About the project

This project explores cancer-related fatigue (CRF) in people living with and beyond cancer, with a particular interest in how biological, psychological, and lifestyle factors shape the experience of fatigue over time. Rather than looking at CRF from a single angle, this project focuses on how these different influences interact and contribute to why some people develop persistent or severe fatigue while others do not.

This will help to build a clearer understanding of CRF that can support earlier identification of those at risk and help guide more personalised and effective approaches to managing fatigue throughout and after cancer treatment.

Research aims

Primary:

To integrate proteomic, psychosocial, clinical and behavioural data to create predictive models capable of predicting cancer-related fatigue in women with breast and ovarian cancer.

Secondary:

Characterise the development of CRF over the course of treatment and recovery, identifying subgroups with distinct fatigue trajectories and the factors that distinguish them.
Examine how CRF relates to health-related quality of life, stress, anxiety, depression, self-efficacy, social support, physical activity and clinical characteristics.
Determine whether specific proteins or proteomic pathways are associated with psychosocial or clinical measures and explore shared biological mechanisms underlying CRF and its comorbid symptoms.

Supervisor - Dr Sally Wheelwright

Supervisor - Dr Rhys Morgan

Supervisor - Dr Ethan Morgan

PhD student - Esme Morcom

Funder: Sussex Cancer Fund

Funder: William Priddy Cancer Research Studentship

About the project

Research aims

Primary:

Secondary:

Current Stage: