NHMRC MRFF Dietitian PhD Scholarship

Stream 1: Over 70% of people diagnosed with Pancreatic Cancer (PC) will suffer debilitating nutrition impact symptoms including pain, weight loss and diarrhoea. These symptoms have been shown to directly impact quality of life (QOL). With PC having a five-year survival rate of 9.8% and being the fifth leading cause of cancer related death, it is imperative that management of nutrition impact symptoms is improved, to (i) greatly improve quality of life and (ii) improve tolerance to chemotherapy and prevent dose reductions,which will improve treatment efficacy and survival for this patient group. Research from our team has shown that oral diet intervention alone is inadequate to maintain weight and improve QOL in this population. It is proposed that enteral feeding via a tube into the small bowel along with intensive dietary education and multidisciplinary efforts to manage pancreatic insufficiency is required to reduce pain, weight loss and diarrhoea, and ultimately improve QOL. Hence the current project will develop and implement a co-designed intervention of tube feeding along with intensive dietary education. This intervention will be evaluated within a single blinded multicentre randomised controlled trial. Evaluation will include patient-reported (QOL), clinical (symptoms, nutrition status, survival), and economic (cost-utility) outcomes. The research dietitian will provide direct specialist pancreatic cancer clinical dietetic service face to face and using telehealth via a person-centred evidence-based approach. This position requires expert level knowledge and skills in the management of complex enteral feeding and pancreatic cancer related nutrition impact symptoms through liaising with clinical specialists across participating Victorian hospitals. Research data collection and data management will be required using electronic data capture software. The role includes preparation for and participation in investigator meetings throughout the lifecycle of the trial.

• hold an Australian Masters by research degree or international equivalent in a relevant discipline completed within the last ten years assessed at a La Trobe Masters by research standard of 70 or above;
• OR an Australian Bachelors (Honours) degree, Masters by coursework or ungraded Masters by research degree or an international equivalent completed within the last ten years where you achieved a weighted average mark of 70 or above across any coursework subjects;
• and your degree includes a written research component comprising at least 3/8 of one year;
• OR you are the lead author of a peer-reviewed publication or other research published within the last ten years.

• Qualification to practice as a dietitian in Australia, as recognised by Dietitians Australia (DA).
• Eligibility for membership of DA and meet the criteria for the Accredited Practising Dietitian (APD)program
• Sound clinical nutrition knowledge and experience of pancreatic cancer nutrition management, including pancreatic exocrine insufficiency management and palliative care
• High level of interpersonal skills and demonstrated ability to work independently and as part of a team across both the education and health service sectors
• Demonstrated organisational skills, efficient workload management and ability to prioritise
• Demonstrated capacity to work in a collegiate manner with other staff in the workplace.Desirable but not essential:

• Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) credentialled presentation at conferences/seminars and/or publications related to cancer and/or palliative care dietetic practice
• Involvement in cancer-related working parties and special interest groups

Please email Dr Kate Furness, [email protected]

Dr Kate Furness, [email protected]