Sarah Bernhardt

Sarah Bernhardt

Adelaide Medical School

Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences

Sarah Bernhardt is a Postdoctoral Researcher with the Breast Biology and Cancer Unit based at the Basil Hetzel Institute. In collaboration with departments at The Queen Elizabeth Hospital, her research explores whether young women are receiving the most appropriate treatment for their breast cancer.

Emerging in the clinic are tests which use gene expression profiling to help guide treatment decision making in breast cancer. However, despite their availability to premenopausal women, these tests have been developed and validated predominantly in postmenopausal women. In premenopausal women, hormones estrogen and progesterone fluctuate dramatically during the menstrual cycle. The impact of fluctuating hormones on breast cancer gene expression—and subsequent treatment recommendations—remains unknown. It is unclear whether these tests are appropriate for use in premenopausal women.

My PhD project explores how hormonal fluctuations associated with the menstrual cycle affect breast cancer gene expression, and subsequent treatment recommendations. Outcomes of my research will identify whether these tests are appropriate at guiding treatment decisions in premenopausal women.

 

In 2018, I was a university finalist in the 3MT competition. My presentation titled 'That time of the month: When menstrual cycle stage affects breast cancer treatment' can be found below:

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  • Appointments
    Date Position Institution name
    2020 Postdoctoral Researcher University of Adelaide
    2016 - 2020 PhD candidate University of Adelaide

  • Awards and Achievements
    Date Type Title Institution Name Country Amount
    2019 Award Robinson Research Institute Best Student Poster Award The University of Adelaide Australia —
    2019 Award Florey Medical Research Foundation Prize Florey Medical Research Foundation Australia —
    2019 Award John Barker Poster Prize for Cancer Research Florey Postgraduate Research Conference Australia —
    2019 Award Adelaide Medical School Poster Prize The University of Adelaide Australia —
    2019 Achievement Novartis Junior Scientist Award Finalist Endocrine Society of Australia Australia —
    2019 Award Endocrine Society of Australia Travel Award Endocrine Society of Australia Australia —
    2019 Achievement Ross Wishart Memorial Award Finalist Australian Society for Medical Research Australia —
    2019 Award Ross Wishart People's Choice Award Australian Society for Medical Research Australia —
    2018 Award Adelaide Medical School Research Travel Award The University of Adelaide Australia —
    2018 Award Adelaide Medical School Poster Prize The University of Adelaide Australia —
    2018 Achievement Novartis Junior Scientist Award Finalist Endocrine Society of Australia Australia —
    2018 Achievement Three Minute Thesis (3MT) University Finalist The University of Adelaide Australia —
    2018 Award Science in Public Media & Communications Workshop Attendance Award The Hospital Research Foundation and The Basil Hetzel Institute Australia —
    2017 Award Adelaide Medical School Research Travel Award The University of Adelaide Australia —
    2016 Scholarship Faculty of Health Science Divisional Scholarship The University of Adelaide Australia —
    2013 Award Adelaide Summer Research Scholarship The University of Adelaide Australia —
    2013 Scholarship Adelaide Summer Research Scholarship The University of Adelaide Australia —
    2012 Achievement Faculty of Sciences Outstanding Academic Achievement Award The University of Adelaide Australia —

  • Education
    Date Institution name Country Title
    2016 - 2020 University of Adelaide, Adelaide Australia PhD in Medicine
    2015 - 2015 University of Adelaide, Adelaide Australia Honours in Bachelor of Health Science (First Class)
    2012 - 2014 University of Adelaide, Adelaide Australia Bachelor of Science (Biomedical Science)

  • Postgraduate Training
    Date Title Institution Country
    2018 - 2018 Communication and Media Workshop Science in Public Australia
    2018 Effective Communication Training Talent Academy Australia

  • Research Interests
    Cancer Cell Biology Cancer Diagnosis Endocrinology Gene Expression Oncology and Carcinogenesis
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  • Journals
    Year Citation
    2020 Bernhardt, S. M., Dasari, P., Walsh, D., Townsend, A. R., Price, T. J., & Ingman, W. V. (2020). Timing of breast cancer surgery during the menstrual cycle-is there an optimal time of the month?. Oncology letters, 20(3), 2045-2057.
    DOI
    2020 Bernhardt, S., Dasari, P., Wrin, J., Raymond, W., Edwards, S., Walsh, D., . . . Ingman, W. (2020). Discordance in 21-gene recurrence scores between paired breast cancer samples is inversely associated with patient age. Breast Cancer Research, 22(1), 10 pages.
    DOI
    2016 Bernhardt, S. M., Dasari, P., Walsh, D., Townsend, A. R., Price, T. J., & Ingman, W. V. (2016). Hormonal modulation of breast cancer gene expression: implications for intrinsic subtyping in premenopausal women. Frontiers in Oncology, 6(NOV), 241-1-241-16.
    DOI Scopus13 WoS13 Europe PMC7

  • Conference Items
    Year Citation
    2020 Bernhardt, S. M., Dasari, P., Glynn, D. J., Woolford, L., Raymond, W., Moldenhauer, L. M., . . . Ingman, W. V. (2020). Menstrual cycling critically affects the Oncotype DX 21-gene signature: Implications for predictive biomarker assays in premenopausal women. Poster session presented at the meeting of CANCER RESEARCH. San Antonio, TX: AMER ASSOC CANCER RESEARCH.
    DOI WoS1
    2018 Bernhardt, S., Townsend, A., Price, T., & Ingman, W. (2018). Hormonal modulation of breast cancer gene expression and implications for diagnosis and treatment of premenopausal women. Poster session presented at the meeting of CLINICAL ENDOCRINOLOGY. Perth, AUSTRALIA: WILEY.

Travel Awards

2019 Endocrine Society of Australia Travel Award $450
2018 Adelaide Medical School Research Travel Award $570
2017 Adelaide Medical School Research Travel Award $1,000
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  • Committee Memberships
    Date Role Committee Institution Country
    2018 - ongoing Representative Australian Society for Medical Research Committee Australian Society for Medical Research Australia
    2018 - ongoing Representative Basil Hetzel Institute Management Committee Basil Hetzel Institute Australia

  • Memberships
    Date Role Membership Country
    2017 - ongoing Member Endocrine Society of Australia Australia
    2017 - ongoing Member Australian Society for Medical Research Australia
    2016 - ongoing Member Breast Cancer Study Group Australia

  • Community Engagement
    Date Title Engagement Type Institution Country
    2019 - 2019 CoastFM 88.7 Radio Interview Public Community Engagement The Hospital Reserch Foundation Australia
    2018 - ongoing New tests to improve breast cancer diagnosis: are they useful for younger women? Public Community Engagement Hawthorn Woman’s Only Community Group Australia
    2018 - ongoing Florey Undergraduate Research Conference Judge Scientific Community Engagement The University of Adelaide Australia
    2018 - 2018 New tests to improve breast cancer diagnosis and treatment: are they useful for younger women? Public Community Engagement University of the Third Age Flinders Australia
    2017 - 2018 National Science Week Science Alive Volunteer Public Community Engagement The Basil Hetzel Institute Australia
    2016 - 2016 Australian Breast Cancer Research Newsletter Public Community Engagement The Hospital Research Foundation Australia
Connect With Me
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