Dr Michala Short is a Senior Lecturer in Radiation Therapy and researcher at UniSA's Allied Health and Human Performance academic unit. Michala's research focuses on improving the lives of cancer patients undergoing radiation therapy, which has been the underlying theme throughout her clinical and academic career. In 2021, Michala was the recipient of the Unsung Hero of South Australian Science award, which recognises those whose contribution to science has been significant over a long period of time but who have not yet received formal public recognition.
Michala's specific research interests relate to precision in radiation therapy image verification, understanding how radiation therapy impacts patients' quality of life in particular... Read more
About me
Dr Michala Short is a Senior Lecturer in Radiation Therapy and researcher at UniSA's Allied Health and Human Performance academic unit. Michala's research focuses on improving the lives of cancer patients undergoing radiation therapy, which has been the underlying theme throughout her clinical and academic career. In 2021, Michala was the recipient of the Unsung Hero of South Australian Science award, which recognises those whose contribution to science has been significant over a long period of time but who have not yet received formal public recognition.
Michala's specific research interests relate to precision in radiation therapy image verification, understanding how radiation therapy impacts patients' quality of life in particular fatigue, and more recently, the role of proton therapy in cancer management. During her PhD research Michala was the recipient of the prestigious Cancer Institute NSW Scholar Award and since then has received seed funding to investigate late effects of proton therapy (2017), an Ian Potter Foundation Travel Grant (2018) to visit overseas proton therapy centres and establish international research collaborations and funding from The Hospital Research Foundation (2021) to develop an online health-related quality of life platform for children with cancer. Michala's publications have spanned a range of topics including communication and information provision in radiation therapy, quality of life in patients with prostate and pancreatic cancer as well as a number of literature reviews on toxicities after SABR for lung cancer and outcomes after proton therapy in paediatric patients.
Michala is actively involved in supervision of undergraduate and postgraduate research students and has a teaching role within several core second and third year radiation therapy courses. Michala holds a PhD in Radiation Therapy from The University of Sydney and a Bachelor of Medical Radiations, Radiation Therapy (Honours) from the University of South Australia.
In her spare time, Michala enjoys heading outdoors with her family and loves hiking, spending summers at the beach, bike riding and the occasional ski trip.
About me
Member of the Australian Society of Medical Imaging and Radiation Therapy (ASMIRT)
Member of Particle Therapy Co-Operative Group (PTCOG)
Affiliate member of Trans-Tasman Radiation Oncology Group (TROG)
Affiliate member of Clinical Oncology Society of Australia (COSA)
About me
Doctor of Philosophy (Medical Radiation Sciences) The University of Sydney
Bachelor of Medical Radiation (Honours) University of South Australia
Bachelor of Medical Radiation (Radiation Therapy) University of South Australia
Quality of life assessment in cancer
Long-term side-effects of radiation therapy
Survey interpretation and analysis
Image verification
Proton therapy in cancer management
Research
Research outputs for the last seven years are shown below. Some long-standing staff members may have older outputs included. To see earlier years visit ORCID, ResearcherID or Scopus
Open access indicates that an output is open access.
| Year | Output |
|---|---|
| 2022 |
Open access
1
1
4
|
| Year | Output |
|---|---|
| 2024 |
Open access
|
| 2024 |
Open access
2
2
|
| 2023 |
Open access
1
|
| 2023 |
Open access
|
| 2023 |
Open access
2
|
| 2022 |
6
6
|
| 2022 |
Open access
1
1
4
|
| 2022 |
Open access
8
8
3
|
| 2021 |
Open access
6
5
7
|
| 2021 |
3
2
6
|
| 2021 |
Open access
5
4
8
|
| 2020 |
Open access
1
1
6
|
| 2020 |
Open access
12
11
1
|
| 2020 |
Open access
13
13
87
|
| 2020 |
Open access
1
1
2
|
| 2019 |
Open access
14
13
4
|
| 2018 |
18
15
1
|
| 2018 |
Open access
1
|
| 2018 |
Open access
14
12
|
| 2017 |
Open access
3
3
1
|
| 2013 |
Open access
11
9
|
| 2010 |
Open access
38
34
|
| 2009 |
Open access
35
29
|
| 2008 |
7
3
|
| 2008 |
12
9
|
Conference Presentations & Posters - 2022 onwards
Research
Quality of life assessment in cancer
Long-term side-effects of radiation therapy
Survey interpretation and analysis
Image verification
Proton therapy in cancer management
Guest editor, Particle Therapy Special Themed Issue, Journal of Medical Radiation Sciences (2023-2024)
Recipient, Unsung Hero of South Australian Science (2021)
Member, NHMRC Proton Therapy Working Committee (2018-2019)
Member, ASMIRT Particle Therapy Working Group (ongoing role from 2018)
Convenor, ASMIRT/AACRT Student Conference (2019)
External engagement & recognition
| Organisation | Country |
|---|---|
| Adelaide Radiotherapy Centre | AUSTRALIA |
| Cancer Voices South Australia | AUSTRALIA |
| Covance Pty Limited | AUSTRALIA |
| CSIRO Australia (Commonwealth Scientific Industrial Research organisation) | AUSTRALIA |
| Curtin University | AUSTRALIA |
| Flinders Medical Centre | AUSTRALIA |
| Flinders University | AUSTRALIA |
| Genesis Cancer Care | AUSTRALIA |
| Genesis Care | AUSTRALIA |
| Liverpool Hospital Elizabeth | AUSTRALIA |
| Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital | IRELAND |
| Prince of Wales Hospital | AUSTRALIA |
| Royal Adelaide Hospital | AUSTRALIA |
| Royal North Shore Hospital | AUSTRALIA |
| Royal Perth Hospital | AUSTRALIA |
| Sir Charles Gardiner Hospital | AUSTRALIA |
| St. Jude Children's Research Hospital | UNITED STATES |
| The Queen Elizabeth Hospital | AUSTRALIA |
| University of Adelaide | AUSTRALIA |
| University of Santo Tomas | PHILIPPINES |
| University of South Australia | AUSTRALIA |
| University of Sydney | AUSTRALIA |
| University of Western Australia | AUSTRALIA |
External engagement & recognition
| Engagement/recognition | Year |
|---|---|
Guest editor for Particle Therapy themed issueJournal of Medical Radiation Sciences |
2023 |
Guest editor for Particle Therapy themed issueJournal of Medical Radiation Sciences |
2022 |
Guest editor for Particle Therapy themed issueJournal of Medical Radiation Sciences |
2021 |
Unsung Hero of South Australian ScienceNational Science Week & Inspiring SA |
2021 |
MembershipAustralian Society of Medical Imaging and Radiation Therapy (ASMIRT) |
2019 |
Student Conference ConvenorAustralian Society of Medical Imaging and Radiation Therapy (ASMIRT) |
2019 |
MemberAustralian Society of Medical Imaging and Radiation Therapy (ASMIRT) |
2018 |
MembershipParticle Therapy Co-operative Group |
2018 |
Particle Therapy Working GroupAustralian Society of Medical Imaging and Radiation Therapy (ASMIRT) |
2018 |
Proton Beam Therapy Working CommitteeNational Health and Medical Research Council |
2018 |
MemberAustralian Society of Medical Imaging and Radiation Therapy (ASMIRT) |
2017 |
MemberAustralian Society of Medical Imaging and Radiation Therapy (ASMIRT) |
2016 |
MemberAustralian Society of Medical Imaging and Radiation Therapy (ASMIRT) |
2015 |
MemberAustralian Society of Medical Imaging and Radiation Therapy (ASMIRT) |
2014 |
MemberAustralian Society of Medical Imaging and Radiation Therapy (ASMIRT) |
2013 |
MemberAustralian Society of Medical Imaging and Radiation Therapy (ASMIRT) |
2012 |
MemberAustralian Society of Medical Imaging and Radiation Therapy (ASMIRT) |
2011 |
MemberAustralian Society of Medical Imaging and Radiation Therapy (ASMIRT) |
2010 |
MemberAustralian Society of Medical Imaging and Radiation Therapy (ASMIRT) |
2009 |
MemberAustralian Society of Medical Imaging and Radiation Therapy (ASMIRT) |
2008 |
Teaching highlights include radiation therapy and quantitative research methods. Michala's specific teaching interests include:
Teaching & student supervision
Teaching & student supervision
Supervisions from 2010 shown
| Thesis title | Student status |
|---|---|
| Establishing a proton therapy survivorship clinic | Current |
| International Online Survey of Methods Used to Select Patients for Proton Therapy and Impacts of COVID-19 | Current |
| Quality of life in childhood cancer survivors following photon and proton radiation therapy. | Current |
| Radiobiological modelling of normal tissue complication probability for paediatric cranial tumours following proton and photon therapy | Completed |
