Three QUT research projects have secured more than $4.9 million from the Medical Research Future Fund Survivorship Care and Collaborative Research Prioritisation Grant program.
Professor Natalie Bradford from the School of Nursing was awarded $1,984,654.90 for the project, APAP-YCS: a Co-designed adaption of the Adapted Physical Activity Program to promote lifestyle physical activity among young cancer survivors.
Professor Bradford said the project’s aim was to empower young cancer survivors to optimise their health and wellbeing post treatment through a co-designed, individualised, community physical activity program.
“Although 90 per cent of the 6000 Australians aged 15 to 25 years survive, their cancer journey continues long after their treatment,” Professor Bradford said.
“They must navigate critical life stages and decisions while managing a 63 per cent increased risk of multiple complex chronic health conditions compared to the general population, which can stifle their life plans.
“Physical activity (PA) is a crucial and modifiable health behaviour that can mitigate the development of chronic health conditions and enhance overall health.
“Forty-two per cent of young cancer survivors do not meet the minimum PA guidelines – after cancer treatment, many survivors experience physical de-conditioning along with ongoing pain, fatigue, anxiety and other psychosocial barriers that hinder their participation.”
Professor Bradford said the project would address the need for clear post-treatment PA recommendations.
“This project will co design with young survivors an innovative PA promotion program.
“We will modify and evaluate our Adapted Physical Activity Program to meet the unique needs of young cancer survivors – APAP-YCS – guided by Adolescent and Young Adult Survivor guidelines, in close collaboration with consumer, Youth Cancer Service clinicians and our partner organisations: Cancer Council QLD and Canteen.”
The research team comprises chief investigators Professor Bradford, Professor Jed Duff, and Dr Xiomara Skrabal Ross from QUT’s School of Nursing and Dr Kate Young from QUT’s School of Psychology and Counselling; Professor Stewart Trost, Professor Sean Tweedy, Dr Jessica Hill, Professor Simon Smith and Dr Louise Marquart-Wilson from The University of Queensland; Dr Kelly Clanchy and Professor Alexandra McCarthy from Griffith University; Dr Roderick Walker from Queensland Children’s Hospital; Professor Louisa Collins from The Council of the Queensland Institute of Medical Research; and Dr Rosalind Spence from Cancer Council Queensland.
Associative investigators include: Professor Sandra Hayes from Cancer Council Queensland; Siona Hardy from CanTeen; Katie Lindeberg from Queensland Health; Kylie McPaul from Children’s Health Queensland Hospital and Health Service; Rianna Druery, Dawson Sorby and Ryan Cook, all adolescent and young adult cancer advocates with Qld Youth Cancer Services; Morgan Atkinson from Women’s and Children Hospital; and Dr Melinda Fenning from The University of Queensland.
Professor Debbie Long, from the School of Nursing, was awarded $1,958,432.35 for the project, Early targeted intervention for PTSD in young survivors of paediatric intensive care: a hybrid effectiveness implementation randomised controlled trial.
Professor Long said the project would evaluate a novel treatment that improves the mental health, wellbeing, and quality of life of young children after time in paediatric intensive care to reduce their psychological trauma reactions.
“Children admitted to the paediatric intensive care (PICU) are exposed to potentially traumatising situations such as painful procedures, separation from parents, unfamiliar surroundings, sights and routines, and cognitive impairment due to sedating medications,” Professor Long said.
“Children under six are particularly vulnerable to the effects of trauma during these critical early years due to their rapid brain development, complete biopsychosocial dependence on caregivers, and limited coping and communication skills.
“One of the most common post-PICU morbidities for young children is post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which can have significant impacts on their long-term quality of life, mental health and physical recovery.
“We propose implementing the PICU-CARE Trauma Resilience Intervention, a brief targeted early intervention for young PICU children identified as ‘high risk’ for developing PTSD.
“Given the complexity of providing a psychological intervention to young children, PICU-CARE is completed with caregivers, using developmentally appropriate resources from Children’s Health Queensland’s Frankie’s Clubhouse, with the aim of supporting the child and caregiver’s mental health and wellbeing.
“PICU-CARE will be delivered via telehealth to ensure that all children at high risk can benefit from this novel care.”
Professor Long said the project would investigate and evaluate if this early targeted intervention, compared to standard care, reduced PTSD in PICU survivors.
Chief investigators on the project are: Professor Long, Associate Professor Zephanie Tyack, Dr Belinda Dow, Dr Hannah Carter and Professor Samantha Keogh from QUT; Dr Alexandra De Young, Dr Sainath Raman, Associate Professor Kristen Gibbons and Emeritus Professor Justin Kenardy from The University of Queensland; Amanda Clayton from Children’s Health Queensland; Nicki Walsh from Queensland Health; Dr Simon Erickson from Perth Children’s Hospital; Professor Warwick Butt from The Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne; Dr Gillian Colville from St George’s, University of London; and Professor Markus Landolt from University of Zurich.
Associate investigators include Associate Professor Dylan Flaws and Professor James Scott from The University of Queensland; Associate Professor Meredith Allen from Monash Health; Associate Professor Felix Oberender from Monash Children's Hospital; Catherine O'Brien from Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital; Arielle Jolly from Perth Children's Hospital; and Kate Masterson from Murdoch Children's Research Institute.
Associate Professor Zephanie Tyack, from the School of Public Health and Social Work and Centre for Healthcare Transformation, was awarded $992,441 for the project, ‘Ember to Empower': developing and piloting a one-stop burn recovery toolkit for burn survivors.
Professor Tyack said the project aimed to develop and pilot a novel recovery toolkit called ‘Ember to Empower’ to address the need for post-acute support and follow-up processes that had been identified as a high priority by burn survivors.
“A consumer advisory group of burn survivors who are part of the Australian New Zealand Burn Association (ANZBA) will advise on all aspects of the study,” Professor Tyack said.
“Two burn survivors, Dale Trevor and Charlotte Brown, who are chief investigators on the project, will also play a major role.
“Our qualitative studies of burn survivors’ experiences and model of post-burn recovery underpin the project. We will build on this preliminary work to create new knowledge across three stages:
Understand the experiences, needs and priorities of burn survivors; co-develop a novel toolkit with burn survivors and their families that will be hosted on the ANZBA website, and pilot the toolkit.
“The toolkit will comprise education, resources, links to services, burn support groups and burn camp programs nationally and research opportunities.”
Professor Tyack said it would be the first toolkit or program to have been developed with survivors across Australia to comprehensively address their post-acute needs.
The chief investigators are Professor Tyack and Associate Professor Leila Cuttle from QUT; Professor Fiona Wood and Dr Lisa Martin from University of Western Australia; Dale Trevor from Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital; Professor Belinda Gabbe from Monash University; Charlotte Brown; Dr Martha Druery; Dr Alexandra De Young from The University of Queensland; and Associate Professor Dale Edgar from The University of Notre Dame Australia.
Associate investigators are: Dr Jessica Killey from QUT; Associate Professor Rachel Kornhaber from Charles Sturt University; Dr Andrea McKittrick from Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital; Akane Katsu from Royal North Shore Hospital; Siobhan Connolly from Agency for Clinical Innovation; and Associate Professor Megan Simons, Queensland Children’s Hospital.
Main photo (left to right): Associate Professor Zephanie Tyack, Professor Debbie Long and Professor Natalie Bradford.
Media contact:
Niki Widdowson
QUT Media
07 3138 2361 / 0407 585 901 (After Hours)
