Katie is a First Class Honours graduate from the BSc (Hons) Human Nutrition and Dietetics Undergraduate Programme at the University of Chester. She is registered with CORU and HCPC and can practice as a registered dietitian and worked in the community with Nutrition Support and Specialist Oncology and Palliative Care Teams.

Her passion for research and improving outcomes for patients steered her in the direction of a Ph.D. In 2023, Katie registered for a PhD with the School of Food and Nutritional Sciences in collaboration with Cancer Research @UCC.

Project:

Katie’s research explores nutritional strategies for cancer survivors, with the aim of improving body composition, quality of life and dietary quality through targeted interventions. In Ireland, there are more than 200,000 cancer survivors due to advances in early detection and treatments. The needs of cancer survivors are complex and multifaceted, often living with the lasting effects of cancer treatment. The impact of body composition and dietary quality have been well documented in relation to cancer outcomes, such as survival and disease-free progression.

Her research, supported by Breakthrough Cancer Research and the Irish Cancer Society, encompasses two Investigator Initiated Trials: The LYSA Trial and the LIAM Mc Trial. The ‘Linking You to Support and Advice’ LYSA Trial is a double-arm, unblinded randomised control trial investigating the feasibility of a nurse- and dietitian-led survivorship clinic incorporating electronic patient reported outcomes in early-stage hormone-receptor positive breast cancer and gynaecologic cancer survivors. The ‘Linking In with supports and Advice for Men impacted by Metastatic cancer’ LIAM Mc Trial is a multidisciplinary 12-week programme designed for men diagnosed with advanced or metastatic genitourinary cancer.

Katie’s research also investigates the use of novel body composition techniques, including the use of a portable ultrasound to assess muscle mass in metastatic cancer outpatient populations. Ultimately, Katie’s research aims to inform survivorship care in Ireland, so that services can be developed to not only treat the tumor but treat the patient.