The National Centre for Asbestos Related Diseases (NCARD) is pleased to share that Dr Kirsten Bennett has received a $100,000 PhD scholarship from the Dust Diseases Board to advance research into safer lung health monitoring for workers exposed to hazardous dust. This three-year scholarship supports the development of more effective screening approaches for high-risk populations.
Dr Bennett’s project, “Optimisations and innovations in lung health monitoring for dust diseases,” will be conducted at Curtin University under the supervision of NCARD’s Professor Fraser Brims. The project will be administered through the Institute for Respiratory Health, reflecting the collaborative model that underpins much of Australia’s dust disease research.
The research addresses a key challenge in occupational health: how to monitor lung health effectively while reducing radiation exposure from repeated imaging. While conventional CT scans are currently the standard for monitoring dust-exposed workers, the associated cumulative radiation can increase cancer risk. Ultra-low dose CTs (uLDCT) utilise radiation doses similar to a standard chest X-ray but while early results are promising, their diagnostic efficacy for dust diseases has not been studied.
Professor Brims, who leads Western Australia’s Asbestos Review Program, brings extensive expertise in clinical management of dust-related diseases and will provide access to unique datasets and research infrastructure.
The project involves two main objectives. First, Dr Bennett will evaluate the effectiveness of uLDCT in detecting lung abnormalities in asbestos and respirable crystalline silica exposed workers. She will then examine which workers should receive lung cancer screening, and examine whether artificial intelligence can aid early lung cancer detection using uLDCT.
As a respiratory medicine advanced trainee, Dr Bennett combines clinical insight with a strong research background in dust disease. Her experience in screening programs and occupational lung health will directly inform this work.
The study is interdisciplinary, bringing together researchers and clinicians from respiratory medicine, radiology, oncology, and occupational health. It draws on collaborations across NCARD, Curtin University, the Institute for Respiratory Health, and the University of Western Australia.
Findings from the project are expected to support implementation of safer, evidence-based screening protocols. These could benefit workers across sectors including mining, construction, and shipbuilding where dust exposure remains a recognised hazard.
This scholarship reflects the research quality and collaborative environment fostered through NCARD’s national network. Supporting projects like Dr Bennett’s is central to our aim of improving early detection and prevention strategies for dust-related disease, and ultimately improving health outcomes for affected communities.
