APAP-YCS: a co-designed adaption of the Adapted Physical Activity Program to promote lifestyle physical activity among Young Cancer Survivors
Young cancer survivors experience a range of long term impacts after their treatment, including a greater risk of developing multiple chronic health conditions, which affects their health, well being and achieving their life goals. Physical activity is key to reducing the development of these chronic health conditions, however young cancer survivors experience fatigue, pain and de-conditioning, hindering their participation. This project will bring together researchers, cancer survivors, clinicians and exercise experts to develop and test a program designed specifically for the needs of this population.
Funding Details: MRFF – Preventative and Public Health Research Initiative: 2024 Survivorship Care and Collaborative Research Prioritisation Grant Opportunity. $1.9 million; announced March 2025
Engine Room: Living With and Beyond Cancer
Lead Researcher
Professor Natalie Bradford
Professor Natalie Bradford is skilled in epidemiology, health services research, program evaluation, and supportive care research in cancer and palliative care for children and young people.
PEARL: Patient navigation to improve outcomes in people affected by cancer from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds
The PEARL team will implement and evaluate a patient navigation program designed to reduce barriers to accessing healthcare that hinder Chinese and Vietnamese-speaking people with cancer at the time of transition back to primary care after cancer treatment. This research aims to increase healthcare accessibility and reduce poorer outcomes experienced by many Australians from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.
Funding Details: MRFF 2023 Clinician Researchers- Applied Research in Health Grant Opportunity. $1.47 million
Engine Room: Living With and Beyond Cancer
Lead Researcher
A/Professor Carolyn Ee
Associate Professor Ee is the PC4 Director and an academic GP and the Jacka Foundation Principal Research Fellow at NICM. She is Lead of the Translational Research platform at NICM and Program Lead, Next Practice Western Sydney Integrative Health.
ROSELLA: Implementation of risk-stratified population screening for Australia’s most common cancers
A person’s genetic information can provide important information about their risk of developing certain cancers (polygenic risk score; PRS), including melanoma, prostate, breast and colorectal cancers. This information can be used to tailor preventive and cancer screening behaviours for each individual depending on their risk. However, implementing wide-spread the use of PRS in general practice is complex. ROSELLA will examine strategies for embedding PRS into routine clinical care, optimising equitable access and uptake, as well as issues relating to scaling a program at a national level.
Funding Details: Victorian Cancer Agency Early Career Fellowship; $405,000; MRFF Genomics Health Futures Mission
Engine Room: Prevention and Early Detection
Lead Researcher
Dr Sibel Saya
Dr Sibel Saya is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow for the Primary Care Cancer Research Group at the University of Melbourne.
AUS-NET
Patients who experience neuroendocrine cancers (NETs) usually have their follow-up care provided at large cancer centres. The AUS-NET trial will establish the effectiveness of a shared-care model for follow-up care, with a specialist NET nurse providing support and coordination between the patient’s oncology team, their GP and other allied health professionals.
Lead Researcher
Prof Ray Chan
Prof Raymond (Ray) Chan is the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) at Flinders University. Prof Chan is a leading researcher in the field of Cancer Care, Systems and Policy.
Young cancer survivors experience a range of long term impacts after their treatment, including a greater risk of developing multiple chronic health conditions, which affects their health, well being and achieving their life goals. Physical activity is key to reducing the development of these chronic health conditions, however young cancer survivors experience fatigue, pain and de-conditioning, hindering their participation. This project will bring together researchers, cancer survivors, clinicians and exercise experts to develop and test a program designed specifically for the needs of this population.
Funding Details
MRFF – Preventative and Public Health Research Initiative: 2024 Survivorship Care and Collaborative Research Prioritisation Grant Opportunity. $1.9 million; announced March 2025
Engine Room
Living With and Beyond Cancer
Lead Researcher: Professor Natalie Bradford
Professor Natalie Bradford is skilled in epidemiology, health services research, program evaluation, and supportive care research in cancer and palliative care for children and young people.
The PEARL team will implement and evaluate a patient navigation program designed to reduce barriers to accessing healthcare that hinder Chinese and Vietnamese-speaking people with cancer at the time of transition back to primary care after cancer treatment. This research aims to increase healthcare accessibility and reduce poorer outcomes experienced by many Australians from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.
Funding Details
MRFF 2023 Clinician Researchers- Applied Research in Health Grant Opportunity. $1.47 million
Engine Room
Living With and Beyond Cancer
Lead Researcher: A/Professor Carolyn Ee
Associate Professor Ee is the PC4 Director and an academic GP and the Jacka Foundation Principal Research Fellow at NICM. She is Lead of the Translational Research platform at NICM and Program Lead, Next Practice Western Sydney Integrative Health.
A person’s genetic information can provide important information about their risk of developing certain cancers (polygenic risk score; PRS), including melanoma, prostate, breast and colorectal cancers. This information can be used to tailor preventive and cancer screening behaviours for each individual depending on their risk. However, implementing wide-spread the use of PRS in general practice is complex. ROSELLA will examine strategies for embedding PRS into routine clinical care, optimising equitable access and uptake, as well as issues relating to scaling a program at a national level.
Funding Details: Victorian Cancer Agency Early Career Fellowship; $405,000; MRFF Genomics Health Futures Mission
Engine Room: Prevention and Early Detection
Patients who experience neuroendocrine cancers (NETs) usually have their follow-up care provided at large cancer centres. The AUS-NET trial will establish the effectiveness of a shared-care model for follow-up care, with a specialist NET nurse providing support and coordination between the patient’s oncology team, their GP and other allied health professionals.
Lead