I am a Lecturer in Exercise Physiology in the Faculty of Medical Sciences. I am also affiliated with the Newcastle University Centre of Cancer and the Applied Cancer Therapeutics and Outcomes research theme.

I completed my PhD in 2018 at the University of Hull, which involved developing a home-based physical activity intervention for adults with class III obesity as part of a multidisciplinary weight management service. From 2018-2020, I undertook an NIHR-funded postdoctoral research post on the PREPARE-ABC trial based at Northumbria University (Supportive Exercise Programme for Accelerating Recovery After Major Abdominal Cancer Surgery). 

My research focuses on the role of physical activity in the secondary prevention of colorectal cancer. I am also interested in whether physical activity can serve as an adjunct therapy in cancer survivorship by mitigating some of the adverse side effects of cancer and cancer treatment.

Previously I have conducted strength and conditioning research with professional athletes, specifically relating to regulating resistance training load using velocity feedback (termed 'velocity-based training').

I try to make my research as open and transparent as possible by following open science practices. My Open Science Framework page can be found here: osf.io/bju62. 

Biological mechanisms linking physical activity to colorectal cancer risk

Physical activity is thought to reduce colon cancer risk through decreased body fat and associated reductions in insulin resistance and chronic inflammation. However, physical activity is inversely related to colon cancer risk independent of body fatness, suggesting that biological mechanisms other than body fat-associated pathways are involved. We are investigating whether 'factors' released into the circulation during exercise (such as hormones and small proteins) can act directly on colon cancer cells to reduce their growth.

Lifestyle change and secondary prevention of colorectal cancer

Colorectal cancer is the 2nd most common cause of cancer death in the UK. The NHS Bowel Cancer Screening Programme was introduced in 2006 to reduce death from colorectal cancer by detecting pre-malignant polyps (adenomas) and localised malignancies earlier. The Bowel Cancer UK Critical Research Gaps in Colorectal Cancer Initiative highlights the need to reflect how screening can be combined with lifestyle change programmes in a multidisciplinary approach to colorectal cancer prevention. We are interested in whether a delivering a brief lifestyle intervention within the colonoscopy setting can have a meaningful impact on cancer prevention and other risk factor indicators.

Current projects

• INTENT: acute exercIse oN colorecTal adENoma growTh (funded by Wellcome Trust Translational Partnership)
• TELEX-Liver Cancer: TELehealth EXercise for patients with primary liver cancer (funded by NIHR Newcastle NRC)
• AEROBIC: Acute Effect of modeRate-intensity aerOBIc exercise on Colon cancer cell growth

PhD supervision

• Exercise as a treatment for chemotherapy induced peripheral neuropathy in women with breast cancer (Rosiered Brownson-Smith, Northumbria University)

• Development of an evidence-based diet and exercise app for people living with and beyond colorectal cancer (Anna Fretwell, Newcastle University)

Undergraduate teaching

• SES3004 Physical Activity, Exercise and Disease (module lead)
  
• SES2000 Principles of Strength and Conditioning
• SES2004 Exercise Physiology
• SES3000 Sport and Exercise Science Research Project

Postgraduate teaching

• SES8001 Exercise Physiology Assessment Skills (module lead)
• SES8099 Exercise Physiology Dissertation
• SES8000 Applied Exercise Science
• CVR8007 Diagnostic Approaches & Current Treatment of Cardiovascular Disorders
  

• Bell BT, Taylor C, Paddock D, Bates A, Orange ST. Body Talk in the Digital Age: A Controlled Evaluation of a Classroom-Based Intervention to Reduce Appearance Commentary and Improve Body Image. Health Psychology Open 2021, 8(1).
• Metcalfe R, Kemp R, Heffernan SM, Churm R, Chen Y, Ruffino JS, Conway GE, Tornillo G, Orange ST. Anti-Carcinogenic Effects of Exercise-Conditioned Human Serum: Evidence, Relevance and Opportunities. European Journal of Applied Physiology 2021, epub ahead of print.
• Orange ST, Hicks KM, Saxton JM. Effectiveness of diet and physical activity interventions amongst adults attending colorectal and breast cancer screening: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Cancer Causes & Control 2021, 32, 13-26.
• Orange ST, Gilbert SE, Brown MC, Saxton JM. Recall, perceptions and determinants of receiving physical activity advice amongst cancer survivors: a mixed‑methods survey. Supportive Care in Cancer 2021, ePub ahead of print.
• Orange ST, Marshall P, Madden LA, Vince RV. Effect of home‐based resistance training performed with or without a high‐speed component in adults with severe obesity. Translational Sports Medicine 2020, 3(1), 34-45.
• Ndjavera W, Orange ST, O'Doherty AF, Leicht AS, Rochester M, Mills R, Saxton JM. Exercise-induced attenuation of treatment side-effects in patients with newly diagnosed prostate cancer beginning androgen-deprivation therapy: a randomised controlled trial. BJU International 2020, 125(1), 28-37.
• Orange ST, Madden LA, Vince RV. Resistance training leads to large improvements in strength and moderate improvements in physical function in adults who are overweight or obese: a systematic review. Journal of Physiotherapy 2020, 66(4), 214-224.
• Munson EH, Orange ST, Bray JW, Thurlow S, Marshall P, Vince RV. Sodium Ingestion Improves Groundstroke Performance in Nationally-Ranked Tennis Players: A Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Crossover Trial. Frontiers in Nutrition 2020, 7, 549413.
• Orange ST, Metcalfe JW, Marshall P, Vince RV, Madden LA, Liefeith A. Test-retest reliability of a commercial linear position transducer (GymAware PowerTool) to measure velocity and power in the back squat and bench press. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research 2020, 34(3), 728-737.
• Orange ST, Jordan AR, Saxton JM. The serological responses to acute exercise in humans reduce cancer cell growth in vitro: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Physiological Reports 2020, 8(22), e14635.
• Orange ST, Metcalfe JW, Liefeith A, Jordan AR. Validity of various portable devices to measure sit-to-stand velocity and power in older adults. Gait & Posture 2020, 76, 409-414.
• Orange ST, Marshall P, Madden LA, Vince RV. Can sit-to-stand muscle power explain the ability to perform functional tasks in adults with severe obesity?. Journal of Sports Sciences 2019, 37(11), 1227-1234.
• Orange ST, Metcalfe JW, Robinson A, Applegarth MJ, Liefeith A. Effects of In-Season Velocity-Versus Percentage-Based Training in Academy Rugby League Players. International journal of sports physiology and performance 2019, 15(4), 554-561.
• Orange ST, Marshall P, Madden LA, Vince RV. Short-Term Training and Detraining Effects of Supervised vs. Unsupervised Resistance Exercise in Aging Adults. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research 2019, 33(10), 2733-2742.
• Orange ST, Metcalfe JW, Liefeith A, Marshall P, Madden LA, Fewster CR, Vince RV. Validity and reliability of a wearable inertial sensor to measure velocity and power in the back squat and bench press. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research 2019, 33(9), 2398-2408.
• Orange ST, Northgraves MJ, Marshall P, Madden LA, Vince RV. Exercise prehabilitation in elective intra-cavity surgery: A role within the ERAS pathway? A narrative review. International Journal of Surgery 2018, 56, 328-333.
• Orange ST, Marshall P, Madden L, Vince RV. The determinants of physical function in adults with severe obesity. In: 5th UK Congress on Obesity. 2018, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK: Nature.
• Orange ST, Smith A. Evidence-based strength and conditioning in soccer. The Health & Fitness Journal of Canada 2016, 9, 21-37.