Dr Nicolas Hart

Biography

Overview

Dr Nicolas Hart, PhD AES CSCS ESSAM is Deputy Lead of the Cancer Survivorship Program within the Cancer and Palliative Care Outcomes Centre of Queensland University of Technology (QUT). As a Senior Research Fellow, his research focuses on improving outcomes for people living with metastatic disease, canvassing (1) survivorship and supportive care issues (including exercise, nutrition, psychosocial, and toxicity management), and (2) cancer outcomes (including disease biology, disease progression, and overall survival).

Research Summary

As an EMCR, Dr Hart has received >$7 million AUD of research income as chief investigator to undertake research improving outcomes for people with advanced cancer. This includes a prestigious fellowship from Cancer Council of Western Australia (2018-2020) to investigate synergistic and targeted approaches to delay disease progression and extend overall survival in advanced cancer patients through exercise medicine; chief investigator (CIH) for 1 NHMRC project grant; and chief investigator (CIC) for several national and international multicentre randomised controlled trials. He has published >70 peer-reviewed research articles and 2 book chapters (including the European Society of Medical Oncology Handbook of Supportive and Palliative Care).

National and International Standing.

Dr Hart is an inaugural Multinational Association for Supportive Care in Cancer (MASCC) Terry Langbaum Survivorship Fellow (2021-2022), through which he is developing Principles of Care and Research Priorities for people living with metastatic cancer. He sits on several national committees within Exercise and Sport Science Australia, and international committees within the Australia and New Zealand Bone and Mineral Society. He is the only Australian member of the International Survivorship Research in Prostate Cancer (SuRECaP) Working Group, and one of three Australian members of the International Bone Metastases and Exercise Working Group developing the worlds' first clinical exercise guidelines for people with bone metastases.

Research Grant Success:

CAT 1:

• A hybrid, implementation-effectiveness trial of a shared-care MOdel for proStatE cancer Survivors (The MOSES Trial). MRFF (Medical Research Future Fund), 2022 - 2025, $1,625,287 AUD
• Can Exercise Delay Transition to Active Therapy in Men with Low Grade Prostate Cancer? A Multi-Centre Randomised Controlled Trial. NHMRC (National Health and Medical Research Council), 2018 - 2023, $596,084 AUD.
• INTense Exercise foR surVivAL among men with Metastatic Castrate-Resistant Prostate Cancer (INTERVAL-GAP4): a Multicentre, Randomized, Controlled, Phase III Study. Movember Foundation, 2016 - 2023, $635,910 AUD.
• Exercise Coordinating Centre for INTERVAL-GAP4: Intense exercise for survival among men with Metastatic Castrate-Resistant Prostate Cancer. Movember Foundation, 2016 - 2024,  $548,776 AUD.
• An exploratory study to determine if exercise can impact the gut microbiota composition of men receiving androgen suppression therapy for prostate cancer. PCFA (Prostate Cancer Foundation Australia), 2018 - 2023, $98,875 AUD.
• Australian Centre for Research into Injury in Sport and its Prevention (ACRISP), Research Centres for Prevention of Injury and Protection of Athlete Health. IOC (International Olympic Committee), 2019 - 2022, $568,107 AUD.
• TrueNTH solutions: an integrated multi-component intervention to improve the lives of men with prostate cancer in Australia - Demonstration of the Lifestyle and Exercise Program. Movember Foundation, 2016 - 2020, $303,145 AUD.
• Mechanical modulation of bone metastases in advanced breast cancer patients: Can targeted exercise suppress osteolytic tumour progression?. NBCF (National Breast Cancer Foundation), 2016 - 2019, $184,300 AUD.

CAT 2:

• Lower-body injury risk stratification in female and male recruits through muscle-bone imaging.,  Department of Jobs, Tourism, Science and Innovation,  Defence Science Collaborative Research Grants,  2020 - 2022,  $432,075.
• The effect of cognitive and exercise training on Brain Atrophy and Cognitive Decline in Breast Cancer Patients Treated with Adjuvant Chemotherapy Agents,  Cancer Council of WA Inc,  Collaborative Cancer Grant Scheme,  2018 - 2022,  $49,966.
• Examining the effect of creatine supplementation in augmenting adaptations to resistance training in prostate cancer patients undergoing androgen deprivation therapy: a randomised, double-blind, placebo controlled trial. ,  Cancer Council of WA Inc,  Collaborative Cancer Grant Scheme,  2019 - 2022,  $64,560.
• Exercise medicine for advanced cancer patients: a synergistic and targeted approach to delay disease progression and extend survival.,  Cancer Council of WA Inc,  Fellowship,  2018 - 2020,  $601,458.
• Can exercise interfere with sclerotic tumour formation and reduce tumour growth in advanced prostate cancer patients with bone metastasis? – A phase I, randomised clinical trial examining feasibility, safety and efficacy.,  Cancer Council of WA Inc,  Grant - Early Career Investigator,  2016 - 2018,  $34,742.
• Mechanical modulation of bone metastases in advanced prostate cancer patients: Can targeted exercise suppress sclerotic tumour progression? – A pilot study.,  Exercise & Sports Science Australia,  Clinical Exercise Physiology Research Grant,  2015 - 2017,  $37,200.

CAT 3:

• Assessment of elite AFL athletes and the integration of data analytics,  Pernix, Scholarships to support Industry Engagement PhD projects,  2019 - 2022,  $52,500
• From Research to Practice: the development, implementation and evaluation of an intervention to integrate exercise into standard of care for people with cancer,  Genesis Cancer Care Pty Ltd,  Genesis Cancer Care - Grant,  2018 - 2020,  $10,000.
• Feasibility and efficacy of dosing exercise medicine immediately before or after chemotherapy infusion,  Edith Cowan University,  Ipsen Pharmaceuticals, Pty Ltd and ECU Industry Collaboration Grant - 2017 Open Round,  2018 - 2020,  $135,247.
• Characterisation of musculoskeletal health, motor development and exercise capacity of children who have completed therapy for acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL).,  Edith Cowan University,  ECU Early Career Researcher Grant - 2017,  2017 - 2019,  $30,000.
• New Independent Researcher Infrastructure Support (NIRIS) Awards,  Department of Health WA,  New Independent Researcher Infrastructure Support (NIRIS) Awards,  2017 - 2018,  $10,000.
• Mechanical Specificity of Weightlifting Movements to Athletic Performance,  National Strength and Conditioning Association,  Grant,  2010 - 2013,  $13,591