Sarah is a mixed methods clinical researcher focussing on the assessment and management of disabling chronic conditions, primarily stroke. She retired as the Professor of Rehabilitation in the Division of Nursing, Midwifery & Social Work in 2021, and now uses her expertise to undertake and participate in research to improve the awareness and understanding of myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME). She is currently working with the ME Association and British Association for Clinicians in ME (BACME) to develop a clinical assessment toolkit, is a lay representative for the Physios For ME research; the James Lind Alliance Research Priority Setting Partnership and the DoHSC Pan for ME.

Sarah trained as a physiotherapist at Sheffield Hallam University in the early 80’s, Clinical work specialising in neurological rehabilitation in the UK and New Zealand led to a MSc in Rehabilitation Studies at Southampton University and then teaching physiotherapy at Brunel University where she also completed her PhD in stroke rehabilitation.

She moved ‘Back Up North’ to Manchester in 2001 working first at the University of Manchester and then the School of Health Sciences at the University of Salford, where she was the Associate Head of School for research and led the Rehabilitation Research Group. She joined the University of Manchester in 2012 where she led the Rehabilitation Research Group and was the Director of Post-Graduate Research.

She has over 200 publications and £6million of research funding from the Dept of Health, NIHR, research councils, medical charities, professional bodies and the Knowledge Transfer Partnership/Technology Strategy Board.

She also served on many academic organisations including the President of the Society for Research in Rehabilitation, Chair of the Physiotherapy Research Society; executive member of the Association of Chartered Physiotherapists in Neurology (ACPIN); member of NIHR grant funding panels (RfpB, HTA, programme grants) and chaired the Stroke Associations’ research grant funding panel, and a member of the UKs Intercollegiate Working Group for Stroke.

Having retired in 2021, she now devotes her energies to research in to myalgic encelphalomyelitis (ME).

Sarah uses a mixed methods approach, working at all levels of the MRC Framework for the Evaluation of Complex Interventions to

• develop measurement tools and explore their application in clinical practice
• understand people with ME’s problems from a patient/ carer and service perspective
• develop, evaluate and implement novel interventions and models of service delivery
• evaluate current interventions and models of service delivery.

She has a particular interest in the challenges of implementing evidence-based complex interventions in to practice.

Current projects include

• Leading a project with the ME Association and British Association for Clinicians in ME (BACME) to develop a co-produce a clinical assessment toolkit
• working with Physios For ME in thier research as a lay represntative and methodologist.
• Steering group member of the James Lind Alliance Research Priority Setting Partnership
• Steering group member and sub-group co-chair of the DoHSC's Plan for ME
• Work with other people with ME to increase awareness and knowledge of people with severe and very severe ME.

Collaborators -University of Manchester

• Dr Keith Geraghty
• Prof Ian Bruce

Collaborators –External

• Dr Nicola Clague-Baker (University of Liverpool)
• Prof Helen Dawes (University of Exeter) 
• Dr Peter Gladwell (North Bristol NHS Trust and University of West England) 
• Ms Helen Baxter (25% Group) 
• Dr Mike Horton (University of Leeds)

As a mixed method researcher I use a wide range of methods to answer clinical research questions. I have experience of clinical trial designs, survey and epidemiological methods, ‘exploratory basic science’ and systematic reviewing including the use of meta-analysis. Although primarily a quantitative researcher I also use qualitative methods such as interviewing, focus groups, observations and service evaluation approaches.

Fellow of Chartered Society of Physiotherapy

PhD

MSc