RESEARCHER PROFILE (Filmed May 2024)
Dr Shelley Keating AES AEP ESSAM
Senior Lecturer, Clinical Exercise Physiology and Accredited Exercise Physiologist
School of Human Movement and Nutrition Sciences
The University of Queensland
Dr Shelley Keating is a Senior Lecturer in Clinical Exercise Physiology and Accredited Exercise Physiologist from the School of Human Movement and Nutrition Sciences at the University of Queensland. With a strong grounding in exercise metabolism and body composition, Dr Keating’s research centres on the utility of exercise as a therapy for obesity and related cardiometabolic conditions, notably metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD).
Dr Keating has an established research profile that is delivering impact for patients and clinicians. Her research has led to the development of safe and feasible exercise programs that generate significant improvement in the cardiometabolic health of individuals with MASLD and related chronic disease. Drawing on these findings, Dr Keating has developed national and international exercise guidelines for MASLD. Her research has led to a paradigm shift in how exercise is prioritised in MASLD management and has been adopted into exercise prescription recommendations in 15 international guidelines for MASLD management across 12 countries.
Dr Keating’s research had found a lack of awareness, uptake, and sustainability of exercise for MASLD management. Her ongoing program of research is informed by, and co-designed with, people with MASLD and related chronic disease, to find sustainable exercise solutions.
Her contribution to the field was recognised by the prestigious 2020 Australia and New Zealand Obesity Society Young Investigator award. Shelley has been an ESSA (Exercise & Sports Science Australia) member since 2007 and has 16 years of clinical AEP experience in people with cardiometabolic disease including MAFLD.
Her mission is to change the way that exercise is prioritised, accessed, and delivered to improve the health and wellbeing of people with MASLD and related type 2 diabetes.
Source: Supplied & ESSA (Exercise & Sports Science Australia)
Note: AES is the acronym for Accredited Exercise Scientist (AES), AEP is the acronym for Accredited Exercise Physiologist, ESSAM is the acronym for Exercise & Sports Science Australia Member.
-
Mental wellbeing in rural and regional communities dealing with environmental challenges
Associate Professor Suzie Cosh is a psychologist and clinical researcher. Her work focuses on the intersection of climate change and mental health and she currently leads a body of work that focuses on supporting small rural communities to recover from and prepare for extreme weather events such as bushfires, floods and droughts.
-
Applying nanotechnology to chronic pain management
Dr Felicity Han is a Research Fellow and Leader in Pain Relief Innovation, at the Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology in the University of Queensland. Dr Han’s research interests sit at the interface of drug delivery and the pain field. Her overarching research goal is to improve the quality of day to day life of patients suffering from chronic pain, by applying nanotechnology to the development of novel highly effective pain-killer products for improving chronic pain management.
-
Prescribing exercise to regional population with cardiovascular disease & diabetes
Associate Professor Gordon’s research is aimed at determining the optimal methods of prescribing and implementing exercise as part of the health care plan for people with cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Specifically, he is leading work to determine if and how the components of exercise can be considered as a whole for prescribing exercise to generate health benefits. This is important to overcome the series of barriers that people living in rural and regional areas experience when trying to become active.
