Professor Prue Cormie is an exercise physiologist clinician researcher whose work focuses on the application of exercise as medicine in cancer care. She is driven to enhance the lives of people with cancer through innovative research and effectively translating evidence into practice. Prue believes every cancer patient should have access to person-centred exercise medicine as part of routine cancer care.

Prue’s exercise oncology research program has driven advances in our knowledge of the therapeutic effects of exercise in cancer that has had tangible benefits for people with cancer. Her work includes >100 peer reviewed publications which have helped shape >30 clinical guidelines in cancer care and >5 policy documents. Prue has attracted >$10 million in competitive research grant funding as a chief investigator and has been invited to present at >50 national/international conferences. She has been recognised in the Stanford Elsevier World Top 2% Scientists List for the last 6 years.

Prue’s work has increased the availability and uptake of exercise oncology services, leading to enhanced outcomes for cancer patients. Prue was the architect and lead of the Clinical Oncology Society of Australia Position Statement on Exercise in Cancer Care, a national expert statement endorsed by >30 influential health organisations. The statement was a turning point in the field, leading to exercise gaining widespread recognition as an adjunct therapy in cancer care (e.g. media reach of >9.4 million) and has been the catalyst for rapid expansion of exercise oncology services (e.g. >70% increase in hospital services 3 years after the statement release). Furthermore, research led by Prue was adopted by the Australian Government within the Optimal Care Pathways which now stipulate exercise as part of cancer care. These pathways are national frameworks for the delivery of high-quality evidence-based cancer care endorsed by all states; with exercise also included in the accompanying patient guides.

Prue proactively works to directly translate evidence into practice as a clinical service innovator. Prue established and leads EX-MED Cancer, a not-for-profit health service delivering best-practice exercise medicine to people with cancer through an optimised model of care in the community that meets the needs of clinicians and patients. She has provided formal guidance on establishing and improving exercise oncology services across many public and private hospital settings as well as community-based centres and cancer support organisations.

Prue’s work has enhanced workforce capacity to enable the delivery of evidence-based practice in routine care by cancer care clinicians and exercise practitioners. She has delivered >100 invited education sessions to cancer care clinicians and delivered accredited professional development courses to >1,000 allied health professionals. Additionally, Prue has contributed extensively to patient and general public awareness through involvement in educational resource development, >300 media items and >35 invited presentations including a TED talk.

Prue is a Fellow of Exercise and Sport Science Australia, current Board Director of the Clinical Oncology Society of Australia and has been recognised by numerous leadership and excellence awards.

Prue has committed her career to addressing critical challenges faced by people with cancer; co-creating innovative solutions, using deeply stakeholder informed interdisciplinary approaches, that lead to impactful outcomes for patients as well as the health professionals and organisations that care for them. Her current research efforts are focused on closing the evidence-to-practice gap in exercise oncology.

Prue has supervised 11 research higher degree students, 3 post-doctoral research fellows and 14 clinical exercise physiologist research assistants. She has successfully mentored team members to transition to the next phase of their career in research and industry.

Prue’s work involves purposeful collaboration across the broad convergence of disciplines needed to meaningfully improve the lives of people with cancer through effective, accessible and affordable exercise. Most importantly, her work is deeply informed by stakeholders to ensure a rich understanding of the issues faced by people with cancer and the health professionals, health services, community organisations and exercise practitioners who care for them.