Thoracic Research Centre

36 hrs per week for 6 weeks; primarily on-site at UQ Thoracic Research Centre, The Prince Charles Hospital. 

A leading candidate for non-invasive lung cancer screening is exhaled breath condensate (EBC), a favoured method of sampling exhaled breath, and a promising target for biomarkers of early-stage non-invasive disease detection. EBC collections involve performing breathing manoeuvres through a cooled apparatus inside which the breath condenses into a liquid which can be readily collected, stored and analysed. In recent years extracellular vesicles found in breath (bEVs) have gained interest in as a viable source of biomarkers in exhaled breath with potential clinical application in disease detection. This project aims to isolate and characterise bEVs and extract nucleic acid cargo and performed next-generation sequencing to evaluate differences between lung cancer patients with absent and heavy smoking histories and healthy controls. bEVs will be isolated from EBC samples by ultracentrifugation, and DNA, RNA and miRNA will be extracted from bEVS for downstream quality assessment to prepare for small RNA sequencing. 

The student will gain experience in handling human biological samples and learn standard and specialised lab techniques. It will be expected that a more refined protocol will be developed with supervisor support. Further, bEVs would have been isolated and RNA extracted, and quality checked. This could contribute to a publication or conference abstracts. 

Biomedical student or pre-medical provisional students with some laboratory-based skills. 

Prof. Ian Yang 

36 hrs per week for 6 weeks; primarily on-site at UQ Thoracic Research Centre, The Prince Charles Hospital. 

In the process of cancer diagnosis, the tumour, node, and metastasis (TNM) staging facilitates a uniform classification which allows the physician and surgeons to come to a better understanding on the prognosis of the patient, which guides them to make judgement on management. The 9th edition TNM staging is newly released, thus, this project aims to compare the 9th edition TNM staging system to the 8th edition TNM staging cohort of lung cancer cases at TPCH. It will be determined whether the 9th edition better explains the observed survival in this cohort. This will be done by analysing clinical data that is obtained during lung cancer treatments. 

The expected outcome will include the student leaning skill like data analysis of large data sets. There will be generation of graphs and tables to support the analysis completed. This may contribute to conference abstracts or publication. 

This project is open to pre-provisional medical students and students considering research projects or postgraduate research in thoracic research, particularly lung cancer. 

Prof. Kwun Fong 

6 weeks (From 12 Jan 2026 to 20 Feb 2026)

Hours of engagement: 30 hours per week

Delivery Mode: Hybrid, remote and on-site (Centre for Online Health,

Building 33, PAH Hospital)

Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer-related deaths globally, and smoking cessation after diagnosis significantly improves survival and treatment outcomes. However, implementing timely cessation support in clinical practice is a significant challenge. The Australian Health system has dedicated efforts to improve lung cancer outcomes. Thus, smoking cessation remains an opportunity to maximise them and translate them to clinical practice. As such, this project aims to identify the key factors that enable the successful implementation of immediate smoking cessation support for patients diagnosed with lung cancer. Using a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods embedded in a realist review approach, the projects aim to synthesise evidence to understand what works, for whom, in what contexts, and why. The review will explore mechanisms and contextual conditions that influence the uptake, delivery, and sustainability of rapid-access smoking cessation interventions within lung care pathways. Findings will inform practical recommendations for integrating evidence-based cessation support into routine lung cancer care, ultimately improving patient outcomes and health system efficiency. This project addresses a real-world problem with direct clinical and policy relevance, providing an opportunity to shape future models of care and inform national guidelines. 

What you will gain

As a scholar on this project, you will develop expertise in formulating research questions for complex clinical problems, designing and executing comprehensive search strategies, and conducting data extraction and synthesis using Realist methodology. You may also gain experience in critical appraisal, implementation science frameworks, and knowledge translation for both clinical and policy audiences.

You will work closely with experienced researchers, participate in team meetings, and have opportunities to build collaborative networks across leading research centres. This project offers strong career development prospects, including the chance to co-author a publication in a high-impact journal and/or present findings at an international conference.

Your role

You will be expected to:

• Develop and refine the research question and review protocol.
• Conduct systematic literature searches and screen studies.
• Extract and synthesise data using Realist review principles.
• Contribute to writing the final report and dissemination outputs.

Skills you will learn

• Evidence Synthesis & Realist Methodology  
• Advanced systematic review techniques and theory-driven analysis.
• Implementation Science Expertise  
• Understanding how context and mechanisms shape intervention success.
• Critical Appraisal & Data Interpretation  
• Evaluating diverse evidence sources and synthesising findings.
• Knowledge Translation  
• Producing outputs for clinicians, policymakers, and researchers.

Impact you will generate

Your work will generate actionable insights to optimise smoking cessation support for lung cancer patients, influencing clinical practice, service redesign, and policy development nationally and internationally.

Scholars in this project will gain expertise in designing a research question for a specific clinical problem, developing a comprehensive search strategy, and collecting data.

About the centres:

This project is a collaboration between the Thoracic Research Centre, the Centre for Online Health, and the Centre for Health Services Research, all part of the Faculty of Health, Medicine and Behavioural Sciences.

The Centre for Online Health (COH)  Centre for Health Service Research is an award-winning research centre with 25 years of experience in teaching and mentoring students. Their research has contributed to the development, implementation, and evaluation of telehealth and virtual care services both nationally and internationally. The COH is based at the Princess Alexandra Hospital.

The Thoracic Research Centre (UQTRC) is a 20-year research centre dedicated to conducting clinical, translational, and scientific research aimed at improving lung health, particularly in relation to lung cancer, mesothelioma, and chronic airway disease. This is based at the Prince Charles Hospital. 

Ideally, this project is targeted at postgraduate students with a background in medicine, public health or digital health. Other health-related sciences and academic backgrounds within the scope of the research can contact the primary supervisor for further information.

Dr Victor Gallegos-Rejas
Centre for Online Health, UQ Princess Alexandra Hospital.
Centre for Health Service Research, UQ Princess Alexandra Hospital.
Thoracic Research Centre, UQ PCH North Clinic Unit.

If you are interested, please get in touch with Dr Victor Gallegos-Rejas: v.gallegosrejas@uq.edu.au
Monday and Thursdays: 07 3443 3530