CANCER SURVIVORSHIP AND EXERCISE ONCOLOGY
Professor Sandra Hayes, Director of Research
Cancer Council Queensland (CCQ), Brisbane, Australia
RESEARCHER PROFILE
Filmed in Brisbane, Australia | April 2025
Professor Sandra Hayes is the Director of Research at Cancer Council Queensland (CCQ), where she leads a comprehensive cancer research program encompassing cancer epidemiology, prevention, detection, treatment, and survivorship.
With a BAppSci (Hons) and a PhD in exercise oncology, Professor Hayes’s expertise lies in quantifying the impact of cancer diagnosis and treatment on physical and psychosocial wellbeing, quality of life, and survival. She also evaluates innovative supportive care strategies, particularly exercise, to improve post-cancer lives.
Professor Hayes has authored 170 peer-reviewed publications, been a Chief Investigator on grants totalling more than AUD$20M, leading world-renowned randomised trials and longitudinal oncology cohort studies involving over 9000 participants across more than 10 cancer sites. Recognised internationally as an expert in exercise oncology, Professor Hayes has held executive positions on national and international committees, including the Clinical Oncology Society of Australia and the International Society of Lymphology.
Her research has been funded by several organisations over the past 25 years, including government funding support through National Health and Medical Research Council grants and more recently the Medical Research Future Fund. Professor Hayes has also been supported from funding from organisations such as the National Breast Cancer Foundation and Cancer Council Queensland, as well as international funding from the World Cancer Research Fund.
Her professional activities include peer review for top oncology and exercise science journals and advisory roles for various cancer and exercise organisations. Her research impact includes leading national and international position statements on exercise for cancer patients, co-developing the Clinical Oncology Society of Australia’s physical activity guidelines, and creating resources for the International Exercise is Medicine® campaign.
She has also developed the YWCA Encore breast cancer rehabilitation program and lymphoedema diagnostic criteria used globally.
Source: Supplied
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7005-5184
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Respiratory health and the microbiome in the lung environment
Dr Taylor leads the Respiratory Health Group within the Microbiome and Host Health Program. His research employs tailored techniques that allow the lung environment to be characterised to a high level of accuracy, including detailed measurements of airway microbiology (microbiome), mucus composition, and inflammation. This information is used to identify predictive markers of chronic lung disease severity as well as determine effective forms of therapy.
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New treatments for patients with mental illness
Associate Professor Bernadette Fitzgibbon is a neuroscientist with several decades of experience in researching, developing, and translating novel therapies for mental health and chronic pain conditions. This includes the application and optimisation of brain stimulation and psychedelic therapies, overseeing large multi-site intervention trials, both within Australia and abroad. Through her work, she has developed meaningful collaborations with consumers, volunteers, policy makers, and services providers, ensuring that the outcomes of her work contribute towards real-world clinical impact.
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Oral administration of insulin for Type 1 Diabetes
Huiwen Pang is a 3rd year PhD candidate in the Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, University of Queensland, focusing on biomedical health research. Prior to commencing his PhD, Huiwen studied animal genetics in his Masters degree at Huazhong Agriculture University in China.
People with diabetes, especially Type 1 diabetes, largely rely on the insulin injections or insulin pumps to control their high blood glucose levels, which is painful and has a high risk of infections.
Huiwen Pang is conducting research on nano-based drug formulations for Type 1 diabetes treatment, with a focus on using nanomaterials to load insulin for oral administration and employing anti-apoptotic and anti-inflammatory approaches to mitigate damage to beta cells.
