Dr Francesco Bettariga is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Exercise Oncology at the INSIGHT Research Institute at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS), and an Adjunct Research Fellow at the Exercise Medicine Research Institute (EMRI) at Edith Cowan University (ECU). His research focuses on understanding the biological and clinical mechanisms through which exercise influences cancer progression and survivorship outcomes. His work integrates clinical exercise trials with translational approaches to examine how exercise may modulate tumour biology, the tumour microenvironment, and anti-tumour immune responses. A central focus of his research is the development of precise exercise prescription for people living with cancer. By combining mechanistic insights with clinical trials, his work aims to optimise exercise prescription as a therapeutic strategy to improve treatment tolerance, physical function, disease progression, and survival outcomes in people living with cancer.

Dr Bettariga has secured competitive research funding as Chief Investigator and Co-Investigator across national and international grants focused on exercise oncology and cancer progression. This includes support from organisations such as the Cancer Council Western Australia, the Movember Foundation, the World Cancer Research Fund, and national funding bodies in Europe. He is currently appointed as Chief Investigator A (CI-A) on two clinical trials investigating the cancer-suppressive effects of exercise in people living with cancer. He also contributes as a Co-Investigator on several national and international grants examining the impact of exercise on disease progression and survival outcomes.

Dr Bettariga has authored and co-authored over 45 peer-reviewed publications in leading international journals in exercise oncology and exercise science, an output achieved within a short period following the completion of his PhD. He has published as first author in several top-ranked journals, including the British Journal of Sports Medicine, Journal of Sport and Health Science, Sports Medicine, and Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, which are currently ranked among the top three journals globally in the Exercise and Rehabilitation category. He has also published as first author in leading oncology journals such as the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, Breast Cancer Research and Treatment, and Journal of Cancer Survivorship. His PhD thesis comprised an extensive body of original research with 13 first-author publications, representing a record number of first-author studies within the doctoral program. He is currently Associate Editor for the Journal of Clinical Exercise Physiology and holds roles across international organisations in exercise oncology, including as a Mentor within the Global Mentorship Program of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer (MASCC), a Panel Member for the Seed Funding Scheme at the University of Technology Sydney, and a Committee Member of the Cancer Special Interest Group within the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and the International Society of Exercise Oncology (ISEO).

Dr Bettariga is actively involved in international scientific dissemination and delivers lectures at undergraduate and postgraduate level at university. He regularly delivers national and international workshops, professional training programs, and invited lectures on exercise oncology across academic, clinical, and professional settings, with over 30 invited presentations delivered to date. These include educational programs organised by Exercise and Sports Science Australia (ESSA), the European School of Lifestyle Oncology (ESLO), and TrustMe-Ed as well as workshops delivered within hospitals, private clinics, and professional development courses aimed at improving the implementation of exercise medicine for people living with cancer. He has presented his research at more than 10 international conferences as an invited and keynote speaker and has delivered lectio magistralis at international universities on the role of exercise medicine in cancer care. He also contributes to university teaching through undergraduate and postgraduate lectures and training activities. He is actively involved in the supervision and mentoring of postgraduate students, including PhD candidates, supporting the development of research skills in clinical trials, translational research, and exercise prescription in oncology populations.

Dr Bettariga’s work has been recognised through multiple international academic awards, including the PhD Academy Award, Exercise and Sports Science Australia (ESSA) Medal, and recognition as the best postgraduate and doctoral student (Vice Chancellor Top 100 Student, Edith Cowan University).

Dr Bettariga’s work has achieved substantial global visibility and translational reach. His research has generated over 500 media mentions worldwide, including coverage in outlets such as The Washington Post, Daily Mail, Fox News, The West Australian, and ABC Perth. He has also been interviewed by 9News, where his research was featured on national television. This coverage has contributed to an estimated audience reach exceeding 2.3 billion and an earned media value greater than USD $22 million.

In addition to research dissemination, Dr Bettariga’s impact extends to clinical and community settings through professional education, stakeholder engagement, and knowledge translation activities. He has also established an exercise medicine service to support the dissemination and implementation of evidence-based exercise interventions for patients and healthcare professionals. By working with healthcare professionals, patient groups, and professional organisations, he contributes to improving the implementation of exercise medicine in real-world cancer care, with the potential to reduce healthcare burden and improve patient outcomes.

Dr Rob Bower is an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Health at UTS, with a PhD in Sports Engineering and a Bachelor of Education majoring in Physical Education and Mathematics. He also has a Master of Applied Science (Exercise and Sports Science).

Rob’s main areas of research include the design and performance of sporting equipment and in particular, tennis rackets and cricket bats. He is the  Deputy Head of School (Teaching and Learning) for the School of Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation, located at the Moore Park precinct in Sydney. 

In 2010, Rob received a UTS Teaching Award and in 2011, he received a National Teaching Award (Australian Learning and Teaching Council).

Cristina M. Caperchione (BHK Hons., MHK, PhD) is a Professor in the School or Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation within the Faculty of Health. Her research program is focused on using mix-methodologies aimed at understanding socio-cultural mechanisms to design, implement and evaluate community level health promotion interventions. This research is particularly focused on physical activity and lifestyle behaviours in populations at highest risk of developing chronic disease and most vulnerable to overall poor health. 

She has led a number of multi-year, multi-institutional research projects and currently leads 1) TIDDA Talk, a co-designed/co-delivered physical activity and social and emotional health program for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander girls, (funded by Department of Health-Australia), 2) The HATTRICK program, a physical activity, healthy eating and mental fitness community intervention for men in Australia (funded by Commonwealth Government of Australia), and 3) Cancer Care Workforce Project, examining the cancer workforce’s capacity to implement exercise counselling and an exercise referral pathway in Sydney, NSW (funded by the Translational Cancer Research Network-NSW Cancer Council). In addition to her community based projects, she also works with athletes, coaches, and high performance support staff in devising practical strategies for empowering coaches to identify and support athlete mental health (funded by Australian Institute of Sport).

A large component of her work involves building strong community relationships with industry partners and local community members for greater program dissemination and sustainability. Professor Caperchione collaborates extensively with International and National colleagues specific to research concerning physical activity and exercise for the prevention, management and reduction of chronic disease.

Aaron is the Head of the School of Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation at UTS and directs the Human Performance Research Centre. His PhD research focused on developing methods to monitor athletes and their training to mitigate overtraining risks. Over the past 25 years, he has expanded this research to focus on creating an evidence basis that informs methods to optimise the training, health, and performance of athletes. Much of his research has been conducted in partnership with industry to ensure practical application and impact. 

Aaron’s experience in multidisciplinary teams has shaped his problem-solving approach. He has supervised over 65 research students, published more than 280 articles and 23 book chapters. He has also served on editorial boards for top international journals. 

In addition to his research, Aaron is an accredited sport scientist who has consulted to many professional sports across Australia and several global sports organisations. He has been an advisor to the Nike Sport Research Laboratory and the National Basketball Association.  He also served as a board member for a decade at Exercise and Sports Science Australia (ESSA) from 2014-2024.

Within the university, Aaron has taught in both undergraduate and postgraduate programs, focusing on developing students with a strong theoretical understanding, critical thinking, and practical skills. His contributions to teaching and learning have been acknowledged with university and national awards.

David Eager in an Emeritus Professor at the University of Technology Sydney. He was the Professor of Risk Management and Injury Prevention. He was also the Professor of Mechanical and Mechatronic Engineering.

David is an internationally recognised expert on the safety aspects of trampolines and playgrounds, play surfacing, and sports and recreation equipment. He is a bio-mechanical engineer and Fellow of Engineers Australia, Chartered Professional Engineer and on the National Professional Engineers Register.

David has a PhD in Engineering (UNSW), 1st Class Honours Degree in Engineering (NSWIT); and Graduate Certificate in Dispute Resolution (UTS).

David was the dux of the final year of his undergraduate engineering degree. He worked in the mining, manufacturing and construction industries for more than a decade before entering academia. In 1992 David was awarded an Australian Postgraduate Research Award - Industry and in 1995 joined UTS academic staff. In 2007 he was made an honorary safety advisor with the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents. In 2009 he was award the William Evans Fellowship by the University of Otago, New Zealand. In 2018 he was appointed an Honorary Member of the Australian Sports and Play Association. In 2020 he was the recipient of the Standards Australia National Meritorious Contribution Award. In 2021 his services to the play industry were acknowledged when he was appointed as a Life Member of Play Australia. In 2022 Standards Australia acknowledged his 25 years of dedicated service in standards development as a 'Centenary Hero'. In 2024 has received the Kidsafe Research of the Year Award and the AGM Michell Medal from the Mechanical College of Engineers Australia.

He completed an apprenticeship as a Fitter and Machinist; TAFE Electrical Wiring Engineering Course; TAFE Establishing a Small Business; Graduate course in Principles and Practice of Teaching and Learning (UNSW); Certificate IV in Assessment and Workplace Training; and WHS General Construction Induction.

David represents Australia on ISO/TC 83 Sports and Recreational Equipment. He was the co-convenor of the ISO Working Group for Playground Equipment and Surfacing. He is been an invited technical observer on the European Union Technical Committee CEN/TC 136/SC 1 Children's Playground Equipment and Surfacing for more than a decade. He is also the ISO Liaison for CEN/TC 83 and its Subcommittees and Working Groups.

David is an observer on CEN/TC 152 Safety of amusement rides and amusement devices.

David was on the Board of KidsafeNSW (2003-2015).

David was a Green Beret within 1 Commando Regiment in the Australian Army Reserve in the 70s and again in the 80s. He was selected to represent 1 Commando Company on their prestigious Mountbatten Team that went on to win the 1988 Trophy.

As an undergraduate student David was the driving force behind the formation of the inaugural NSWIT Mountaineering Society in 1979 (current the 'UTS Outdoor Adventure Club') and served as the founding President of the Society (1979-80). As an academic he Chaired the Australian Standards Committee SF-047 that was responsible for drafting and publishing the climbing gym Standard AS 2316 Artificial climbing structures and challenge course equipment.

David was a Red Cross Blood Donor for 40 years and over that time has happily gave more than 125 donations.

David holds pro-bono positions where he represents Engineers Australia on the following Australian Standards Committees:

Children Playground Equipment and Surfacing CS-005 (1999-present, Chairperson 2008-2021);

Amusement Rides and Devices ME-051 (1997-present);

Contained Play Facilities ME-51-03 (since 2005, Chairperson 2005-present);

Trampolines CS-100 (since 2001, Chairperson 2001-2013);

Trampoline Parks Facilities SF-051 (since 2016, Chairperson 2016-present); and

Artificial Climbing Structures and Challenge Course Equipment SF-047 (since 2003, Chairperson 2003-2010, 2015-present);

David holds representative pro-bono positions on several ASTM International Technical Standards Committees, including:

ASTM International Committee F08 Sports Equipment and Facilities Technical Committee and Subcommittees: F08.17 Trampolines; F08.21 Climbing and Mountaineering; F08.63 Playground Surfacing Systems; F08.64 Natural Playing Surfaces; and F08.65 Artificial Turf Surfaces and Systems (since 2000).

ASTM International Committee F15 Consumer Products Technical Committee and Subcommittees: F15.09 Home Playground Equipment; F15.29 Playground Equipment Public Use; F08.36 Soft-Contained Play Systems; and F08.43 Soccer Goal Safety(since 2006).

ASTM International Committee F24 Amusement Rides and Devices Technical Committee and Subcommittees: F24.10 Test Methods; F24.20 Specifications and Terminology; F24.24 Design and Manufacture; F24.30 Maintenance and Inspection; F24.40 Operations and F24.60 Special Rides/Attractions (since 2000).

Dr Madeleine English (BHmSc, BSES (Hons), PhD) is a Lecturer within the School of Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation with a research focus on the role of physical activity and sport in promoting health equity and positive youth development. Her work is grounded in community-based, participatory approaches, exploring how physical activity and sport can serve as a catalyst for holisitic health, particularly among underrepresented populations. Madeleine's current research centres on the design and evaluation of culturally safe health promotion programs. She is a co-designer of Tidda Talk, a physical activity and social and emotional wellbeing intervention supporting young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women.

Job Fransen is an Adjunct Fellow in motor control and skill acquisition at the University of Technology Sydney. He is particularly interested in how expertise in human movement emerges as a result of individual and environmental factors. His work has investigated the importance of talent identification and development programs in youth sport, the importance of perceptual and cognitive skills and abilities in the development of sporting expertise, and the assessment and development of collective behaviour.

Job is an executive board member of the Australasian Skill Acquisition Network and an associate editor for Science and Medicine in Football.

Job also has experience coaching in a wide range of disciplines, including soccer, rugby union, rugby sevens, field hockey, among many more. Between 2016-2020, Job was employed as the skill acquisition specialist for the Sydney Swans Football Club, where he used contemporary skill acquisition methods to help coaches design more effective training sessions focused on developing individual and collective skilled behaviour.

Hugh is a Professor at Reykjavik University in Iceland. His research interests are focused on evidence-based methods to improve performance and reduce injury in team sport and industry (armed forces, firefighters), with a specific focus on better understanding the relationship between fatigue, recovery (most notably sleep), injury and training load. Hugh has applied experience working with collegiate and professional athletes in Europe, Asia and North America, where he has previously worked for the Oakland Raiders (NFL), University of Oregon (NCAA American Football) and during his doctoral studies (PhD in Sports Medicine) at a FIFA Medical Centre of Excellence and German Olympic Training Centre (University of Saarland, Germany). Following full-time employment from 2018-2023 with UTS, he now presently acts as an Adjunct Fellow where he collaborates with the HPRC team and is available to co-supervise students interested in post-graduate research.

Dr Benjamin Halkon is a classically educated and industry-trained mechanical engineer and an experimental dynamicist specialising in the research development of non-contact measurement techniques and associated technologies for the determination of structural vibration characteristics. Ben's particular focus is on the application of laser Doppler vibrometers in challenging measurement scenarios for the solution industry, government and defence relevant engineering challenges. Dr Halkon was appointed as a Senior Lecturer in the Faculty of Engineering and IT (FEIT), School of Mechanical and Mechatronic Engineering (SoMME) at University of Technology Sydney in Sept 2017. Ben competitively secured promotion to Associate Professor in January 2023. Ben is a Research Affiliate at University of Sydney in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering under the supervision of Assoc. Prof. Nicholas Lawson since 2026. 

Ben has been a core member of the Centre for Audio, Acoustics and Vibration (CAAV) since joining UTS. Between April 2018 and March 2020 Ben was Deputy Head of School (T&L), a 0.5 FTE role, while continuing to make a full contribution to teaching and learning. In 2025, Ben applied for and was selected as Academic Lead, UTS Tech Lab (Botany) and in 2026, Ben was selected along with other FEIT colleagues to contribute to the Change Implementation Plan (CIP) Faculty and School Governance and Leadership (GLG) Working Group. Ben co-Chaired and led the delivery of the UTS-hosted 18th edition of the Asia-Pacific Vibration Conference in November 2019 (APVC2019) with the proceedings published by Springer in three volumes in 2020. Ben was Technical co-Chair of the (ASA/AAS/WESPAC/PRUAC) Acoustics 2023 Sydney which was held at the International Convention & Exhibition Centre (ICC), Sydney in December 2023 with 1950 delegates over 5 days. Ben is Technical Program Chair of INTER-NOISE 2026 Adelaide which has received 750 abstracts and expects >850 delegates and will be held at teh Adleaide Convention Centre from 7-10 August, 2026.

Since joining UTS and. completing these activities, Ben concurrently founded, established and now directs the unique UTS Tech Lab Vibration Laboratory. Capability includes several first-in-country non-contact vibration measurement solutions, for example the Polytec PSV-500 Xtra Scanning Laser Vibrometer - which will be upgraded in 2026 to the latest available so-called QTec (multipath interferometry aka signal diversity) technology, thanks to continued FEIT support in recognition of the signficant contibution the Vibration Lab has and continues to make to excellence in Research & Innovtation, External Engagement and, importantly, Teaching & Learning (fully integrated and emersed within the Lab's other activities). Associated, similarly unique solutions include the NVTech SAM1 automatic model impact hammer and Qsources Qlws mini inertial shaker, both of which Ben is recognised as a world-leading expert and reference in the use and application of, as recognised by the manufacturers. Later in 2026, the Vibration Lab will expand its capability to Space (and Defence) Vibration Research and Testing to include a first-in-country EMIC FX Series 26 kN shaker with XY slip table in support of the collaborative, independently led, $500k/15 mth, UTS/Space Machines Company Space MAITRI project. Other facilities that Ben's wide-ranging activities and expertise extend across include the (Large-Scale) Structural Dynamics Testing Facility - where Ben is the Mechanical Lead, the Acoustics Labs and the Micro and Nanomechatronic Systems Lab (formerly Interdiscplinary Photonics).

In large part thanks to his unique, world-class industrial background (in highest-performance motorsport and reference-grade CAE solutions), Ben has been able to establish a large number of collaborative, industry, defence and government funded research projects on mechanical static and dynamic/vibration testing, sensors and signal processing, autonomous vehicles and materials in particular. As of April 2026, Ben was supervising a total of two visiting scholars/industry fellows, two funded postdoctoral researchers and four Higher Degree by Research (HDR) students, with a further one recently graduate and one under examination. Ben has supervised to completion the following HDR projects/candidates since joining UTS:

Laser Doppler Vibrometry Based Remote Sensing for Active Noise Control, Dr Tong Xiao, 2022 (principal)

Mobile laser Doppler vibrometry motion tracking and vibration compensation for in-field vehicular deployments, Dr Abdel Darwish, 2022 (principal)

Weak fault feature extraction and remaining useful life prediction for diagnostics and prognostics of rolling element bearings, Dr Qing Ni, 2023

Non-contact acoustic excitation and associated nonlinear dynamics of small levitated objects, Dr Mehdi Akbarzadeh, 2025

Dynamic Characterisation and Active Vibration Control for Improved 3D Printing Quality in Vibration-Prone Environments, Dr Zimu Guo, 2025 (principal)

Ben publishes excellent research outputs in highly ranked, discipline-specific academic journals and peer-reviewed international conferences, with a total publication count of >150 with Field-Weighted Citation Impact (FWCI) of 1.95 (SciVal data, 21/4/26; 37 documents, 2022-2026). Ben has led >50 successful research grants and consultancy/contract testing projects with a total value of >>$2.5m since joining UTS, significantly surpassing the Exceeding expectations Faculty Benchmark for Levels E in this metric. Particular research paper highlights include: 

Physics-Informed Residual Network (PIResNet) for rolling element bearing fault diagnostics, Ni, Q., Ji, J.C., Halkon, B. et al., Mechanical Systems and Signal Processing, 2023 (312 citations, Google Scholar, 21/4/26),

A fault information-guided variational mode decomposition (FIVMD) method for rolling element bearings diagnosis, Ni, Q., Ji, J.C., Feng, K., Halkon, B., Mechanical Systems and Signal Processing, 2022 (276 citations, Google Scholar, 21/4/26),

A novel correntropy-based band selection method for the fault diagnosis of bearings under fault-irrelevant impulsive and cyclostationary interferences, Mechanical Systems and Signal Processing, Ni, Q., Ji, J.C., Feng, K., Halkon, B., 2021 (84 citations, Google Scholar, 21/4/26),

Vibration measurements using continuous scanning laser vibrometry: advanced aspects in rotor applications, Halkon, B.J. & Rothberg, S.J., Mechanical Systems and Signal Processing, 2006 (67 citations, Google Scholar, 21/4/26),

with the following review papers widely recognised as significant, (increasingly) highly-cited contributions in the field:

An international review of laser Doppler vibrometry: Making light work of vibration measurement, Rothberg, S.J., ..., Halkon B.J., et al., Optics and Lasers in Engineering, 2017 (624 citations, Google Scholar, 21/4/26),

Measuring Vibrations in Large Structures with Laser-Doppler Vibrometry and Unmanned Aerial Systems: A Review and Outlook, Rembe, C., Halkon, B.J., Ismail, M.A.A., Advanced Devices and Instrumentation, 2025 (7 citations, Google Scholar, 21/4/26),

Laser Doppler Vibrometry, Rembe, C., ... Halkon, B. et al., Nature Reviews Methods Primers, 2026 (in press).

Ben is fully engaged with and emersed in Teaching and Learning within SoMME through coordination and delivery of undergraduate subjects including 48660 Dynamics and Control, 48601 Mechanical Vibration and Measurement, 41058/43018 Dynamic Systems and Control A/B, among others. Ben integrates substantial industry-practice informed, hands-on activities and learning opportunities into his teaching practice. Ben also led and contributed significantly to a range of curriculum development projects including the new SoMME undergraduate curriculum for 2022/23 and post-graduate/professional microcredentials on Acoustics and Vibration. Through the redeveloped SoMME curriculum, Ben offers candidates unique and wide-ranging possibilities for groups of junior learners to immerse themselves in industry-/research-specified projects, often with outputs which include first-author publications in peer-reviewed academic conferences and contributions to Q1 academic journals. Ben also offers a wide and varied range of industry-/research-informed group design and individual capstone projects, fully integrating all aspects of his "balanced" academic role at UTS.

Prior to joining UTS and immediately after arriving in Australia in early 2017, Ben held another industry position as Product Engineer with Warsash Scientific (WS). This role was critical to Ben being able to quickly establish a professional network in Australia, particularly around the users and installed base for Polytec laser Doppler Vibrometers, for whom WS have represented Polytec in Australia and New Zealand for over 45 years. Prior to emigrating from the UK, previously held a permanent position, ultimately as Senior Lecturer, within the Wolfson School: Mechanical, Electrical and Manufacturing Engineering at Loughborough University (LU), U.K. from Oct 2009 to Dec 2016. During this period, Ben secured significant levels (on the order of £1m over the most recent 5 yrs) of funding from a combination of funders including, to a large extent, the sports industry (including e.g. Ford Motor Company UK, Nike, Inc., HEAD Sport, the International Cricket Council, the England and Wales Cricket Board and the Great Britain Rowing Team). Between completing his PhD at Loughborough University in 2004 and returning in 2009, Ben held industry positions in Mercedes-Ilmor Engineering, LMS UK (now Siemens Digital Industries Software and completed and a short-duration project with Agusta-Westland Helicopters.

At LU, Ben supervised multiple post-doctoral researchers, four PhD students to completion and many UG/PG student research projects, often industry supported/conceived and/or in support of his funded research. Ben also contributed to policy change including the revision of BS 7928:2013 - Specification for head protectors for cricketers. Furthermore, Ben has held a number of positions in industry both between completing his PhD and re-joining Loughborough University and prior to joining UTS upon arrival in Australia in early 2017. Ben is an Engineering Council accredited chartered mechanical engineer, a Fellow of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, a Chartered Professional Engineer and Fellow of the Institution of Engineers Australia and a Member of the Australian Acoustical Society.

Professor Nicolas H. Hart, PhD AES CSCS FESSA is an NHMRC Research Fellow in Cancer Survivorship at the INSIGHT Research Institute, and Program Director of Clinical Exercise Physiology at the Human Performance Research Centre and School of Human Performance, Rehabilitation and Population Health within the Faculty of Health at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS). His clinical research focuses on improving outcomes for people affected by cancer (i.e., cancer survivors and caregivers), with a sub-specialty in advanced or metastatic cancers, canvassing (1) survivorship and supportive care issues (including exercise, nutrition, psychosocial, and toxicity management), (2) cancer-specific outcomes (including disease biology, disease progression, and overall survival), and (3) model of care development and evaluation (including health services research and implementation science) to inform policy and practice. Recognising his standing in the field, he was named the 2024 NSW Premiers' Outstanding Mid-Career Cancer Researcher, 2024 Vice Chancellors' Award for Research Excellence in Leadership and Development, 2025 Deans' Award for Research Excellence (Research Leader), and independently ranked as a World Top 2% Scientist by Elsevier and Standford. He is the Editor-in-Chief for the Asia-Pacific Journal of Clinical Oncology, and holds Professorial titles at Flinders University, Edith Cowan University, Queensland University of Technology, and University of Notre Dame Australia.

Professor Hart has received >$25.5 million AUD research income as chief investigator to undertake research improving outcomes for people with advanced or metastatic cancer. This includes two prestigious fellowships from the National Health and Medical Research Council (2023-2027) to improve outcomes for people with bone metastases; and the Cancer Council of Western Australia (2018-2020) to investigate approaches to delay disease progression and extend overall survival in advanced cancer patients through exercise medicine; chief investigator (CIH) for 1 NHMRC project grant, CID and CIE for 4 x MRFF grants; and chief investigator (Co-PI) for several national and international multicentre randomised controlled trials. He has published >200 peer-reviewed research articles (including as senior author in CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians - top ranked journal in oncology) and 3 book chapters (including European Society of Medical Oncology Handbook of Supportive and Palliative Care), and presented >150 items of work at national and international conferences. Professor Hart has supervised 23 PhD students (12 completed; 11 ongoing), 1 MSc by Research (1 completed), and 2 Honours (2 completed; 1 with 1st Class Honours) students. He has also mentored or supervised 14 postdoctoral fellows (8 previous; 6 current; including 1 Chancellors' Research Fellow) across exercise medicine; cancer survivorship; and health services research fields; and a further 13 international fellowship holders (5 previous; 8 current).

Professor Hart is the inaugural Multinational Association for Supportive Care in Cancer (MASCC) Survivorship Fellow who led the development of international (MASCC-ASCO) survivorship care standards, practice recommendations, and research priorities for people affected by advanced or metastatic cancer; MASCC Founding Chair of Exercise Oncology; and current MASCC Chair of Fatigue. He sits on several national committees within Exercise and Sport Science Australia including the Standards Council; Chair of the Survivorship Executive Committee of Clinical Oncology Society of Australia; Scientific Committee of the Primary Care Collaborative Cancer Clinical (PC4) Trials Group; Co-Chair of PC4 Survivorship; Chair of Fatigue for the Cancer Symptom Trials (CST) group; and international committees including the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO)'s Survivorship Guidelines Advisory Group and MASCC Disparities Committee. He is the only Australian member of the international Survivorship Research in Prostate Cancer (SuRECaP) group; 1 of 3 Australian members of the International Bone Metastases and Exercise Working Group (IBMEWG) who developed the worlds’ first clinical exercise guidelines for people with bone metastases; 1 of 2 Australian members on the World Health Organisation (WHO) Cancer Development Group, who created a Package of Interventions for Rehabilitation in Cancer Survivors worldwide. He currently sits on another two WHO Technical Working Groups to establish (1) WHO Quality Standards for Rehabilitation; and (2) WHO Costing Tools for Breast Cancer Rehabilitation for global implementation to the Health Ministries of all WHO Member States.

Dr Darren Haywood (PhD, BPsych(Hons), Dip. Fit) is a Cancer Institute New South Wales Early Career Fellow and a Chancellor's Research Fellow in Cancer Survivorship at the INSIGHT Research Institute, Human Performance Research Centre and School of Human Performance, Rehabilitation, and Population Health within the Faculty of Health at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS). He is also the Deputy Lead of the UTS Cancer Survivorship Research Program. 

His research is focused on improving outcomes for people affected by cancer (i.e., cancer survivors and caregivers). His sub-specialties are (1) cancer-related cognitive impairment (i.e., tool development, intervention development, clinical guideline development), and (2) psycho-oncology (i.e., mental illness conceptualisation and diagnosis, treatments, assessment approaches, models of care, clinical guideline development).

Recognising his standing in the field, he was presented with (1) the 2026 IPOS Hiroomi & Setsuko Kawano New Investigator Award (1 of only 5 Australian winners in over 30 years) in Barcelona, Spain, (2) the 2025 MASCC Emerging Investigator Award ( 1 of only 2 every Australian winners ever) in Seattle, Washington, (3) the 2025 PC4 Training Award, and (4) the 2025 UTS Dean’s Early Career Researcher Excellence Award. Dr Haywood holds academic titles at the University of Melbourne, St. Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne, Curtin University, and Swinburne University. He is also the Principal Scientific Advisor of the Think Pink Foundation.

Dr Haywood has received >$2.8M in funding, all as chief investigator, to support his research to improve outcomes of those affected by cancer and mental health conditions. This includes a Cancer Institute NSW Early Career Fellowship (14% success rate; 2026-2029) and a UTS Chancellor's Research Fellowship (7% success rate; 2026-2030) to extend his work in psycho-oncology, and a MASCC Cognition Fellowship (2023-2025) to develop the world's first unmet needs assessment for cancer-related cognitive impairment, as well as a ~$1M MRFF grant.

He has published >75 peer-reviewed articles (including first-author articles in leading journals such as Trends in Cancer), 1 book chapter, and presented >20  items of work at conferences. He has supervised 13 honours students, and currently supervises 5 PhD candidates and 1 MSc student.

Dr Haywood is the Chair/Co-Chair of several national and international groups and initiatives, including (1) the Expert Working Group for the development of the Optimal Care Pathway for LGBTQIA+ People with Cancer; (2) the PC4 Living with and Beyond Cancer Engine Room; and (3) the IPOS Early Career Professionals Committee.

Dr Haywood is the inaugural Multinational Association for Supportive Care in Cancer (MASCC) Cognition Fellow who led the development of the MASCC COG-IMPACT Tool; a world-first tool to measure difficulties and unmet needs driven by cancer-related cognitive impairment. Dr Haywood is a PC4 Scientific Advisory Committee member, MASCC Guidance Committee Member, and IPOS Early Career Professional Member. He was also selected as an Expert Working Group Member and co-authored the development of three national clinical guidelines, which his research informed: (1) updated COSA Guidelines for AYA cancer psychosocial care, (2) Cancer Australia’s Optimal Care Pathway for Older People with Cancer, and (3) ESSA Consensus Statement on Exercise Physiology in Mental Health. 

He actively considers proposals for PhD projects and collaborations.

Sam is a lecturer within the UTS School of Sport, Exercise & Rehabilitation. He is a passionate teacher in the areas of exercise physiology, sport and exercise medicine, exercise prescription, and lifespan development. He focuses on high-quality, high-impact research, with a particular interest in the effects of exercise on cardiometabolic and mental health in inactive populations. Sam has founded and managed an allied health business and bridges the gap between research and practice through his work as an Accredited Exercise Scientist.

Orcid identifier: 0000-0002-0321-5723
Senior Lecturer, School of Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation 
Oscar.Lederman@uts.edu.au

Dr Oscar Lederman is a Senior Lecturer at UTS in the Masters of Clinical Exercise Physiology and Mental Health Research Lead in the Human Performance Research Centre, School of Human Performance, Rehabilitation and Population Health, Faculty of Health.

Oscar is also Research Fellow at the University of New South Wales, Sydney in the Discipline of Psychiatry & Mental Health, School of Clinical Medicine, UNSW Medicine

Oscar has previously held roles including;
- Senior Accredited Exercise physiologist at UNSW's Addi Moves program (Addison Road Community Centre). (2023)
- Clinical Lead and Senior Accredited Exercise Physiologist at the Keeping the Body in Mind program, South Eastern Sydney Local Health District (NSW Health). (2014-2023)
- Wellbeing Ambassador at SESLHD Mental Health Services (part time secondment - 2022-2023)

Background
Oscar’s has 10 years experience delivering and overseeing health programs within the mental health field. His research and advocacy has been key in defining the role and scope of practice of exercise professionals in mental health and supporting the integration of physical activity as part of routine mental health care. Oscar regularly provides education and training for students and professionals regarding the role of exercise in mental healthcare. Oscar is a qualified Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) instructor and regularly delivers workshops to health professionals and tertiary students.

Dr James Murray is a Lecturer in Clinical Exercise Physiology in the School of Human Performance, Rehabilitation and Population Health, Faculty of Health. He is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA), and an Accredited Exercise Physiologist, with his clinical experience spanning private, community, and research settings, commonly working with people from low socioeconomic backgrounds, and people with living cancer and cardiovascular diseases. James completed his PhD in 2023, with his research exploring the protective role of exercise on cardiovascular health and function in women impacted by cancer and cardiovascular diseases, and ways exercise participation can be enhanced during chemotherapy for breast cancer. James' current research explores the role of exercise as part of survivorship care in cancer, with a focus on culturally and linguistically diverse populations and alternative exercise modalities (blood flow restriction training). James also has an interest in exercise-based prehabilitation in oncology settings, including its cardioprotective role prior to the commencement of anti-cancer therapies. As an early career researcher, James has authored several peer-reviewed publications (with >220 citations), obtained $50 000 AUD in grant funding, and presented his research both nationally and internationally. James has supervised three honours students (2 completed, 1 ongoing), and one PhD student (ongoing).

I currently work across academia and industry as a Senior Research Fellow at the Human Performance Research Centre (University of Technology Sydney) with industry collaborations with Rugby Australia's Analytics Team and High Performance Department, the Office of Naval Research Global, and the Australian Defence Science and Technology Group.

For the last 10+ years I've been conducting research and analytics projects across several areas including human performance, high performance sport, and community sports/participation. This includes project initiation and development, data collection, analysis, visualisation, and interpretation via evidence-based research, rigorous statistical analysis and effective visualisation and BI tools e.g. Tableau, R, SQL, AWS, Smartabase and Excel.

My research mainly investigates human performance in various domains such as sports, esports, and military settings. This includes physical, technical, tactical and decision-making performance at the individual level, as well as exploring how the individuals within teams cooperate effectively to ultimately achieve successful collective outcomes.

I obtained my PhD at the University of Newcastle and have published >60 peer reviewed scientific papers, as well as delivering many projects to industry partners. I also hold accreditation as a Level 2 sports scientist (ASpS2) and exercise scientist (AES) through ESSA. I coordinate the subject "Performance analysis and data science" in the Masters of high performance sport degree, and teach in Data Management for Sport and Exercise.

Additional experience included a previous employment at Australian sports technology company Fusion Sport, working with their Smartabase athlete management platform. I've developed numerous pieces of software for Web, PC, Mac, iPad, iPhone, and Android - usually via Unity3D or R (Shiny). I worked for 10 years as a bicycle mechanic and trained with Specialized Bicycles as a bicycle fitting specialist, servicing >200 clients. This involved applying principles of anatomy and physiology to minimise injury and improve comfort from beginners to elite cyclists.