Rate My Professor Rachel Gibson

Professor Rachel Gibson serves as the Executive Dean of the Faculty of Health at the University of Canberra. In this leadership position, she drives strategic partnerships, program development, quality assurance in learning and teaching, accreditation processes, enhancement of student experiences, staff professional development, advancement of digital learning initiatives, research growth, and international engagement. Prior to joining the University of Canberra, she held the role of inaugural Professor and Director of Allied Health within the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences at the University of Adelaide, where she also served as Head of the School of Allied Health Science and Practice and as Associate Professor and Laboratory Head. She maintains an affiliation as Adjunct Professor in the College of Health, School of Allied Health and Human Performance at the University of Adelaide. Professor Gibson earned her PhD in Medicine from the University of Adelaide in 2004.

Professor Gibson's research specializations center on supportive care in cancer, with a particular emphasis on mucositis secondary to cancer therapy, pathobiology of treatment-induced gastrointestinal damage, chemotherapy-induced diarrhoea and constipation, and related mechanisms. She has made substantial contributions to the field through leadership roles in the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer (MASCC), including significant involvement in its activities over many years. In 2019, she received the MASCC Distinguished Service Award in recognition of her contributions to supportive care in cancer. Her scholarly impact is evidenced by highly cited publications, including co-authorship of the MASCC/ISOO clinical practice guidelines for mucositis management (Cancer, 2020), 'Emerging evidence on the pathobiology of mucositis' (Supportive Care in Cancer, 2013), 'Cancer chemotherapy-induced diarrhoea and constipation: mechanisms of damage and prevention strategies' (Supportive Care in Cancer, 2006), 'Systematic review of agents for the management of gastrointestinal mucositis in cancer patients' (Supportive Care in Cancer, 2013), and 'VSL#3 probiotic treatment reduces chemotherapy-induced diarrhoea and weight loss' (Cancer Biology & Therapy, 2007). These works have advanced understanding and clinical guidelines in oncology supportive care.