Researcher biography
Alex graduated with a Bachelor of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences with first class Honours in 2019 at the University of Queensland. He is a PhD student at the University of Queensland and is interested in the role of exercise to improve health outcomes for those surviving cancer. Alex’s PhD will investigate the effects of high intensity interval training on cardiovascular fitness and body composition as well as explore how this type of training may interact with the human gut microbiome.
Research interests
- exercise oncology
- response to exercise and the possible interactions between exercise
- gut microbiota
- and cancer.
Project title
The effects of a six-month high intensity interval training protocol on cardiovascular fitness, body composition and interactions with the human gut microbiota in cancer survivors.
Advisors
Journal Articles
Adlard, Kirsten N., Farley, Morgan J., Boytar, Alexander N., Salisbury, Chloe E., Bolam, Kate A., Pegg, Danielle K., Aitken, Joanne F., Chambers, Suzanne K., Dunn, Jeff C., Courneya, Kerry S., Jenkins, David G. and Skinner, Tina L. (2026). Safety and Feasibility of Long‐Term High‐Intensity Interval Training With and Without Peer Support in Cancer Survivors. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports, 36 (2) e70221, e70221. doi: 10.1111/sms.70221
Chiu, Vivian, Boytar, Alexander, Cunningham, Brent, Skinner, Tina, Turner, Jane, Anderson, Debra, Khan, Asaduzzaman, Bailey, Tom, Porter-Steele, Janine, Young, Leonie, Tuffaha, Haitham, Perrin, Lewis, Garrett, Andrea, Goh, Jeffrey, Rose, Grace, Clifford, Briana, Gomersall, Sjaan, Korbie, Darren, Constantin, Nicolas, Li, Jackie and McCarthy, Alexandra Leigh (2025). Enhancing treatment outcomes after gynaecological cancer (ACUMEN): a randomised controlled exercise trial protocol. BMC Cancer, 25 (1) 1195, 1-11. doi: 10.1186/s12885-025-14298-3
Farley, Morgan J., Boytar, Alexander N., Adlard, Kirsten N., Salisbury, Chloe E., Hart, Nicolas H., Schaumberg, Mia A., Jenkins, David G. and Skinner, Tina L. (2024). Interleukin‐15 and high‐intensity exercise: relationship with inflammation, body composition and fitness in cancer survivors. The Journal of Physiology, 602 (20), 5203-5215. doi: 10.1113/jp286043
Rose, Grace L., Boytar, Alex N., King, Isabel N., Farley, Morgan J., Maugham-Macan, Michelle, Skinner, Tina L., Bolam, Kate A. and Schaumberg, Mia A. (2024). Technical and biological reliability of pQCT measured bone and muscle tissue quality across the age-span. Journal of Clinical Densitometry, 27 (4) 101522, 101522. doi: 10.1016/j.jocd.2024.101522
Hart, Nicolas H., Wallen, Matthew P., Farley, Morgan J., Haywood, Darren, Boytar, Alexander N., Secombe, Kate, Joseph, Ria, Chan, Raymond J., Kenkhuis, Marlou-Floor, Buffart, Laurien M., Skinner, Tina L. and Wardill, Hannah R. (2023). Exercise and the gut microbiome: implications for supportive care in cancer. Supportive Care in Cancer, 31 (12) 724, 1-24. doi: 10.1007/s00520-023-08183-7
Nicol, Jennifer L., Cunningham, Brent, Woodrow, Carmel, Adlard, Kirsten, Papinczak, Zoe, Spence, Rosalind R., Boytar, Alex N., Mollee, Peter, Weber, Nicholas, Nicol, Andrew J., Hill, Michelle M. and Skinner, Tina L. (2023). Safety, feasibility, and acceptability of a multi-site individualized exercise intervention for people with multiple myeloma. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 55 (12), 2214-2227. doi: 10.1249/mss.0000000000003267
Boytar, Alexander N., Skinner, Tina L., Wallen, Ruby E., Jenkins, David G. and Dekker Nitert, Marloes (2023). The effect of exercise prescription on the human gut microbiota and comparison between clinical and apparently healthy populations: a systematic review. Nutrients, 15 (6) 1534, 1-30. doi: 10.3390/nu15061534
Skinner, Tina L., Kelly, Vincent G., Boytar, Alexander N., Peeters, GMEE Geeske and Rynne, Steven B. (2020). Aviation rescue firefighters physical fitness and predictors of task performance. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, 23 (12), 1228-1233. doi: 10.1016/j.jsams.2020.05.013
Conference Papers
Chong, Jamie, Nicol, Jennifer, Beck, Belinda, Kay, Shelley, Hart, Nicolas, Carter, Daniel, Woodrow, Carmel, Cunningham, Brent, Farley, Morgan, Boytar, Alexander, Baguley, Brenton, Rose, Grace, Mollee, Peter and Skinner, Tina (2024). An individualised bone-targeted exercise intervention for people with multiple myeloma: study protocol of the MyeEx-impact randomised controlled trial. COSA's 51st Annual Scientific Meeting, Gold Coast, QLD, Australia, 13–15 November 2024. Chichester, West Sussex, United Kingdom: Wiley-Blackwell Publishing.
Farley, Morgan Jane, Adlard, Kirsten N., Boytar, Alexander N., Salisbury, Chloe E., Schaumberg, Mia A., Jenkins, David G. and Skinner, Tina L. (2024). Myokine Responses To High Intensity Exercise: Relationships With Cardiorespiratory Fitness And Body Composition In Cancer Survivors. American College of Sports Medicine Annual Meeting 2024, Boston, MA United States, 28 - 31 May 2024. Philadelphia, PA United States: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. doi: 10.1249/01.mss.0001062048.96820.5e
Boytar, Alex N., Farley, Morgan J., Salisbury, Chloe E., Skinner, Tina L. and Jenkins, David G. (2024). Responders And Non-responders To Hiit In Cancer Survivors; Implications For Body Composition And Systemic Inflammation?. American College of Sports Medicine Annual Meeting 2024, Boston, MA United States, 28 - 31 May 2024. Philadelphia, PA United States: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. doi: 10.1249/01.mss.0001062136.13288.05
Boytar, Alex, Farley, Morgan, Salisbury, Chloe, Skinner, Tina and Jenkins, David (2024). Are There Non-responders To Hiit In Cancer Survivors? Changes In Cardiorespiratory Fitness, Body Composition And Systemic Inflammation. Research to Practice 2024, Sydney, NSW Australia, 2-4 May 2024. Clinical Exercise Physiology Association. doi: 10.31189/2165-7629-13-s2.407
Farley, Morgan Jane, Jenkins, David G., Boytar, Alexander, Salisbury, Chloe, Schaumberg, Mia A. and Skinner, Tina L. (2023). The Effect Of Seven Months Of High Intensity Interval Training On Chronic Inflammation, Body Composition And Fitness In Breast, Prostate, And Colorectal Cancer Survivors. American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) Annual Meeting 2023, Denver, CO United States, 30 May - 2 June 2023. Philadelphia, PA United States: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. doi: 10.1249/01.mss.0000988864.98560.ca