Bowel Health Service

Gastrointestinal cancers, including cancers of the colon, rectum, oesophagus, stomach and pancreas, are common and can be deadly when not detected in an early and more treatable stage.

Our mission is to improve early detection of gastrointestinal cancers, develop new tools to monitor treatment outcomes and cancer recurrence, and improve the clinical management and patient experience for people at risk for these cancers.

OUR RESEARCH

Early detection and personalised surveillance are key to improving gastrointestinal cancer outcomes.

The Bowel Health Service team collaborates closely with gastroenterologists, surgeons, oncologists and consumers to develop new non-to-minimally-invasive tests for the detection of colorectal and other gastrointestinal cancers, and to personalise the clinical care for people undergoing gastrointestinal health investigations such as endoscopy and colonoscopy in a patient-friendly and cost-effective manner.

Research projects

Biomarker discovery and application:

Discovering and developing biomarkers for early detection of gastrointestinal cancers and pre-cancerous lesions
Optimising circulating tumour DNA blood biomarkers to monitor treatment outcomes and gastrointestinal cancer recurrence.

Health service optimisation, translation and implementation:

Improving and personalising the clinical management for people at elevated risk of colorectal cancer
Developing models to predict risk for gastrointestinal cancers
Assessing the patient reported outcomes and cost effectiveness of different screening and monitoring strategies for gastrointestinal cancers to guide clinical care.
Roll-out of a state-wide digital health solution to optimise the use of colonoscopy in clinical practice and cancer prevention research.

Featured publications

Funders / partners

GROUP MEMBERS

Associate Professor Erin Symonds

Team Leader; Bowel Health Service

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Dr. Jean Winter

Research Scientist; Biomarker Discovery & Application lead

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Dr. Molla Wassie

Epidemiologist, Health Service Optimisation lead

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Dr. Norma Bulamu

Health Economist; Health Service Translation lead

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Isabelle Keel

Project Manager; Health Service Implementation lead

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Dr. Martha Menberu

Research Scientist

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Geraldine Laven-Law

Research Scientist

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Visiting scientists:

Dr. Tomonori Aoki, The University of Tokyo, Japan

PhD candidates:

Maddi Dix
Melkalem Azanaw
Meseret Molla
Mulugeta Gobezie
Zegeye Abebe

Bowel Health Service staff:

Kathryn Cornthwaite, Research nurse
Lorraine Sheehan-Hennessy, Research nurse
Rachel Parker, Research nurse
Gretchen Jean, Administrative officer
Janet Hardwick, Administrative officer
Susan Wick, Administrative officer
Rafha Rafeeu, Technical officer

Close collaborators:

Prof. Graeme Young, Emeritus Professor and Research Affiliate
Prof. Robert Fraser, Gastroenterologist (SALHN)
Prof. David Watson, Oesophageal and Gastric Surgeon (SALHN)
Assoc. Prof. Peter Bampton, Gastroenterologist (Private)
Assoc. Prof. Charles Cock, Gastroenterologist (SALHN)
Dr. Amitesh Roy, Oncologist (SALHN)
Mehgan Horsnell, Research nurse (CALHN)
Esme Jasko, Research nurse (CALHN)
Christine Moyle, Research nurse (NALHN)

WORK WITH US

Join our team to identify and optimise new healthcare strategies for improving the clinical management and patient experience for people with gastrointestinal cancer or those undergoing diagnostic colonoscopy.

As a passionate student, you have the choice of focusing on biomarker discovery and application, health service optimisation, or a blend of our two research themes.

Projects with a focus on biomarker discovery, application, and validation involve conducting biomedical research and working in the wet laboratory to develop new minimally-invasive tests for gastrointestinal cancers.

Health service optimisation and translation projects involve conducting psychosocial, economic, and/or epidemiological research through running surveys, focus groups, and analysing data from a surveillance colonoscopy registry to identify new insights into gastrointestinal cancer prevention for individuals at elevated risk.

We currently supervise students involved in PhD, Honours, and MD Advanced Studies projects. We also offer supervision for students on clinical placement, summer scholarship research projects and high school work experience students.

We are interested in students with training in biomedical science, public health, psychology, and other health-related fields.

Contact us for more information about our upcoming projects, or about tailoring a research project just for you.

Contact A/Prof Erin Symonds

Gastrointestinal cancers, including cancers of the colon, rectum, oesophagus, stomach and pancreas, are common and can be deadly when not detected in an early and more treatable stage.

OUR RESEARCH

Research projects

GROUP MEMBERS

Associate Professor Erin Symonds

Dr. Jean Winter

Dr. Molla Wassie

Dr. Norma Bulamu

Isabelle Keel

Dr. Martha Menberu

Geraldine Laven-Law

Visiting scientists:

PhD candidates:

Bowel Health Service staff:

Close collaborators:

WORK WITH US

Information for

Directories

Follow Flinders

FOREVER FEARLESS

bowel health service

Gastrointestinal cancers, including cancers of the colon, rectum, oesophagus, stomach and pancreas, are common and can be deadly when not detected in an early and more treatable stage.

OUR RESEARCH

Research projects

GROUP MEMBERS

Associate Professor Erin Symonds

Dr. Jean Winter

Dr. Molla Wassie

Dr. Norma Bulamu

Isabelle Keel

Dr. Martha Menberu

Geraldine Laven-Law

Visiting scientists:

PhD candidates:

Bowel Health Service staff:

Close collaborators:

WORK WITH US

Information for

Directories

Follow Flinders

FOREVER FEARLESS

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