Researcher biography
Kirsten completed her Bachelor of Exercise and Sports Science with a major in Clinical Exercise Physiology and first-class honours at The University of Queensland in 2013. Following graduation, she worked as an Accredited Exercise Physiologist and clinical educator at a private exercise physiology clinic in Toowong, Brisbane. Kirsten’s research interests lie in exercise oncology, with a particular focus on the influence of exercise intensity on cancer-related fatigue and quality of life in colorectal cancer survivors and men with prostate cancer undergoing androgen-deprivation therapy. More recently, she has delved into strategies to enhance the long-term maintenance of exercise, namely peer support, and its subsequent potential to improve health-related outcomes. Her current NHMRC-funded research trial is investigating the influence of Cancer Council Queensland’s Peer Support Program to maintain physical activity in breast, colorectal and prostate cancer survivors. Kirsten has presented her research at local, national and international conferences over the course of her candidature.