Research Associate
Ms Lauren Ha
Medicine & Health
School of Clinical Medicine
Dr Lauren Ha is a Post-Doctoral Research Fellow in the Discipline of Paediatrics, School of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of UNSW Medicine & Health. Her PhD research investigated factors that contribute to childhood cancer survivors' engagement in physical activity, and used those findings to inform and develop a pilot distance-delivered health education intervention. Lauren's current research is focused on using co-design methods to update her pilot intervention to engage child, adolescent and young adult survivors of cancer in health behaviours and reduce their risk of chronic illness.
She is supported by The Kids' Cancer Project to simultaneously investigate the efficacy of her novel distance-delivered health education program and develop an evidence-based clinical implementation strategy.
Lauren is an Accredited Exercise Physiologist with clinical experience in fatigue conditions including chronic fatigue syndrome, post-viral fatigue syndrome, and post-cancer fatigue. She has an interest in novel approaches to physical activity and engaging people affected by cancer in health behaviours, including those who are culturally and linguistically diverse and those living in rural or remote areas.
E-mail
- Publications
- Grants
- Awards
- Research Activities
- Engagement
- Teaching and Supervision
2022-2025 The Kids' Cancer Project Top-Up Grant
2022-2024 The Kids' Cancer Project Late Effects and Survivorship Fellowship
2022 Australian Government Research Training Program Scholarship
2021 UNSW Faculty of Medicine and Health Support Scholarship
2021 - ARC Outstanding Student Award 2021, Top 10%
2020 - 3 Minute Thesis UNSW Finalist Top 24
2020 - 3 Minute Thesis Faculty of Medicine, UNSW: 2nd Place and People's Choice
2020 - 3 Minute Thesis School of Health Science, UNSW: 1st Place
Publications
Ha, L., Wakefield, C.E., Fardell, J. et al. Parent perceptions of their child’s and their own physical activity after treatment for childhood cancer. Support Care Cancer (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-022-07288-9
Ha L, Wakefield C, Mizrahi D, Diaz C, Cohn R, Signorelli C, Yacef K, Simar D. A Digital Educational Intervention With Wearable Activity Trackers to Support Health Behaviors Among Childhood Cancer Survivors: Pilot Feasibility and Acceptability Study. JMIR Cancer (2022) https://cancer.jmir.org/2022/3/e38367 DOI: 10.2196/38367
Gereis J., Hetherington K., Ha L. et al. Parents’ understanding of genome and exome sequencing for pediatric health conditions: a systematic review. Eur J Hum Genet (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41431-022-01170-2
Clifford B, Koizumi S, Wewege MA, Leake H, Ha L, MacDonald E, Fairman CM, Hagstrom AD. The effect of resistance training on body composition in cancer survivors during treatment and throughout survivorship: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Sports Medicine (2021) https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-021-01542-6
Ha L, Mizrahi D, Cohn RJ, Simar D, Wakefield CE, Signorelli S. Accuracy of perceived physical activity and fitness levels among childhood cancer survivors. Pediatric Blood & Cancer (2021) https://doi.org/10.1002/pbc.29134
Ha L, Mizrahi D, Ness KK. Healthcare innovation to promote physical activity to childhood cancer survivors during Covid-19. JAMA Pediatrics (2020). doi:10.1001/jamapediatrics.2020.3003
Ha L, Wakefield CE, Mizrahi D, Cohn R, Simar D, Signorelli C. The use of activity trackers in interventions for childhood cancer patients and survivors: a systematic review. Journal of Adolescent and Young Adult Oncology (2020) https://doi.org/10.1089/jayao.2020.0099
Mizrahi D, Wakefield CE, Simar D, Ha L, McBride J, Field P, Cohn R, Fardell, J. Barriers and enablers to physical activity and cardiorespiratory fitness deficits among childhood cancer survivors. Pediatric Blood & Cancer (2020). https://doi.org/10.1002/pbc.28339
Mizrahi, D., Wakefield, C.E., Ha, L., Cohn, R.J., Simar, D. and Fardell, J.E., 2019. Satisfaction with an exercise physiology consultation after treatment for childhood cancer: An opportunity for healthy lifestyle education. Heart and Mind, 3(3), p.77. DOI:10.4103/hm.hm_47_19
Published Conference Abstracts
Ha L, Wakefield CE, Signorelli C, Diaz C, Mizrahi D, Johnston K, Drew D, Donoghoe M, Clerc G, Cohn RJ, Yacef K, Simar D. A digital health education program combined with activity trackers to engage childhood cancer survivors in physical activity: A pilot study. The Australian and New Zealand Children’s Haematology/Oncology Group (ANZCHOG) July 2022.
McBride, J, Plush, L, Field, P, Ha, L, Simar, D, Cohn RJ, Mizrahi, D. Exercise Intolerance in Childhood Cancer Survivors. The Australia and New Zealand Society of Respiratory Science. Melbourne, Australia. 2020.
Ha L, Mizrahi D, Fardell J, Wakefield CE, Cohn RJ, Simar D. Cardiovascular fitness and physical activity in childhood survivors of cancer, potential role for exercise physiology services. 2019
Ha L, Mizrahi D, Fardell J, Wakefield CE, Cohn RJ, Simar S. An investigation of cardiovascular fitness and acceptability of exercise physiology services in childhood cancer survivors. 2018