Not just surviving - thriving: How a 40 Under 40 leader is redefining cancer care

Research that investigates how lifestyle interventions can benefit people living with, and undergoing, cancer treatment has seen Flinders University’s Dr Matthew Wallen named one of South Australia’s 40 Under 40 young leaders.

“You wouldn’t go into a marathon without doing training and without having good nutrition and a good mindset, so why should we treat cancer treatment any different?” says Dr Matthew Wallen, Flinders University Senior Research Fellow and an exercise physiologist.

Dr Wallen, who was just named one of South Australia’s 40 Under 40 young leaders, has been researching how lifestyle interventions can benefit people living with cancer and undergoing the often-gruelling treatment.

“It’s going to be one of the biggest journeys that someone has to go through – both physically and psychologically - so the more that we can prepare someone for that then ideally the better the outcome we will get.”

Dr Wallen implements that research into a community-based “exercise oncology clinic”. People across their cancer treatment journey are met by students who prescribe individualistic exercises to get them prepared for treatment, to help them manage their treatment and to then get them fitter and stronger once they’ve finished treatment.

“Rather than focus on trying to rehabilitate people – so they go through treatment and they take a hit to their physiology and their mental health – I try to look at what strategies we can use before treatment even begins to increase their threshold to tolerate the treatment.”

Dr Wallen says one of the biggest side effects of cancer treatment is fatigue. He says he and his team see great results at the clinic in terms of lessening that fatigue as well as improving people's overall quality of life.

Dr Wallen’s work has once again been recognised thanks to his award win which recognises South Australia's young entrepreneurs and leaders.

“It was exciting and very humbling knowing that out of close to 450 applicants that I was one of the top 40 that was able to impress the panel enough to show them that what we’re doing is making a difference within the lives of people in South Australia.”

Flinders University’s Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) Professor Raymond Chan, who is also a Matthew Flinders Professor of Cancer Care, Systems and Policy at Flinders’ Caring Futures Institute, says the award win reflects Flinders’ dedication to finding solutions to problems that matter.

“Dr Matthew Wallen’s work is a great example of how Flinders research is having a profound impact on the community.”

“Here at Flinders, we’re incredibly proud of Dr Wallen’s win, but more importantly how his work is helping those in our community at a time when they need it most.”

Dr Wallen says he is excited by the opportunities the award win could generate.

“We can learn a lot from business minds about how we can grow from a small idea to something transformative.”