INSPIRE'S Early Career Researchers Series
Researcher Spotlight
This month’s INSPIRE Early Career Researcher is Megan Bowers from King’s College London. Megan joined the INSPIRE team in early 2023 and is an integral member of the team investigating how INSPIRE’s palliative rehabilitation intervention might affect individuals with cachexia.
Megan Bowers
Megan, tell us a bit about yourself!
I am a Registered Associate Nutritionist (ANutr) with an MSc in Clinical and Public Health Nutrition from University College London and a BSc in Biomedical Sciences from Durham University. I fell in love with research during my undergraduate placement year, when I conducted a feasibility study in rural Zambia, and I have been set on a career in research ever since. In my research career, I aim to contribute to the reduction of the burden of cancer on the lives of individuals, through reducing its incidence and mortality rate, as well as improving the quality of life of people living with and beyond cancer.
What can you tell us about your role in INSPIRE?
I will be looking into the effect of cachexia on the clinical effectiveness of the INSPIRE palliative rehabilitation intervention. Cachexia is a syndrome where muscle is lost overtime, which can lead to progressive functional impairment – it is highly prevalent in people with advanced cancer and is associated with a reduced quality of life. By investigating cachexia in the INSPIRE trial, I hope to further our understanding of how this type of rehabilitation may be beneficial for people with this syndrome.
What excites you the most about the INSPIRE project?
I am looking forward to working with experienced researchers both at King’s and other countries involved in the project. I think it is exciting to be part of such a multidisciplinary team of researchers, nurses, physiotherapists, dieticians, statisticians, etc. and I expect I will learn a lot by being surrounded by this team.
How would you describe INSPIRE in three words?
Person-centred
Challenging
Inspiring!
KING’S COLLEGE LONDON
