Melissa Berg

BSc (Hons)

Research assistant/Project manager

Email: melissa.berg@nd.edu.au
Phone: 9433 0782

  • Biography

    Melissa Berg (BSc Hons, UWA) is a Project Manager based in the School of Nursing & Midwifery. She provides project management support, data collection and analysis, and report writing for the research projects of Professor Leanne Monterosso. She has eighteen years of experience in research project management, initially undertaking biomedical science research in the area of reproductive biology on steroid receptor signalling in breast tissue. For the past eleven years she has worked in the area of healthcare research. Melissa has a strong interest in cancer related research and has worked on projects which involving the following methodologies: clinical audits, randomised control trials, mixed method studies, evaluation of education interventions, service evaluations, workforce evaluations, workforce sustainability, content validity testing, integrative reviews, systematic reviews using meta-analysis, and clinical practice guidelines. These research projects also explored cancer patient experience. Melissa has experience worked with investigators from a variety of health disciplines including medicine, nursing, radiation therapy, radiation oncology, allied health and management in the clinical and academic health sectors. She is committed to research which aims to improve the health outcomes for people diagnosed with cancer, and their families, by identifying current gaps in care pathways and addressing the effect of cancer and its treatment on physical health outcomes and quality of life for people living with cancer.

  • Research expertise and supervision

    • Cancer, cancer survivorship and palliative care
    • Project management
    • Development and implementation of surveys for patients, carers and health professionals
    • Data management and analysis
    • Systematic reviews and quantitative methods
    • Qualtrics online surveys

  • Journal Articles and Proceedings

    • Halkett GKB, Breen LJ, Berg M, Sampson R, Sim H-W, Gan HK, Kong BY, Nowak AK, Day BW, Harrup R, James M, Saran F, Mcfarlane B, Tse C, Koh E-S. Determining the Research Priorities for Adult Primary Brain Tumours in Australia and New Zealand: A Delphi Study with Consumers, Health Professionals, and Researchers. Current Oncology 2022; 29(12): 9928-9955. doi: 10.3390/curroncol29120781
    • Halkett GKB, Berg MN, Daudu D, Dhillon H, Koh E-S, Ownsworth T, Lobb E, Phillips J, Langbecker D, Agar M, Hovey E, Moorin R, Nowak AK. Supportive care of patients diagnosed with high grade glioma and their carers in Australia. J Neurooncol 2022; 157: 475–485. doi: 10.1007/s11060-022-03991-z
    • Berg M, Ngune I, Schofield P, Grech L, Juraskova I, Strasser M, Butt Z, Halkett G. Effectiveness of online communication skills training for cancer and palliative care health professionals: a systematic review. Psychooncology 2021; 30(9): 1405- 1419. doi:10.1002/pon.5702
    • Monterosso L, Platt V, Bulsara M, Berg M. Systematic review and meta-analysis of patient reported outcomes for nurse-led models of survivorship care for adult cancer patients. Cancer Treatment Reviews 2019; 73:62-72. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ctrv.2018.12.007
    • Halkett GKB, Berg MN, Breen LJ, Cutt D, Davis M, Ebert MA, Hegney D, House M, Kearvell R, Lester L, Maresse S, McKay J. Sustainability of the Australian radiation oncology workforce: A survey of radiation therapists and radiation oncology medical physicists. European Journal of Cancer Care 2018; 27(2):e12804. https://doi.org/10.1111/ecc.12804
    • Durey A, Halkett G, Berg M, Lester L, Kickett M. Does one workshop on respecting cultural differences increase health professionals’ confidence to improve the care of Australian Aboriginal patients with cancer? An evaluation. BMC Health Services Research 2017; 17(1):660. doi: 10.1186/s12913-017-2599-z.
    • Halkett GKB, Berg M, Ebert MA, Cutt D, Davis M, Hegney D, House M, Judson M, Kearvell R, Krawiec M, Lester L, Maresse S, McLoone P, McKay J. Radiation therapists' perspectives on participating in research. Journal of Medical Radiation Sciences 2017; 64:299–309. doi: 10.1002/jmrs.237
    • Ebert MA, Halkett GKB, Berg M, Cutt D, Davis M, Hegney D, House M, Krawiec M, Kearvell R, Lester L, Maresse S, McLoone P, McKay J. An assessment of radiation oncology medical physicists’ perspectives on undertaking research. Australasian Physical & Engineering Sciences in Medicine 2017;40(1):173-80. doi: 10.1007/s13246-016-0505-3.
    • Halkett GKB, McKay J, Hegney DG, Breen LJ, Berg M, Ebert MA, Davis, M, Kearvell R. Radiation therapists' and radiation oncology medical physicists' perceptions of work and the working environment in Australia: a qualitative study. European Journal of Cancer Care 2017; 26(5): e12511. doi: 10.1111/ecc.12511
    • Jiwa M, Halkett G, Meng X, Berg M. Rating general practitioner consultation performance in cancer care: does the specialty of assessors matter? A simulated patient study. BMC Family Practice 2014;15(1):152. doi: 10.1186/1471-2296-15-152
    • Jiwa M, Halkett G, Meng X,. Pillai V, Berg M, Shaw T. Supporting Patients Treated for Prostate Cancer: A Video Vignette Study With an Email-Based Educational Program in General Practice. J Med Internet Res 2014;16(2):e63. doi: 10.2196/jmir.3003
    • Berg MN, Dharmarajan AM, Waddell BJ. Glucocorticoids and Progesterone Prevent Apoptosis in the Lactating Rat Mammary Gland. Endocrinology 2002;143(1):222-27. doi: 10.1210/endo.143.1.8584

  • Conference Papers

    2011
    Monterosso L, Krishnasamy M, Yates P, Platt V, Berg M. Evaluation of the Western Australian Cancer Nurse Coordinator Role. Asia–Pac J Clin Oncol 2011; 7(Suppl. 4): 102. doi:10.1111/j.1743-7563.2011.01477.x

    2010
    Monterosso L, Platt V, Krishnasamy M, Yates P, Berg M. Evaluation of the Western Australian Cancer Nurse Coordinator Role. Asia–Pac J Clin Oncol 2010; 6(Suppl. 3): 219. doi: 10.1111/j.1743-7563.2010.01349.x

    2007
    Berg MN, Ben-Ary G, Ly N, White, JD. A Case Study of a Website Developed as an e-Collaboration Technology of a Virtual Team Undertaking Sheep Genomics Research. Conference on Information Management and Internet Research. Perth, Western Australia: Edith Cowan University, November 6-7, 2007.

    2005
    Berg MN, Waddell BJ, Dharmarajan AM. 282. Anti-apoptotic effects of glucocorticoids and progesterone in a human mammary epithelial cell line. Reproduction Fertility and Development (2005) 17(9):118-118 DOI: 10.1071/SRB05Abs282.