Researcher

Dr Carolina Ximena Sandler

Biography

Dr Carolina Sandler is an accredited exercise physiologist and clinical researcher. She is a post-doctoral research fellow in the Fatigue Research program at the Kirby Institute working with Professor Andrew Lloyd. Her areas of interest are post-infective fatigue states and cancer survivorship.

My Grants

Research funding - Chief investigator
1. Mason Foundation – Medical and Scientific Grants (awarded to UNSW) 2021-2022...view more

Dr Carolina Sandler is an accredited exercise physiologist and clinical researcher. She is a post-doctoral research fellow in the Fatigue Research program at the Kirby Institute working with Professor Andrew Lloyd. Her areas of interest are post-infective fatigue states and cancer survivorship.

My Grants

Research funding - Chief investigator
1. Mason Foundation – Medical and Scientific Grants (awarded to UNSW) 2021-2022 ($306,000)
Genetics determinants of post-infective fatigue.
CIs Lloyd A, Wyller V, Cvejic E, Sandler CX.

2. Menzies Health Institute Queensland 2020 ($20,000)
Exercise in adults with brain cancer.
CIs Hayes S & Sandler CX.

3. School of Exercise & Nutrition Sciences – project funding (awarded to C.Sandler) 2019 ($10,000)
SAfety And Feasibility of Exercise for women with breast cancer and high disease burden – the SAFE trial.
CI Sandler CX

4. Institute of Health & Biomedical Innovation Pilot project funding (awarded to C.Sandler) 2019 ($10,000)
Sandler C, Hayes S. The role of Physical activity and exercise in adults with brain cancer – a systematic review
CI Sandler CX

5. Institute of Health & Biomedical Innovation Healthy lifestyle program funding - research assistant support (awarded to C.Sandler) 2018 ($2500) CI Sandler CX

6. Consultancy project supported by Icon Cancer Foundation (awarded to QUT) 2017-2019 ($150,000)
Brain Cancer and Exercise (BRACE) study.
CIs Hayes S., Sandler CX.

7. Mason Foundation – Medical and Scientific Grants (awarded to UNSW) 2017 ($99,955)
Development and evaluation of an online patient education program for chronic fatigue states.
CIs Sandler C, Cassar J, Lloyd A, Barry B.

8. Mason Foundation – Medical and Scientific Grants (awarded to UNSW) 2016 ($79,671)
Measuring and improving activity pacing in chronic fatigue syndrome
CIs Barry B, Casson S, Sandler C, Li S, Lloyd A.

9. Mason Foundation – Medical and Scientific Grants (awarded to UNSW) 2016 ($76,107)
A randomised controlled trial of online continuing education for health professionals to improve the management of chronic fatigue states
CIs Li S, Barry B, Sandler C, Casson, Keech A, Lloyd A.

10. Mason Foundation – Medical and Scientific Grants (awarded to UNSW) 2015 ($59,854)
Double-blinded, placebo-controlled, cross-over study of modafinil to relieve the post-exertional exacerbation of fatigue in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome undertaking exercise.
CIs Sandler C, Keech A, Barry B , Lloyd A.

11. Exercise & Sports Science Australia – Tom Penrose Research & Community Service grant 2013 ($10,000)
Development of a DVD and web-based training package for the optimised multi-disciplinary treatment program for patients with chronic fatigue states.
CIs Sandler C, Lloyd A, Tzarimas C, Barry B, Mildon S.

12. Mason Foundation - Special grant round for research into ME/CFS. (awarded to UNSW) 2011-2013 ($173,201)
Development of an optimized cognitive-behavioural therapeutic intervention for patients with chronic fatigue states.
CIs Lloyd A, Tzarimas C, Hamilton B, Horsfield S, Sandler C. (2011).

Research funding - Associate investigator
1. Cancer Council Queensland – (Awarded to Griffith University) 2021 - 2025 ($2million)
Exercise during chemotherapy for ovarian cancer.
CIs Hayes S, Obermair A, Mileshkin L, Brand E, Janda M, Eakin E, Barnes L, Beesley V, Davis A.
AIs Sandler C, Spence, R, O’Neill H, Pumpa K, Webber K, Stockler M. Williams M, Friedlander M, Webb P.

2. Children’s Health Foundation Queensland (awarded to QUT) 2020-2024 ($400,600)
A randomized controlled trial evaluating a goal-directed therapeutic exercise program in pediatric posterior fossa brain tumor survivors
CIs Trost S, Hassall T, Baque E, Brookes D. AI Sandler C

3. Cancer Australia and Cancer Council Australia Project Grant (awarded to QUT) 2019-2021 ($597,443)
Exercise during chemotherapy for ovarian cancer.
CIs Hayes S, Obermair A, Mileshkin L, Brand E, Janda M, Eakin E, Barnes L, Beesley V, Davis A.
AIs Sandler C, O’Neill H, Pumpa K, Webber K, Stockler M. Williams M, Friedlander M, Webb P.

4. Cancer Institute NSW - translational program grant. (awarded to UNSW) 2015-2020 (3,044,654)
CIs Goldstein D, Park P, Friedlander M, et al. AIs: Sandler
Chemotherapy-induced Peripheral Neuropathy: Assessment strategies, Treatments and Risk Factors.

Educational and Travel grants

Institute of Health & Biomedical Innovation Healthy lifestyle program travel funding to Attend Exercise Sports Science Australia Conference, 2020 (awarded to C.Sandler) 2019 ($790)
Institute of Health & Biomedical Innovation Healthy lifestyle program & School Exercise and Nutrition Science travel funding to attend European College of Sport Science Congress. Prague, Czech Republic (awarded to C.Sandler) 2019 ($7500)
ThinkWell Turbocharge Your Writing QUT writing online coaching program (awarded to C.Sandler) 2019 ($400)
QUT Women in Leadership writing retreat. (awarded to C.Sandler) 2018
Institute of Health & Biomedical Innovation Healthy lifestyle travel funding to attend European College of Sport Science Congress. Dublin, Ireland (awarded to C.Sandler) 2018 ($2200)
Institute of Health & Biomedical Innovation Healthy lifestyle travel funding to attend Exercise Sports Science Australia Conference. Brisbane, Australia (awarded to C.Sandler) 2018 ($800)
Brain Tumour Alliance Australia (BTAA) education grant to attend 10th COGNO Annual Scientific Meeting. Melbourne, VIC Australia (awarded to C.Sandler) 2017 ($600)
UNSW School of Medical Sciences postgraduate travel grant (awarded to C.Sandler) 2015 ($1,500)
UNSW Postgraduate research student support scheme travel grant (awarded to C.Sandler) 2014 ($3,300)
Clinical Oncology Society of Australia – Trainee travel grant (awarded to C.Sandler) 2013 ($1,000)
UNSW School of Medical Sciences postgraduate travel grant (awarded to C.Sandler) 2013 ($500)
Exercise Sports Science Australia, Cancer & exercise education grant (awarded to C.Sandler) 2012 ($210)

My Qualifications

PhD (UNSW), BSc (Health & Sport, UNSW), Accredited Exercise Physiologist

My Research Activities

My program of research focuses on chronic fatigue states (including post-infective fatigue, chronic fatigue syndrome, post-cancer fatigue) and cancer survivorship.

The first area of clinical research is focused on the epidemiology, pathogenesis and management of fatigue states after common acute infections (i.e. post-infective fatigue syndrome; PIFS following Epstein-Barr virus, SARS CoV-2 infections), and in more established chronic fatigue states (e.g. chronic fatigue syndrome; CFS, post-cancer fatigue; PCF). This research is conducted in close collaboration with the UNSW Fatigue Clinic which offers cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) and graded exercise therapy (GET) treatment interventions, where Dr Sandler was been the research and clinical coordinator and lead exercise physiologist. The other area of focus for this research is on the development and evaluation of accessible, online education for patients, General Practitioners and allied health professionals, with the aim to improve the understanding and management of chronic fatigue states. The PIFS research is based on data and samples previously collected in the Dubbo Infection Outcomes Study (DIOS), led by Prof Andrew Lloyd. Kirby Institute, which was funded by the Centers for Disease Control, USA and NHMRC, and also on data samples from the international Collaborative on Fatigue Following Infection (COFFI) which includes 15 comparable prospective post-infective cohorts. The current focus is on epidemiological studies to identify reliable predictors of PIFS and on genetic association of PIFS - funded by the Mason Foundation.

The second area of clinical research is focused on the role of physical activity and exercise for people with cancer during and following treatment. This research has a focus on pragmatic exercise intervention trials to understand the feasibility, safety and effect of exercise in understudied populations (e.g. ovarian cancer, adult and paediatric brain cancers, metastatic breast cancer). This research also involves epidemiological studies of physical activity and the association with treatment-related side effects, quality of life and survival. This research involves working collaboratively with the Improving Health outcomes for People (IHOP) research group, led by Prof Sandi Hayes (Griffith University). My focus is to develop the evidence-base needed to ensure exercise oncology services and interventions for PCF are integrated into standard care to support cancer survivors to improve their health outcomes.

My Research Supervision

Supervision keywords

Cancer Survivorship

post-infective fatigue

physical activity

exercise physiology

Areas of supervision

My program of research focuses on chronic fatigue states (including post-infective fatigue, chronic fatigue syndrome, post-cancer fatigue) and cancer survivorship.

Currently supervising

Safety and feasibility of exercise during chemotherapy, and survivorship concerns for women with ovarian cancer (PhD candidate)
Effects of a goal-directed therapeutic exercise program in paediatric survivors of posterior fossa tumours (PhD candidate)
Barriers to exercise in people with brain, breast, and ovarian cancer. (Masters candidate)
Improving symptom and adverse event recording and reporting in exercise oncology.
Evaluating the cost-effectiveness of a supervised exercise intervention in women with stage II+ breast cancer: an analysis of the SAFE comparative effectiveness trial