Dr. Kate Furness is a dietitian with over 15 years of expertise in managing nutrition for upper gastrointestinal (UGI) cancer patients. As an Early Career Researcher (ECR) and Senior Lecturer at La Trobe University, she supervises multiple PhD and honours students. Dr. Furness has published 25 peer-reviewed papers in the past five years, highlighting the need for better management of nutrition impact symptoms in people with upper gastrointestinal cancers in clinical practice. She has collaborated on significant trials, including the NOURISH study and the development of international guidelines for managing advanced malignancy bowel obstructions. Her work has led to innovative models and strategies to improve patient outcomes and quality of life, supported by substantial grants from the Victorian Cancer Agency and the Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF).

Dr. Furness's PhD focused on evaluating the process and mechanisms of behaviour change through an early and intensive nutrition intervention delivered via telephone or mobile application for people with upper gastrointestinal cancer. This research led to the development of the SuperQoL trial, which received $1.68 million in funding from the MRFF. Kate acts as a co-project manager for the SuperQoL trial, a randomised controlled study assessing the impact of an intensive dietitian-led telehealth intervention on the quality of life in patients with pancreatic cancer. This intervention focuses on nutritional adequacy, symptom control, and optional supplemental jejunal feeding, involving eight health services across metropolitan and regional Victoria. It aims to improve patient outcomes, including quality of life, through innovative, remote nutrition management strategies.