HeIDI research improving outcomes for cancer patients to make treatment easier

HeIDI Clinician Research Fellow Dr Midori Nakagaki

Even the most effective cancer treatments can bring significant and hard to tolerate side effects. Dr Midori Nakagaki is tackling the issue with her pharmacy knowledge.

Dr Nakagaki commenced as the Herston Infectious Diseases Institute (HeIDI) Drake Pharmacy Fellow in January 2024 and spent the next 18 months conducting research while maintaining her clinical duties as a Cancer Care pharmacist at the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital.

“I’m working to find practical, evidence-based ways to make these treatments safe and more manageable for patients,” Dr Nakagaki said.

Her research was advanced with a Queensland Health Targeted Clinical Research Fellowship (Genomics Stream), primarily focussing on patients undergoing haematopoietic stem cell transplantation and other cellular therapies.

“Our work has already led to improvements in several areas of patient care, such as better management of nausea caused by chemotherapy, improved assessment of mouth-related side effects, and stronger support for patients recovering after transplants through a dedicated nurse and allied health clinic,” Dr Nakagaki said.

“More recently, my work has focused on how the gut microbiome (the bacteria living in our digestive system) interacts with medicines. This is an emerging area, and we’re starting to see some promising results.

“As clinicians, our priority is to improve patient care. That means identifying the biggest gaps in current knowledge, researching solutions, and then applying those findings in everyday clinical practice. Ultimately, the goal is to make a meaningful difference in patients’ lives.”

Dr Nakagaki joins doctors, nurses, pharmacists and scientists at HeIDI to look at problems from multiple perspectives, strengthening research and real-world impact.