Research Supervisor Connect
A great opportunity to understand the underlying modifiable factors that are associated with prostate cancer incidence and progression. Suitable for a postgraduate candidate with a background in health sciences, statistics or epidemiology
Camperdown - School of Public Health
Active surveillance (AS) for prostate cancer (PC) patients with low risk of PC death is an alternative to radical treatment. A major weakness of AS is the uncertainty whether a patient truly has low risk PC based on biopsy alone. Multiparametric MRI scan (mpMRI), together with biopsy, appears useful in separating patients who need curative therapy from those for whom AS may be safe. Two small US trials have shown short-term high dose vitamin D supplementation prevents PC progression. There is no substantial evidence for its long-term safety and efficacy, hence its use in the care of men with PC on AS needs assessment.
Primary aim: (1) Improve the Active-therapy free survival during the first two years of AS.
Secondary aims: (2) Examine if optimal levels of total 25OHD between 75 and 80nmol/L are achieved in PC patients following vitamin D supplementation and characterise those whose serum 25OHD do not increase to a level of 75nmol/L in response to supplementation. (3) Examine if vitamin D supplementation is able to reduce the prevalence of DNA damage. We will also evaluate the utility of mpMRI scan in diagnosing PC progression in cases managed on AS. We will also examine if vitamin D supplementation needs to be extended for a longer period to prevent PC progression, through passive surveillance of clinical records after intervention has ceased.
Main research location: The Daffodil Centre
Dr Nair-Shalliker is a Senior Research Fellow at the Daffodil Centre, a joint venture between The University of Sydney and the Cancer Council NSW. She has a basic training in basic science and completed a PhD in Molecular Epidemiology which examined the relationship between sun exposure, vitamin D and development of prostate cancer. She has since been a member of the Prostate stream which is led by A/Prof David Smith, where her research focuses on identifying environmental, lifestyle and molecular risk factors of prostate cancer, to improve our understanding on the interactions between modifiable and non-modifiable risk factors, using large datasets. Her research was the first Australian study to show that risk of prostate cancer was increased in melanoma survivors and this risk was higher in men with multiple melanomas. She is currently involved in a randomised control trial of vitamin D supplementation in men with clinically significant prostate cancer.
The Daffodil Centre. This is a strategic alliance between the Cancer Council NSW and the University of Sydney established in 2021 to ensure relevant, high impact policy and practice research is undertaken and can be quickly moved into improved outcomes for the community. The purpose behind the Daffodil Centre is to combine the complementary strengths of both partners to accelerate progress towards their common goal of a cancer-free future. The University brings with it a high level of academic rigour, the Cancer Council NSW a community, consumer and patient-centred focus. This centre specialises in epidemiology and population health research, predictive statistical forecasting and microsimulation modeling, large-scale linked data analysis, systematic review and meta-analysis, biostatistical methods, health economic evaluation, health services research and behavioural and implementation science. Dr Nair-Shalliker is a key member of the Prostate stream within the centre. The Prostate Stream is working across all aspects of the patient journey, from risk factors through to survivorship.
The opportunity ID for this research opportunity is 3430