I am a research-only postdoctoral research fellow working in the Supportive Oncology Research Group at SAHMRI. I was awarded a PhD in Medicine from the University of Adelaide in May 2023. Through my PhD, and in the 1.5 years following, I have directed a program of research dedicated to understanding the pathophysiology of “chemobrain” (i.e. cognitive side effects of chemotherapy), identifying a novel mechanism by which the gut microbiota and its metabolites contribute to cognitive side effects. To support my ongong research, I was recently awarded the Veronika Sacco Clinical Cancer Research Fellowship. 

Research Program: My current research program centres around translating my preclinical findings from the bench to the bedside, to develop predictive and preventative strategies for cancer treatment side effects, in particular chemobrain. Through my PhD, I generated first-of-its-kind data, identifying a novel mechanism by which the gut microbiota and its metabolites contribute to chemobrain. Specifically, I established that: i) the unique composition of the gut microbiota prior to chemotherapy can be used to predict the development of chemobrain, and ii) dietary fibre holds significant therapeutic potential in mitigating chemobrain. These novel findings have since formed the basis of two successful funding bids, ($126K from BioPlatforms Australia (Co-CI) and $50K from Tour De Cure (CIA), respectively), which support my current research program, centred around translating these findings, from the bench to the bedside, to reduce the psychosocial burden imposed by chemobrain and deliver truly meaningful benefits to the lives of people affected by breast cancer. Accordingly, I now oversee two separate clinical studies centred around: i) investigating how a highly accessible fibre supplement can alleviate chemobrain in women with breast cancer; and ii) identifying biomarkers, found in pre-treatment blood, stool or saliva, capable of predicting the development of chemobrain.