I am a professor working in Clinical trials within the Warwick Clinical Trials Unit (WCTU) Surgery, Pain & Rehabilitation Theme. Since 2016 I have worked alongside the Trauma and Orthopaedic team at our local NHS Trust (UHCW) helping the team develop and grow its research portfolio. My particular interests are in research methodology and I am often labelled a qualitative researcher but I have a background in wet sciences so understand both perspectives and class myself as a mixed methods researcher. I therefore have expertise in both qualitative (interviews, focus groups and/or ethnographic observations) and quantitative methodologies and analysis. I provide expertise in the design and evaluation of clinical trials in particular process evaluation. Areas of interest in terms of health research include the health and well-being of patients undergoing orthopaedic/musculoskeletal rehabilitation or surgery, elderly residents in nursing/care homes (particularly those with cognitive impairment), low back pain, self-management of long-term conditions and working in collaboration with others aiming to reduce neonatal and maternal mortality in sub-Saharan Africa (Malawi and Tanzania).

My research career began in 2003 as a Senior Research Assistant working for Prof. Julie Barlow's team in the Interdisciplinary Research Centre in Health, at Coventry University. Prof. Barlow and her team were at the forefront of the development and evaluation of the 'Lorig' Chronic disease self-management programme which evolved into the 'Expert Patients Programme'. In 2004 I was promoted to Research Fellow and I was funded on research grants including several small charity grants in my own right including a PhD studentship who successfully completed and published. In early 2008 I moved to Warwick CTU taking the opportunity to work as part of a team doing more substantial projects. I made a major contribution to the OPERA trial which took five years to complete with the main papers coming out in 2013/4. Alongside this I have established myself as leader in process evaluations alongside trials of complex interventions. Since arriving at Warwick I have been a co-applicant on multiple successful grant applications. I am now developing a steady stream of high quality research outputs as projects complete. Within the WCTU Surgery, Pain & Rehabilitation Theme I have a specific responsibility to support and educate clinicians within our local NHS Trust (UHCW). Some clinicians are still in their foundation years, but I also support more established individuals in developing research ideas and helping them prepare nationally competitive fellowship or research funding applications. Alongside my day-to-day work I have an important role in research governance at Warwick. As a member of the University Research Governance and Ethics committee and the University sponsorship committee. I also chair of one of the University's main ethics subcommittees (the Biomedical & Scientific Research Ethics Committee), I make a significant contribution to the planning and governance of research undertaken by Warwick staff, undergraduate/post-graduate students across university divisions and departments including WMS, WMG, Engineering, Computer sciences and Life Sciences. I support research planning and oversight of research conducted with human participants (outside of NHS settings) ensuring the highest possible standards are maintained.