Dr Sarah Roberts-Thomson, of the University of Queensland's School of Pharmacy, has won the inaugural $10,000 Denise Brien Memorial Scholarship for research into breast cancer.
She will spend three weeks in the United States visiting the National Cancer Institute in Maryland, the Fox Chase Cancer Centre in Philadelphia and attending the annual meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research.
"Fox Chase Centre researchers are world leaders in mammary gland development. I'm interested in looking at the relationship between what happens during puberty and future incidence of breast cancer," Dr Roberts-Thomson said.
"I am specifically interested in finding out how eating too much fat causes an increase in breast cancer incidence. If we know this then we will be in a better position to educate the public and provide therapeutic strategies."
Dr Roberts-Thomson is no stranger to the United States. After completing her bachelor of pharmacy and PhD in Sydney, she won a Fulbright Scholarship which led to her spending the last two and a half years at the National Cancer Institute.
Her field of study there was looking at dietary chemicals that initiate breast cancer and fat in the diet that promotes the incidence of such cancer, research she will be continuing at UQ.
Her special interest is chemically-induced breast cancer focusing on a chemical compound known as "PhIP" which forms in meat when it is cooked at high temperatures such as on a barbecue or under a grill.
"We know that this compound can cause mammary cancer in rodents and trace amounts have also been found in human tissue," Dr Roberts-Thomson said.
She expects to leave for America towards the end of March or early April and said the visit would provide the opportunity to exchange information and study new techniques.
Dr Roberts-Thomson is in no doubt that we presently eat far too much fat and that, despite health warnings about the dangers, fat consumption continues to rise.
"The average western diet contains twice as much fat as we need. One way of cutting down may be to promote so-called ?good fats' such as olive oil and fish oils," she said.
"However, the bottom line is moderation. We would all be much better off if we just ate slightly less fat and more fruit and vegetables."
Dr Roberts-Thomson said the $10,000 scholarship was "very generous" and she paid tribute to the Queensland Cancer Fund for its support of young researchers such as herself.
Denise Brien, who died of breast cancer in early 1996, was the wife of the Queensland Cancer Fund's executive director Graeme Brien.
She was known as a talented artist and a tireless worker on behalf of the Fund, especially among school children. The scholarship was set up to honour her memory and is expected to be awarded about every two years.
For further information, contact Dr Sarah Roberts-Thomson (telephone 3365 3193).
