January 31st 2011 to March 2015 my role was Professor of Preventative Health at the Griffith Health Institute at University that included coordination of the Area of Strategic Investment in Chronic Disease. The focus of the ASI encompassed chronic health concerns of high significance nationally: cancer; metabolic syndrome; and mental health and the impacts these chronic conditions have on the individual, families, communities and society. My role was to develop, action and evaluate a broad strategy to improve research capacity in these areas within the Griffith Health Institute with $5 million of intramural development funding. I was also the Acting Director of the Behavioural Basis for Health research program at the Griffith Health Institute from August 2012 to January 2013.

In April 2015 I commenced in the new role of Inaugural Menzies Foundation Professor of Allied Health Research. My role here is to develop and build upon Griffith’s already strong program of allied health research, developing partnerships and leading research aimed at improving health and community care through the allied health professions.

In August 2016, I commence in the role of Director, Menzies Health Institute Queensland.

Alongside of these leadership roles I have maintained since 2011 scientific and strategic leadership for psycho-oncology at Cancer Council Queensland. In addition since 2012 I have undertaken a similar role for the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia, that included the establishment of a formal partnership between the PCFA and Griffith University aiming to develop prostate cancer survivorship research.

Since 1997 I have published/in press 174 peer review manuscripts (105 since 2011); six reports; 9 book chapters; 57 published abstracts; and one book. My research is published in top quality international journals, as well as those that have relevance for communicating within the field. For example, I have published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Health Psychology, Oncology Nursing Forum, the Medical Journal of Australia and Lancet Oncology. I have 5,121 citations; h-index of 39 (Google Scholar August 2016) that relative to opportunity is outstanding. Significant contributions to the field include: developing reliable/valid psychometric scales for evaluating peer support, attitudes to help seeking after cancer, and describing unmet supportive care needs after prostate cancer; designing remote access interventions for people affected by cancer; integrating peer support into controlled design methodologies; integrating distress screening into intervention to target high need groups; developing models to predict adjustment.

I am a Chief Investigator on two current NHMRC project grants as CI-B and D; and two NHMRC partnership grants as CI-A and CI-C; one ARC Discovery grant as CI-C and one ARC Linkage grant as CI-A. I am an Australian Research Council Future Fellow. Since 2002 I have received a total of $28.4 million in grant funding.

My research is highly regarded in my field. I was, in 2001, awarded the British Association of Urological Surgeons Prize for a presentation of my doctoral work and I am the only non-medical clinician to receive this prize to date. I have been invited to contribute to editorials for both the Medical Journal of Australia and the British Journal of Urology. In 2013 I was awarded the William Rudder Fellowship. I am regularly asked to present at national meetings often on behalf of key groups such as the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia, and hold influential roles in several key national scientific collaborative groups as outlined below 		 

Education and Training

  • BBehSc Bachelor Of Behavioural Science With Honours, Griffith Unversity 1995
  • PhD Doctor Of Philosophy, Griffith Unversity 2004

Academic experience

  • Strategic Leader in psycho-oncology research, Cancer Council Queensland -
  • Future Fellow 2013-2016, Australian Research Council 2013 - 2016
  • Director, Menzies Health Institute Queensland, Griffith University 2016 -
  • Inaugural Menzies Foundation Professor of Allied Health Research, Griffith University 2015 -
  • Adjunct Professor, Health Wellness Institute, Edith Cowan University 2012 - 2015
  • Associate Director, Behavioural Basis of Health, Griffith University 2012 - 2013
  • Professor of Preventative, Health Griffith University 2011 - 2015
  • Adjunct Professor, Centre for Clinical Research, University of Queensland 2009 - 2015
  • Adjunct Professor, School of Psychology, Griffith University 2008 - 2011
  • Professor of Psycho-Oncology, Griffith University 2010 - 2011

Awards and Honours

  • International Women’s Day Award for Leadership in Community, International Women’s Day Leadership Award 2016 -
  • Queensland Nursing Council Study Travel Grant, 11th International Conference on Cancer Nursing 2000 -
  • British Association of Urologic Surgeons Prize (BAUS Prize) for the Best Scientific Paper, Annual Scientific Meeting of the Urological Society of Australasia 2001 -
  • Prize for the Best Oral Presentation, Annual Scientific Meeting of the Clinical Oncological Society of Australia 2005 -
  • Best Podium Award, Gold Coast Health and Medical Research Conference 2010 -
  • Winner of Clinical Research Award, Australian Society for Medical Research (Qld) Health and Medical Research Awards 2011 -
  • Awarded the William Rudder Fellow as an acknowledged expert in cancer, Cancer Council Queensland 2013 -
  • Individual Senior Researcher for outstanding contribution, Pro-Vice Chancellor (Health) Excellence Award 2013 -

Professional experience

  • Registered Psychologist, State of Queensland 1995 -
  • Registered Nurse, State of Queensland 1981 -

Editorial roles

  • Editorial contributions, British Journal of Urology -
  • Editorial board member, Asia Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2016 -
  • Editorial contributions, Medical Journal of Australia -
  • Editorial board member, European Journal of Cancer Care 2016 -

External advisory roles

  • Scientific Leadership, Cancer Council Queensland 2011 -
  • Scientific Leadership and Mentoring in Psycho-oncology, Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia 2012 -
  • Representative, Deeble Institute Advisory Board 2016 -

Professional memberships

  • Expert Advisory Panel, Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia and Cancer Council Australia PSA Testing Guidelines 2015 -
  • Member, Australian Cancer Network Working Party 2005 - 2010
  • Chair, Quality of Life and Supportive Care Subcommittee 2008 -
  • Member, Australia and New Zealand Urological and Prostate Cancer Trials Group Scientific Advisory Committee -
  • Member, Australian Prostate Urological Oncology Group Board of Management 2008 - 2009
  • APCC Member, National Executive of the Australian Prostate Cancer Collaboration 2004 - 2009