Health and Wellness Magazine had the privilege of conversing with Dr. Ciaran Fairman, the newly appointed Chief Scientific Officer at Inspire Exercise Medicine. Dr. Fairman, with his unique journey and expertise in exercise oncology, shared his vision of introducing innovative approaches to cancer treatment through exercise and nutrition.
H&W: Dr. Fairman, thank you for joining us. Can you tell us about your background and how you came to specialize in exercise oncology?
Dr. Fairman: Certainly. My journey and expertise have led me to a specific focus on exercise oncology. I’ve dedicated my training to understanding how exercise and nutrition can significantly improve the lives of cancer patients, both during and after treatment. My postdoctoral training was a deep dive into the world of resistance training for cancer patients. It was a stroke of luck that I met Bruce, a kindred spirit who shares my passion for using strength training to enhance the quality of life for cancer patients. Our collaboration felt like a natural fit, given our shared interests in lifestyle medicine and oncology.
H&W: How did your partnership with Inspire Exercise Medicine come about?
Dr. Fairman: Bruce and I first connected during our joint work with the University of Miami. I was immediately captivated by his fervor for lifestyle medicine. Bruce, on the other hand, was fascinated by my background and training under Rob Newton. It was a perfect match. Bruce extended an invitation for me to visit his clinic, and I was astounded by their cutting-edge facilities and progressive approach. This sparked discussions on how we could collaborate to develop targeted exercise programs as an innovative adjuvant therapy for cancer treatment.
H&W: Can you explain the current state of exercise oncology and your role at Inspire?
Dr. Fairman: The field of exercise oncology is relatively young, about 30 years old. Initially, the focus was on determining the safety of exercise for cancer patients. Over the past 10 to 15 years, the focus has shifted to making exercise effective in managing the side effects of cancer and its treatments. There’s a growing body of research showing that exercise is both safe and effective for cancer patients. At Inspire, my role as Chief Scientific Officer involves managing a trial aimed at tailoring exercise programs for cancer patients. This includes designing the study, managing it, and ensuring it adheres to high standards of integrity and rigor.
H&W: What is unique about the exercise programs you are developing at Inspire?
Dr. Fairman: Our focus is on resistance training to help people with cancer during and after their treatments. My training combines sports performance with clinical exercise physiology, specializing in oncology. There are very few experts in the world with this specific background, so it’s exciting to bring this expertise to Inspire.
We aim to use exercise not just as supportive care but as an integral part of cancer treatment. We’re using precise metrics to quantify and monitor exercise doses, and we’re tracking physical activity, sedentary behavior, sleep patterns, and daily symptoms to tailor and adjust exercise regimens effectively.
H&W: How do you ensure the exercise programs are effective and individualized for each patient?
Dr. Fairman: We use both subjective and objective measures to assess physical function and quality of life. This includes gold-standard tests for physical function, strength, and body composition, paired with subjective assessments of quality of life, fatigue, and cancer-related burden. We’re also taking blood samples to investigate biomarkers that could predict individual responses to exercise. This approach mirrors the precision medicine model used in cancer treatments, allowing us to tailor exercise programs to each patient’s unique molecular profile.
H&W: What excites you most about your work at Inspire Exercise Medicine?
Dr. Fairman: The opportunity to work with someone like Bruce, who is so passionate about using lifestyle medicine, is incredibly exciting. Exercise oncology is still fighting for recognition in the broader field of cancer care, so having a partner who understands and values this approach is invaluable. Additionally, our focus on resistance training is somewhat unique and crucial, especially for older adults who experience muscle loss and physical decline due to cancer and its treatments. Seeing patients regain strength, improve their quality of life, and achieve milestones like lifting their grandchildren again is incredibly rewarding.
H&W: Can you share a personal story that influenced your career in exercise oncology?
Dr. Fairman: My interest in this field became personal when my mother was diagnosed with breast cancer while I was in college. I was initially interested in strength and conditioning, but seeing the physical toll that cancer treatments took on my mother—her weight loss, strength decline, and frailty—made me realize the potential of exercise to counteract these effects. A mentor helped me see the connection between exercise and cancer care, and this has driven my work for the past 15 years.
H&W: How do you see your role impacting the local community in Naples?
Dr. Fairman: Beyond the long-term research goals, our work at Inspire has an immediate impact on the Naples community. We are ensuring that cancer patients here receive the best possible care through exercise programs that are grounded in cutting-edge research. This combination of immediate and long-term benefits is what makes our work so fulfilling.
H&W: Dr. Fairman, thank you for sharing your insights with us. Is there anything else you would like our readers to know?
Dr. Fairman: I’m just incredibly grateful for the opportunity to contribute to this field and to work on such an exciting project. My journey from Dublin to here has been driven by a passion for helping people through exercise oncology, and I’m honored to be part of a team that shares this vision. We’re committed to advancing the science and improving the lives of cancer patients through innovative exercise and nutrition programs.
For more information or to schedule a consultation with Dr. Ciaran Fairman at Inspire Exercise Medicine, please visit Inspire Exercise Medicine’s website or call (239) 555-6789.
Ciaran Fairman, Ph.D., CSCS, CET
Chief Scientific Officer
Ciaran has more than a decade of experience conducting research and developing programs specifically designed to help people with cancer recover from cancer treatments and live a full live. Ciaran received his PhD in Kinesiology with a focus on exercise oncology from The Ohio State University. He continued his training in exercise oncology during his Post-Doctoral Research Fellowship in Exercise Oncology at Edith Cowan University in Australia.
Ciaran is also an assistant professor of exercise science at the University of South Carolina, where he is the director of an exercise oncology research lab. The lab’s primary research focus is examining the impact of exercise and nutrition on improving the quality of life of individuals diagnosed with cancer during and after their treatment.
Ciaran has dedicated his life to better understanding how exercise can help manage the side effects of cancer treatments and allow you to live a full life. In his role, he is committed to ensuring the exercise program and assessments at Inspire Exercise Medicine are constantly updated using the latest cutting-edge research from the field of Exercise Oncology.
Outside of IEM, Ciaran is a mediocre athlete. He continues to play soccer and Gaelic football to live out his failed high school dreams. When not playing sports, you can find him in the mountains.
• BS in Health Science, Kentucky Wesleyan College
• MS in Kinesiology, Georgia Southern University
• PhD in Kinesiology, Ohio State University
• Postdoctoral fellowship, Edith Cowan University
• American College of Sports Medicine, Cancer Exercise Trainer
• National Strength and Conditioning Association, Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist
239.429.0800 | www.Inspireem.com
3555 Kraft Road, Suite 130, Naples, FL 34105