Priyanka Vithange

Priyanka Vithange

Graduate Research Topic

Title: Pathways to lymphoma and myeloma diagnosis: Exploring time intervals, predictors, and health-related outcomes using Victorian linked data
Years: 2024 - 
Supervisors: Prof Jon Emery, A/Prof Karen E. Lamb, Dr Meena Rafiq, Dr Carole Smith

Brief background and research interests

I completed a Master of Laboratory Medicine at RMIT University in 2010 and have since worked as a Medical Laboratory Scientist in the Department of Haematology at Dorevitch Pathology. With a strong interest in haematological malignancies, I completed a Master of Cancer Sciences in 2022 at the University of Melbourne in collaboration with the Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre (VCCC). This program strengthened my knowledge of cancer biology and health systems research, which shaped my interest in using real-world, data-driven approaches to identify barriers to the timely diagnosis of cancer.

What led you to this research?

Working as a Medical Laboratory Scientist exposed me to patients often diagnosed with advanced-stage cancers, where delays in diagnosis likely contributed to poorer outcomes. During my Master of Cancer Sciences, I worked with linked hospital datasets for my capstone project and saw their potential to address critical gaps in cancer care. This experience inspired me to pursue a PhD exploring diagnostic intervals and outcomes in lymphoma and myeloma using linked data from primary care and cancer registries, to help identify strategies for earlier detection to improve patient outcomes and survival.