RESEARCHER PROFILE (Filmed May 2024)
Dr Shelley Keating AES AEP ESSAM
Senior Lecturer, Clinical Exercise Physiology and Accredited Exercise Physiologist
School of Human Movement and Nutrition Sciences
The University of Queensland
Dr Shelley Keating is a Senior Lecturer in Clinical Exercise Physiology and Accredited Exercise Physiologist from the School of Human Movement and Nutrition Sciences at the University of Queensland. With a strong grounding in exercise metabolism and body composition, Dr Keating’s research centres on the utility of exercise as a therapy for obesity and related cardiometabolic conditions, notably metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD).
Dr Keating has an established research profile that is delivering impact for patients and clinicians. Her research has led to the development of safe and feasible exercise programs that generate significant improvement in the cardiometabolic health of individuals with MASLD and related chronic disease. Drawing on these findings, Dr Keating has developed national and international exercise guidelines for MASLD. Her research has led to a paradigm shift in how exercise is prioritised in MASLD management and has been adopted into exercise prescription recommendations in 15 international guidelines for MASLD management across 12 countries.
Dr Keating’s research had found a lack of awareness, uptake, and sustainability of exercise for MASLD management. Her ongoing program of research is informed by, and co-designed with, people with MASLD and related chronic disease, to find sustainable exercise solutions.
Her contribution to the field was recognised by the prestigious 2020 Australia and New Zealand Obesity Society Young Investigator award. Shelley has been an ESSA (Exercise & Sports Science Australia) member since 2007 and has 16 years of clinical AEP experience in people with cardiometabolic disease including MAFLD.
Her mission is to change the way that exercise is prioritised, accessed, and delivered to improve the health and wellbeing of people with MASLD and related type 2 diabetes.
Source: Supplied & ESSA (Exercise & Sports Science Australia)
Note: AES is the acronym for Accredited Exercise Scientist (AES), AEP is the acronym for Accredited Exercise Physiologist, ESSAM is the acronym for Exercise & Sports Science Australia Member.
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Biostatistics in Clinical Trials
As a biostatistician working in research and clinical settings, Kate Francis plays a vital role in ensuring all projects adhere to best practice guidelines and are transparently reported. She has served as the lead statistician for the analysis of clinical trials across a broad range of subject areas, including neonatal resuscitation, BCG for allergy and infection, convulsive status epilepticus and her work has been published in the top journals such as The New England Journal of Medicine, JAMA, and The Lancet. Most recently she was awarded the 2025 Excellence in Trial Statistics Award for her work on the PLUSS trial.
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Infections and other lung diseases using models of human lung tissue grown from stem cells
Dr Rhiannon Werder is a Team Leader at Murdoch Children’s Research Institute leading a multidisciplinary team, combining expertise in stem cell biology and immunology, to develop new therapies for lung diseases. Her research centres around induced pluripotent stem cells to investigate respiratory diseases, spanning acute respiratory infections to chronic lung diseases. Using stem cells, Dr Werder’s team creates models of human lung tissue. With these models, Dr Werder is investigating how human-specific pathogens infect different regions of the lung, the ensuing immune responses, and how the lung repairs itself after infections, especially in people with preexisting lung diseases.
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De-prescribing medications in older adults with dementia
Dr. Daniel Hoyle is a Senior Lecturer in Therapeutics and Pharmacy Practice at the School of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, University of Tasmania. He is also an experienced clinical pharmacist with expertise in medication management in older people. Dr. Hoyle’s research interests focus on improving medicine use in older people with dementia.
