Dr Andrea Smith is an early career researcher involved in collaborative, multi-disciplinary research in fields of health promotion and disease prevention, with a current focus on the application of implementation science and practice across the cancer continuum, specifically in metastatic breast cancer and melanoma.
Her current research in supportive care in metastatic breast cancer includes understanding the role and value of the specialised metastatic breast care nurse and co-designing an online resource to support healthcare and community organisations to set-up and sustainably deliver professionally led metastatic breast cancer support groups in Australia. She is involved in the Roadmap to Optimising Screening in Australia (ROSA) project which is investigating how the BreastScreen program, and other health services, can be personalised for clients with different levels of breast cancer risk.
Recent melanoma research projects include identifying factors influencing implementation of recommendations for sentinel node biopsy in melanoma in Australia, an evaluation of the implementation of a fear of cancer recurrence psycho-educational intervention in melanoma patients, implementation of melanoma risk-based surveillance and education into routine clinical care in dermatology clinics, developing quality indicators for skin cancer for use in primary practice, and understanding factors impacting on the implementation of a personalised immunotherapy platform for patients with advanced melanoma.