Health SYSTEMS & SURVIVORSHIP

Our Health Systems & Survivorship research focuses on creating health services, models of care, and interventions that educate and empower young people with serious illnesses to better understand and manage their long-term health outcomes. Our primary goal is to equip these individuals with the knowledge and resources they need to navigate the healthcare system, access essential care, and adopt healthy lifestyles that minimise the risk of further illness-related complications.

​Our expert researchers led the ANZCHOG Survivorship Study, involving one of the largest cohorts of childhood cancer survivors in the Southern Hemisphere. This initiative addressed critical questions about childhood cancer, including the long-term late effects of chemotherapy. By understanding modifiable risk factors, we aim to develop evidence-based interventions that reduce the burden of illness and improve the quality of life for young survivors.
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Our team is at the forefront of developing and testing innovative solutions to support young people with cancer and chronic health conditions. Some of our most recent projects include:
  • Transition Compass: A scalable, SMS/video-based intervention that supports young people with chronic health conditions during their transition from paediatric to adult care.
  • Engage: A new model of care designed to overcome survivor-reported barriers to follow-up care and provide comprehensive medical and psychosocial support in the years after cancer treatment. This program has been trialled among childhood cancer survivors, brain cancer survivors and is now being prepared for a trial with survivors treated during adolescence and young adulthood.
  • Making Moves: An exercise intervention developed and piloted to encourage childhood cancer survivors to engage in regular physical activity, addressing physical and psychological late effects of treatment.
With multiple active studies underway, the Health Systems & Survivorship team is dedicated to delivering tangible outcomes that benefit young people, their families, and the broader healthcare system. Our research seeks to transform survivorship care, reduce health inequities, and ensure that every young person has the opportunity to lead a healthy and fulfilling life after serious illness.

Research team

Dr Jordana McLoone
​Deputy Director of the BSU,
​HSS Team Leader
Dr Christina Signorelli
​Team Leader,
​Post-Doctoral Fellow
Dr Lauren Ha
Exercise Physiologist,
​Post-Doctoral Fellow
Joe Alchin
​Research Officer
Dr Kyra Webb
Research Officer
Rosanna Cazziolli
​Research Officer
Joey Elias
PhD Candidate
Moni Nazari
PhD Candidate & Clinical Psychologist

CURRENT Research studies

Engage: Engage is a tailored model of care designed to address survivor-reported barriers to follow-up care, ensuring childhood cancer survivors receive comprehensive medical and psychosocial report throughout their survivorship journey (Further info found here).
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​Engage Process Evaluation: A process evaluation of the Engage Brain trial aims to contextualize trial outcomes, and understand what factors contribute to a sustainable, scalable, and successfully implementable intervention.
Supporting young children when their parent has cancer:
Aims to increase understanding of parental cancer impact on children from a child-centric perspective; identify unment psychosocial needs of children with a parent/caregiver diagnosed with cancer; and co-produce psychosocial support resources for children with the diagnosed parent/caregiver.
Transition Compass: Transition Compass is an SMS-based intervention designed to support young people with chronic health conditions as they transition from paediatric to adult healthcare, ensuring continuity of care and improved health outcomes.

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​Making Moves: Making Moves is a nationwide digital program that aims to provide tailored physical activity support to childhood cancer survivors.​

​Psychosocial Impact of Pediatric Melanoma and Genetic skin cancer syndromes: Aims to understand the lived experiences and needs of families who have a child diagnosed with xeroderma pigmentosum.
Optimizing recruitment and retention methods in psychosocial research with Adolescent and Young Adult (AYA) cancer survivors: This PhD project is focused on identifying critical factors and enhancing strategies for engaging AYA cancer survivors in psychosocial research. This objective will be pursued through a series of interconnected studies (1. Co-design study; 2. Researcher Survey; 3. Longitudinal Survey

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​‘Talk About it’ resources Evaluation: Talk About It aims to support cancer patients, survivors and carers in sharing their cancer experiences, helping them connect with the support they need to navigate and manage during this challenging time
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The Role of Occupational
Therapy in Paediatric Oncology:
This study aims to understand the current clinical practices of occupational therapy in acute paediatric oncology and how cancer treatment and hospitalisation impacts outcomes on development, function and quality of life for children with a cancer diagnosis.

Previous studies

Reboot Kids hopes to better support childhood cancer survivors and their families with eating habits after treatment. Read the study here.
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This study aims to systematically develop an evidence-based model of best care for the Long Term Follow Up of paediatric cancer survivors. Read the study here.

​The PICASSO study aimed to determine cardiovascular fitness among childhood cancer survivors. Read the study here.
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​iBounce aimed to support young childhood cancer survivors in physical activity using a digital health education program and wearable activity trackers. Read the pilot study here.