Dr Abbey Diaz
Honorary Research Fellow
Honorary Research Fellow
School of Public Health
Researcher biography
Dr Abbey Diaz is a Faculty of Medicine Research Fellow and epidemiologist in the FNCWR team. Her program of work is broadly concerned with the quality and equity of cancer care pathways, particularly for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and for people with, or at risk of, other chronic disease.
Recently, Abbey was part of an investigator team (CID; 2021-2024) awarded a $1 million National Heart Foundation Strategic Grant in Cardio-oncology. Through its work, the team aims to:
- Better understand the risk of adverse cardiovascular events in Australians diagnosed with cancer
- Identify potential high-risk groups and health service gaps
- Understand how cancer treatment decision-making by patients and their health professionals are influenced by their cardiovascular risk.
- Co-design and assess educational resources for patients and health professionals to improve care and outcomes for cancer patients at risk of adverse cardiovascular outcomes.
Abbey is also an investigator on an ARC-funded grant to develop a measure supportive care needs of carers of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with cancer (CIJ), a World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF) funded grant to pilot an intervention to support cancer patients to reduce exposure to behavioural risk factors (CID), and an MRFF grant to co-design and feasibility test a phase III exercise trial for women with metastatic breast cancer (AI). She led the Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Better Cardiac Care Linkage Study, commissioned by the Queensland Health department, and was an investigator on a Cancer Australia and Department of Health tender to better understand how information on Indigenous status is collected, recorded, reported at all stages of the National Cervical Screening Program.
Abbey's PhD thesis investigated whether the higher comorbidity among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with cancer was associated with lower cancer survival and supportive care needs. Her thesis was undertaken and completed while she was part of the National Indigenous Cervical Screening Project, with her PhD (Charles Darwin University/Menzies School of Health research) awarded in 2018.
Journal Articles
Bell, Katy, White, Sam, Diaz, Abbey, Bahria, Priya, Sima, Fiona, Al-Delaimy, Wael K., dosReis, Susan, Hassan, Omar, Drabarek, Dorothy, Nisha, Monjura, Baptiste-Roberts, Kesha, Gwiazdon, Katy, Raynes-Greenow, Camille, Taylor Wilson, Robin, Gaudino, James A., da Silveira Moreira, Rafael, Jennings, Bruce and Gulliver, Pauline (2024). Can evidence drive health equity in the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond?. Journal of Public Health Policy, 45 (1), 137-151. doi: 10.1057/s41271-023-00452-3
Ivers, Rowena, Dickson, Michelle, Taylor, Kathleen, Levett, Trish, Wynn, Kyla, Trees, Janelle, Webster, Emma, Garvey, Gail, Cunningham, Joan, Whop, Lisa and Diaz, Abbey (2023). Barriers and facilitators to adherence to Optimal Care Pathways for diagnosis and treatment of cancer for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Australian Journal of Primary Health, 30 (1) PY22181, 1-9. doi: 10.1071/py22181
Gall, Alana, Howard, Kirsten, Anderson, Kate, Diaz, Abbey and Garvey, Gail (2023). The suitability and acceptability of the think-aloud method to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 22. doi: 10.1177/16094069231182007
Schilstra, Clarissa Evelyn, Ellis, Sarah J, Cohen, Jennifer, Gall, Alana, Diaz, Abbey, Clarke, Kristina, Dumlao, Gadiel, Chard, Jennifer, Cumming, Terry, Davis, Esther, Dhillon, Haryana, Burns, Mary Anne, Docking, Kimberley, Koh, Eng-Siew, O'Reilly, Josephine, Sansom-Daly, Ursula M, Shaw, Joanne, Speers, Nicole, Taylor, Natalie, Warne, Anthea and Fardell, Joanna E (2023). The need for support to resume study and work in adolescents and young adults with cancer: An environmental scan of online information and resources (Preprint). JMIR Cancer, 10 ARTN e47944, e47944. doi: 10.2196/47944
Diaz, Abbey, McErlane, Jorja, Jeon, Mi Hye, Cunningham, Joan, Sullivan, Victoria and Garvey, Gail (2023). Patient information resources on cardiovascular health after cancer treatment: an audit of Australian resources. JCO Global Oncology, 9 (9) e2200361, e2200361. doi: 10.1200/go.22.00361
Gall, Alana, Diaz, Abbey, Garvey, Gail, Anderson, Kate, Lindsay, Daniel and Howard, Kirsten (2022). Self-reported wellbeing and health-related quality of life of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people pre and post the first wave of the COVID-19 2020 pandemic. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health, 46 (2), 170-176. doi: 10.1111/1753-6405.13199
Lindsay, Daniel, Bates, Nicole, Diaz, Abbey, Watt, Kerrianne and Callander, Emily (2022). Quantifying the hospital and emergency department costs for women diagnosed with breast cancer in Queensland. Supportive Care in Cancer, 30 (3), 2141-2150. doi: 10.1007/s00520-021-06570-6
Elder-Robinson, Elaina, Diaz, Abbey, Howard, Kirsten, Parikh, Darshit Rajeshkumar, Kar, Giam and Garvey, Gail (2022). Quality of life in the first year of cancer diagnosis among Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people living in regional and remote areas of Australia. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19 (1) 330, 1-10. doi: 10.3390/ijerph19010330
Griffiths, Kalinda, Diaz, Abbey, Whop, Lisa J. and Cunningham, Joan (2022). The health and wellbeing of Indigenous and Tribal peoples around the globe: ensuring and promoting best practice in research. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19 (1) 261. doi: 10.3390/ijerph19010261
Gall, A., Diaz, A., Garvey, G., Anderson, K., Lindsay, D. and Howard, K. (2021). An exploration of the sociodemographic and health conditions associated with self-rated wellbeing for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults. BMC Research Notes, 14 (1) 386, 1-8. doi: 10.1186/s13104-021-05794-3
Davies, Amy, Gurney, Jason, Garvey, Gail, Diaz, Abbey and Segelov, Eva (2021). Cancer care disparities among Australian and Aotearoa New Zealand Indigenous peoples. Current Opinion in Supportive and Palliative Care, 15 (3), 162-168. doi: 10.1097/SPC.0000000000000558
Bell, Lorraine, Anderson, Kate, Girgis, Afaf, Aoun, Samar, Cunningham, Joan, Wakefield, Claire E., Shahid, Shaouli, Ben Smith, Allan, Diaz, Abbey, Lindsay, Daniel, Masa, Adam and Garvey, Gail (2021). "We have to be strong ourselves": exploring the support needs of informal carers of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with cancer. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18 (14) 7281, 1-16. doi: 10.3390/ijerph18147281
Gall, Alana, Anderson, Kate, Howard, Kirsten, Diaz, Abbey, King, Alexandra, Willing, Esther, Connolly, Michele, Lindsay, Daniel and Garvey, Gail (2021). Wellbeing of Indigenous peoples in Canada, Aotearoa (New Zealand) and the United States: a systematic review. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18 (11) 5832, 1-31. doi: 10.3390/ijerph18115832
Parikh, Darshit Rajeshkumar, Diaz, Abbey, Bernardes, Christina, De Ieso, Paolo B., Thachil, Thanuja, Kar, Giam, Stevens, Matthew and Garvey, Gail (2021). The utilization of allied and community health services by cancer patients living in regional and remote geographical areas in Australia. Supportive Care in Cancer, 29 (6), 3209-3217. doi: 10.1007/s00520-020-05839-6
Anderson, Kate, Smith, Allan ‘Ben', Diaz, Abbey, Shaw, Joanne, Butow, Phyllis, Sharpe, Louise, Girgis, Afaf, Lebel, Sophie, Dhillon, Haryana, Burhansstipanov, Linda, Tighe, Boden and Garvey, Gail (2021). A Systematic Review of Fear of Cancer Recurrence Among Indigenous and Minority Peoples. Frontiers in Psychology, 12 621850, 621850. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.621850
Kearns, Therese, Diaz, Abbey, Whop, Lisa J., Moore, Suzanne P., Condon, John R., Andrews, Ross M., Katzenellenbogen, Judith M., Matthews, Veronica, Wang, William, Johnston, Trisha, Taylor, Catherine, Potts, Boyd, Kathage, Alex, Suleman, Abdulla, Stanley, Lucy, Mitchell, Louise, Garvey, Gail and Williamson, Daniel (2021). Investigating inequities in cardiovascular care and outcomes for Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people: protocol for a hospital-based retrospective cohort data linkage project. BMJ Open, 11 (3) e043304, e043304. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2020-043304
Anderson, Kate, Diaz, Abbey, Parikh, Darshit Rajeshkumar and Garvey, Gail (2021). Accessibility of cancer treatment services for Indigenous Australians in the Northern Territory: perspectives of patients and care providers. BMC Health Services Research, 21 (1) 95, 95. doi: 10.1186/s12913-021-06066-3
Elder-Robinson, Elaina C., Parikh, Darshit Rajeshkumar, Diaz, Abbey, Ferguson, Megan M., Reeves, Marina M. and Garvey, Gail (2020). Health behaviours of Indigenous and non-Indigenous cancer survivors living in regional and remote geographic areas of Australia: a short report. Journal of Psychosocial Oncology Research and Practice, 2 (4) e039, e039. doi: 10.1097/or9.0000000000000039
Diaz, Abbey, Soerjomataram, Isabelle, Moore, Suzanne, Whop, Lisa J., Bray, Freddie, Hoberg, Hana and Garvey, Gail (2020). Collection and reporting of indigenous status information in cancer registries around the world. Journal of Global Oncology, 2020 (6), 133-142. doi: 10.1200/JGO.19.00119
Diaz, Abbey, Sverdlov, Aaron L., Kelly, Brian, Ngo, Doan T.M., Bates, Nicole and Garvey, Gail (2020). Nexus of cancer and cardiovascular disease for Australia's first peoples. Journal of Global Oncology, 2020 (6), 115-119. doi: 10.1200/JGO.19.00088
Diaz, Abbey, Vo, Brenda, Baade, Peter D., Matthews, Veronica, Nattabi, Barbara, Bailie, Jodie, Whop, Lisa J., Bailie, Ross and Garvey, Gail (2019). Service level factors associated with cervical screening in aboriginal and torres strait islander primary health care centres in Australia. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 16 (19) 3630, 3630. doi: 10.3390/ijerph16193630
Gall, A., Anderson, K., Diaz, A., Matthews, V., Adams, J., Taylor, T. and Garvey, G. (2019). Exploring traditional and complementary medicine use by Indigenous Australian women undergoing gynaecological cancer investigations. Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice, 36, 88-93. doi: 10.1016/j.ctcp.2019.06.005
Li, Ming, Roder, David, Whop, Lisa J., Diaz, Abbey, Baade, Peter D., Brotherton, Julia M. L., Canfell, Karen, Cunningham, Joan, Garvey, Gail, Moore, Suzanne P., O'Connell, Dianne L., Valery, Patricia C. and Condon, John R. (2019). Aboriginal women have a higher risk of cervical abnormalities at screening; South Australia, 1993-2016. Journal of Medical Screening, 26 (2), 104-112. doi: 10.1177/0969141318810719
Bernardes, Christina M., Diaz, Abbey, Valery, Patricia C., Sabesan, Sabe, Baxi, Siddhartha, Aoun, Samar, Thompson, Sandra C., Lashbrook, Mari and Garvey, Gail (2019). Unmet supportive care needs among Indigenous cancer patients across Australia. Rural and Remote Health, 19 (3) 4660. doi: 10.22605/RRH4660
Dasgupta, Paramita, Whop, Lisa J., Diaz, Abbey, Cramb, Susanna M., Moore, Suzanne P., Brotherton, Julia M. L., Cunningham, Joan, Valery, Patricia C., Gertig, Dorota, Garvey, Gail, Condon, John R., O'Connell, Dianne L., Canfell, Karen and Baade, Peter D. (2018). Spatial variation in cervical cancer screening participation and outcomes among Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians in Queensland: cervical screening spatial variation. Geographical Research, 57 (1), 111-122. doi: 10.1111/1745-5871.12281
Diaz, Abbey, Baade, Peter D., Valery, Patricia C., Whop, Lisa J., Moore, Suzanne P., Cunningham, Joan, Garvey, Gail, Brotherton, Julia M. L., O'Connell, Dianne L., Canfell, Karen, Sarfati, Diana, Roder, David, Buckley, Elizabeth and Condon, John R. (2018). Comorbidity and cervical cancer survival of Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australian women: a semi-national registry-based cohort study (2003-2012). PLoS One, 13 (5) e0196764, e0196764. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0196764
Langbecker, Danette, Diaz, Abbey, Chan, Raymond J., Marquart, Louise, Hevey, David and Hamilton, Janelle (2018). Educational programmes for primary prevention of skin cancer. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2018 (3) CD011061, 1-4. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD011061.pub2
Diaz, Abbey, Kang, Jimin, Moore, Suzanne P., Baade, Peter, Langbecker, Danette, Condon, John R. and Valery, Patricia C. (2017). Association between comorbidity and participation in breast and cervical cancer screening: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Cancer Epidemiology, 47, 7-19. doi: 10.1016/j.canep.2016.12.010
Whop, Lisa J., Baade, Peter D., Brotherton, Julia M. L., Canfell, Karen, Cunningham, Joan, Gertig, Dorota, Lokuge, Kamalini, Garvey, Gail, Moore, Suzanne P., Diaz, Abbey, O’Connell, Dianne L., Valery, Patricia, Roder, David M. and Condon, John R. (2017). Time to clinical investigation for indigenous and non-indigenous queensland women after a high grade abnormal pap smear, 2000-2009. Medical Journal of Australia, 206 (2), 73-77. doi: 10.5694/mja16.00255
Maresch Bernardes, Christina, Diaz, Abbey, Baade, Peter, Garvey, Gail and Valery, Patricia Casarolli (2016). Australian Indigenous cancer patients’ self-report of diagnosis, treatment and comorbidity data: how does it compare to medical chart review. European Journal for Person Centered Healthcare, 4 (2), 330-339. doi: 10.5750/ejpch.v4i2.1093
Whop, Lisa J., Garvey, Gail, Baade, Peter, Cunningham, Joan, Lokuge, Kamalini, Brotherton, Julia M. L., Valery, Patricia C., O'Connell, Dianne L., Canfell, Karen, Diaz, Abbey, Roder, David, Gertig, Dorota, Moore, Suzanne P. and Condon, John R. (2016). The first comprehensive report on Indigenous Australian women's inequalities in cervical screening: a retrospective registry cohort study in Queensland, Australia (2000-2011). Cancer, 122 (10), 1560-1569. doi: 10.1002/cncr.29954
Whop, Lisa J., Baade, Peter, Garvey, Gail, Cunningham, Joan, Brotherton, Julia M. L., Lokuge, Kamalini, Valery, Patricia C., O'Connell, Dianne L., Canfell, Karen, Diaz, Abbey, Roder, David, Gertig, Dorota M., Moore, Suzanne P. and Condon, John R. (2016). Cervical abnormalities are more common among Indigenous than other Australian women: a retrospective record-linkage study, 2000-2011. PLoS ONE, 11 (4) e0150473. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0150473
Diaz, A., Bernardes, C. M., Garvey, G. and Valery, P. C. (2016). Supportive care needs among Indigenous cancer patients in Queensland, Australia: less comorbidity is associated with greater practical and cultural unmet need. European Journal of Cancer Care, 25 (2), 242-253. doi: 10.1111/ecc.12471
Whop, Lisa J., Diaz, Abbey, Baade, Peter, Garvey, Gail, Cunningham, Joan, Brotherton, Julia M. L., Canfell, Karen, Valery, Patricia C., O'Connell, Dianne L., Taylor, Catherine, Moore, Suzanne P. and Condon, John R. (2016). Using probabilistic record linkage methods to identify Australian Indigenous women on the Queensland Pap smear register: the national Indigenous cervical screening project. BMJ Open, 6 (2) e009540, e009540. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2015-009540
Diaz, Abbey, Moore, Suzanne P., Martin, Jennifer H., Green, Adele C., Garvey, Gail and Valery, Patricia C. (2015). Factors associated with cancer-specific and overall survival among indigenous and non-indigenous gynecologic cancer patients in Queensland, Australia: a matched cohort study. International Journal of Gynecological Cancer, 25 (3), 542-547. doi: 10.1097/IGC.0000000000000375
Diaz, Abbey, Whop, Lisa J., Valery, Patricia C., Moore, Suzanne P., Cunningham, Joan, Garvey, Gail and Condon, John R. (2015). Cancer outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians in rural and remote areas. Australian Journal of Rural Health, 23 (1), 4-18. doi: 10.1111/ajr.12169
Langbecker, Danette, Diaz, Abbey, Chan, Raymond J., Marquart, Louise, Hevey, David and Hamilton, Janelle (2014). Educational programmes for primary prevention of skin cancer (Protocol). Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2014 (4) CD011061. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD011061
Valery, Patricia C., Morris, Peter S., Byrnes, Catherine A., Grimwood, Keith, Torzillo, Paul J., Bauert, Paul A., Masters, I. Brent, Diaz, Abbey, McCallum, Gabrielle B., Mobberley, Charmaine, Tjhung, Irene, Hare, Kim M., Ware, Robert S. and Chang, Anne B. (2013). Long-term azithromycin for Indigenous children with non-cystic-fibrosis bronchiectasis or chronic suppurative lung disease (Bronchiectasis Intervention Study): A multicentre, double-blind, randomised controlled trial. The Lancet Respiratory Medicine, 1 (8), 610-620. doi: 10.1016/S2213-2600(13)70185-1
Diaz, Abbey, Neale, Rachel E., Kimlin, Michael G., Jones, Lee and Janda, Monika (2012). The children and sunscreen study: a crossover trial investigating children's sunscreen application thickness and the influence of age and dispenser type. Archives of Dermatology, 148 (5), 606-612. doi: 10.1001/archdermatol.2011.2586
Neale, Rachel E., Hamilton, Abbey R., Janda, Monika, Gies, Peter and Green, Adele C. (2010). Seasonal variation in measured solar ultraviolet radiation exposure of adults in subtropical Australia. Photochemistry and Photobiology, 86 (2), 445-448. doi: 10.1111/j.1751-1097.2009.00686.x
Conference Papers
Elder-Robinson, Elaina, Parikh, Darshit, Diaz, Abbey, Ferguson, Megan, Reeves, Marina and Garvey, Gail (2022). Health behaviours of indigenous and non-indigenous cancer survivors living in regional and remote geographic areas of Australia. COSA's 49th Annual Scientific Meeting Equitable cancer care for all: Gender, identity, culture, geography, and disease should not matter, Brisbane, QLD Australia, 2-4 November 2023. Chichester, West Sussex United Kingdom: Wiley-Blackwell.
Diaz, Abbey , Cunningham, Joan , Lindsay, Daniel , Callander, Emily , Sverdlov, Aaron , Shaw, Joanne , Griffiths, Kalinda and Garvey, Gail (2021). Adverse cardiovascular events after cancer in Queensland, Australia. IEA World Congress of Epidemiology, Melbourne, Australia (virtual), 3-6 September 2021. Oxford, United Kingdom: Oxford University Press. doi: 10.1093/ije/dyab168.159
Diaz, A., Moore, S. P., Martin, J. H., Green, A. C., Garvey, G. and Valery, P. C. (2015). Comorbidities amongst Indigenous cancer patients: impact on treatment and survival. 20th IEA World Congress of Epidemiology (WCE), Anchorage, AK, United States, 17-21 August 2014. Oxford, United Kingdom: Oxford University Press. doi: 10.1093/ije/dyv097.006
Diaz, A., Moore, S. P., Martin, J. H., Green, A. C., Coory, M., Garvey, G. and Valery, P. C. (2015). Early diagnosis and improved treatment uptake in the first year may reduce survival disparities between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and other Australian women diagnosed with gynaecological cancer. 20th IEA World Congress of Epidemiology (WCE), Anchorage, AK, United States, 17-21 August 2014. Oxford, United Kingdom: Oxford University Press.
Diaz, Abbey, Bernardes, Christina M., Garvey, Gail, Baade, Peter, Condon, John R. and Valery, Patricia C. (2014). A cross-sectional study assessing the association of unmet supportive care needs and comorbidity among indigenous cancer patients in Queensland, Australia. World Congress, Melbourne, Australia, 3-6 December 2014. Chichester, West Sussex, United Kingdom: Wiley-Blackwell.
Bernardes, Christina M., Diaz, Abbey, Garvey, Gail, Baade, Peter, Condon, John and Valery, Patricia C. (2014). Impact of comorbidities on supportive care needs amongst Indigenous Australian cancer patients. Unknown, Unknown, Unknown. Oxford, United Kingdom: John Wiley & Sons.
Moore, Suzanne P., Diaz, Abbey, Green, Adele C., Garvey, Gail, Coory, Michael, Martin, Jennifer and Valery, Patricia C. (2012). Indigenous women with gynaecological cancers have poorer survival than Non-Indigenous women: explained by stage, comorbidity and treatment uptake. COSA 39th Annual Scientific Meeting and IPOS 14th World Congress of Psycho–Oncology, Brisbane QLD, Australia, 13-15 November 2012. West Sussex, United Kingdom: Wiley-Blackwell Publishing. doi: 10.1111/ajco.12030