Alumni Magazine Issue 4

Early diagnostic test increases survival chances of cancer patients Melissa Thomas SCHOOL OF MEDICINE, SYDNEY CLASS OF 2018 Oesophageal adenocarcinoma (cancer of the oesophagus) has one of the poorest outcomes of all solid tumours, attributable, at least in part, to lack of an early stage diagnostic test. Melissa’s research identified regions of the genome that are altered when oesophageal cells begin to move towards a cancerous state. This research forms the foundation of an early- stage detection test and was shown to have possible application monitoring disease status as treatment progresses. AMPitup Associate Professor Fleur McIntyre INSTITUTE FOR HEALTH RESEARCH Notre Dame alumna and School of Health Sciences academic, Associate Professor Fleur McIntyre has been involved in university teaching and research for the past eight years. Her research focuses on a range of health-related issues that affect the healthy development of children and adolescents. In 2010, she created the Adolescent Movement Program (AMPitup) with Professor Beth Hands. AMPitup is designed specifically as a free training program for adolescents suffering the debilitating effects of Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD), Cerebral Palsy, Autism SpectrumDisorder or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and aims to provide themwith the skills, fitness and confidence to exercise in their local gym. Participants are assigned a personal coach, who are current Notre Dame Exercise & Sport Science or Clinical Exercise Physiology students, and attend two sessions per week over 13 weeks. "It's very rewarding to hear parents talk about the confidence their children have gained, to be able to try and do new things" says Fleur. Research that matters R E S E A R C H Alumni Magazine – Page 14