Patient-Centred Digital Care
Digital technologies provide unique opportunities to empower patients to adopt healthy self-care behaviour for long-term wellbeing. Cancer survivorship brings unique challenges related to self-care and health services utilisation. Digital interventions can address these challenges through personalised information tailored to individual needs and accessible at people’s own convenience.
Mind-Body approach
Self-care strategies using mindfulness practices are effective in improving the mental health of cancer survivors. Understanding factors related to engagement with digital mindfulness-based interventions through rigorous research methodologies will inform the development of effective evidenced-based programs.
Evidence Base
Our growing body of evidence is informing the development of digital interventions aiming to empower cancer survivors to engage in healthy self-care strategies to manage their mental and physical health needs.
Dr Lahiru Russell
PhD.
Chief Scientist
Dr Russell’s vision is to empower people to engage in healthy self-care strategies to manage the impact of their illness for long-term wellbeing.
After graduating with a Master in Biochemistry from the University of Geneva, Switzerland, Dr Russell worked for a decade in the pharmaceutical industry managing clinical trials.
Over the years Dr Russell developed an interest in the psychosocial adaptation to illness and strategies to manage the stress-related aspects of disease. Her studies in Epidemiology at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (UK) stimulated her desire to undertake research in this field. Following this, Dr Russell joined the psycho-oncology research team at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre in Melbourne, Australia, evaluating supportive care interventions for people affected by cancer.
In 2018 Dr Russell was awarded her PhD from Deakin University, Australia. Coupling with her personal interest in mindfulness practices and her professional experience in psycho-oncology, Dr Russell’s PhD research was designed to determine whether a mindfulness program could benefit people with melanoma. The focus of the program was to empower participants to manage their health by promoting awareness of emotions and teaching skills to manage distressing thoughts. Central to the success of the program was the flexibility offered to participants to access the information at their own convenience.
Dr Russell is dedicated to expand from this early research to build an evidence base informing the development of self-guided interventions promoting the mental health of people affected by cancer and other chronic conditions.
Justin Hanka
DIRECTOR
Justin Hanka is an investment banker and works in the financing of mergers and acquisitions and capital markets transactions. Justin co-founded MindBio Therapeutics in 2020 after learning about the potential of psychedelics and emerging treatments for mental health disorders. He is Non-Executive Director of EonX (CSE:EONX), a financial technology company, Non-Executive Director of Goldcar, (a Europcar Company listed on the Euronext in France). He is an experienced executive having served as Chief Operating Officer for iSelect (ASX: ISU) and having sold Helpmechoose as its CEO to Mortgage Choice (ASX:MOC). Justin’s expertise spans the pharmaceutical and health sector including pharmaceuticals, pharma-technologies, fin-techs, digital transformation and technology, influencer marketing, health and wellness, entertainment and ecommerce.
Dr Zena Burgess
PhD. FAICD,FAPS
Board and Strategy Advisor
Zena has a strong interest in futures of health care. She serves as Director of MindBio Therapeutics, a clinical stage pharmaceutical company researching the use of emerging pharmaceuticals to treat mental health conditions and is a member of the international advisory board of Connext2MyDoctor and the telehealth influencers alliance. Dr Burgess is also a director of the Australian Patients Association and Chair of the board subcommittee on governance and risk of the Victorian Farmers Federation and is currently the Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Psychologists Society. Formerly, Dr Burgess was Chief Executive of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners. Zena has substantial experience serving on boards of government entities. She holds a PhD in psychology from the Australian Catholic University and a Master of Business Administration from Monash University and a Master of Education from La Trobe University. She has a wealth of experience in health changes and strategic advocacy to governments.
“Thanks so much for including me in the program. It had been fantastic and quite life altering. It has helped me manage my stress and concerns in quite a wonderful way.”
— Cancer survivor in our mindfulness-base program
Publications
Mindfulness
Livingston PM, Russell L, Orellana L, et al. Efficacy and cost-effectiveness of an online mindfulness program (MindOnLine) to reduce fear of recurrence among people with cancer: study protocol for a randomised controlled trial. BMJ Open 2022;12:e057212. doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2021-057212Winter N, Russell L, Ugalde A, White V, Livingston P. Engagement Strategies to Improve Adherence and Retention in Web-Based Mindfulness Programs: Systematic Review. Journal of Medical Internet Research. 2022 Jan 12;24(1):e30026.
Russell, L., Ugalde, A., White, V., Pitcher, M., Jorgensen, S., Whitfield, K., ... & Livingston, P. Relevance of mindfulness practices for Culturally And Linguistically Diverse cancer populations. Psycho‐Oncology, 2019 DOI: 10.1002/pon.5221
Russell L, Ugalde A, Orellana L, Milne D, Krishnasamy M, Chambers C, Austin D and Livingston P M, A pilot randomised controlled trial of an online mindfulness-based program for people diagnosed with melanoma, Journal of Supportive Care in Cancer. 2018 DOI: 10.1007/s00520-018-4574-6
Russell L, Ugalde A, Milne D, Austin D and Livingston P M, Digital Characteristics and Dissemination Indicators to Optimize Delivery of Internet-Supported Mindfulness-Based Interventions for People With a Chronic Condition: Systematic Review, JMIR Mental Health. 2018 DOI: 10.2196/mental.9645
Russell L, Ugalde A, Milne D, Krishnasamy M, Chung Seul O E, Austin D, Chambers R, Orellana L, and Livingston PM, Feasibility of an online mindfulness-based program for patients with melanoma: study protocol for a randomised controlled trial, Trials. 2018 Dec; 19(1):223
Russell L, Orellana L, Ugalde A, Milne D, Krishnasamy M, Chambers R, Livingston PM., Exploring Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practice Associated With Meditation Among Patients With Melanoma, Integrative Cancer Therapies, 2017. DOI: 10.1177/1534735417699514
Cancer survivorship
Luigjes‐Huizer, Y. L., Tauber, N. M., Humphris, G., Kasparian, N. A., Lam, W. W., Lebel, S. ,… Russell L., ... & van der Lee, M. L. (2022). What is the prevalence of fear of cancer recurrence in cancer survivors and patients? A systematic review and individual participant data meta‐analysis. Psycho‐Oncology. DOI: 10.1002/pon.5921
Russell, L., Whiffen, R., Chapman, L., Just, J., Dean, E., Ugalde, A. and White, S., 2021. Hospital staff perspectives on the provision of smoking cessation care: a qualitative description study. BMJ open, 11(5), p.e044489. DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2020-044489
Lynch, F.A.; Katona, L.; Jefford, M.; Smith, A.B.; Shaw, J.; Dhillon, H.M.; Ellen, S.; Phipps-Nelson, J.; Lai-Kwon, J.; Milne, D.; Russell, L.; Dax, V.; Diggens, J.; Kent, H.; Button-Sloan, A.; Elliott, J.; Shackleton, M.; Burridge, H.; Ftanou, M. Feasibility and Acceptability of Fear-Less: A Stepped-Care Program to Manage Fear of Cancer Recurrence in People with Metastatic Melanoma. J. Clin. Med. 2020, 9, 2969. DOI: 10.3390/jcm9092969
Russell, L., McIntosh, R., Martin, C., Scott J., Kheng Soo W., Zappa B., Haynes K., Livingston PM. & Ugalde, A. A model of cancer survivorship care within a community health setting: the Good Life Cancer Survivorship program. Journal of Cancer Survivorship. 2019 DOI: 10.1007/s11764-019-00821-6
Ugalde A, Haynes K, White V, Russell L, Livingston PM. “An Ambition to Make People Feel at Home” or “The Emperor’s New Clothes”? Professional Stakeholder Views of Wellness Centres in Cancer Care. European Journal of Cancer Care. 2019 DOI: 10.1111/ecc.13096
Russell L, Pascoe MC, Seymour JF, Aranda S, Butow P, Gough K, Schofield P. The trials and tribulations of conducting an m-health pilot randomized controlled trial to improve oral cancer therapy adherence: recommendations for future multisite, non-drug clinical trials. BMC research notes. 2019 Dec;12(1):226.
Pereira-Salgado A, Westwood JA, Russell L, Ugalde A, Ortlepp B, Seymour JF, Butow P, Cavedon L, Ong K, Aranda S, Breen S.,… & Schofield P, Mobile Health Intervention to Increase Oral Cancer Therapy Adherence in Patients With Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (The REMIND System): Clinical Feasibility and Acceptability Assessment, JMIR mHealth and uHealth. 2017. DOI: 10.2196/mhealth.8349
Jefford M, Gough K, Drosdowsky A, Russell L, Aranda S, Butow P, Phipps-Nelson J, Young J, Krishnasamy M, Ugalde A, King D., … and Schofield P, A Randomized Controlled Trial of a Nurse-Led Supportive Care Package (SurvivorCare) for Survivors of Colorectal Cancer, Oncologist, 2016. DOI: 10.1634/theoncologist.2015-0533
Russell L, Gough K, Drosdowsky A, Schofield P, Aranda S, Butow PN, Westwood JA, Krishnasamy M, Young JM, Phipps-Nelson J, King D. & Jefford M, , Psychological distress, quality of life, symptoms and unmet needs of colorectal cancer survivors near the end of treatment, Journal of Cancer Survivorship, 2015. DOI: 10.1007/s11764-014-0422-y
Jefford M, Mann GB, Nolte L, Russell L, Brennan M., Follow-up of Women with Early Stage Breast Cancer. Current Breast Cancer Reports, 2014. DOI:10.1007/s12609-014-0150-3
Jefford M, Aranda S, Gough K, Lotfi-Jam K, Butow P, Krishnasamy M, Young J, Phipps-Nelson J, Russell L, King D, Schofield P., Evaluating a nurse-led survivorship care package (SurvivorCare) for bowel cancer survivors: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial, Trials 2013. DOI: 10.1186/1745-6215-14-260
