Laurence Lepherd is an Honorary Associate Professor at the University of Southern Queensland USQ). After experiencing cancer, he became interested in the way men with advanced prostate cancer cope spiritually during their illness and subsequently completed PhD research in this area. He held the positions of Associate Professor, Associate Dean in the Faculty of Arts and Head of Music at USQ before his retirement in 2000. He has been a volunteer pastoral carer in the Queensland Health system, and also been involved in the Cancer Connect and Community Education programs of Cancer Council Queensland.