Dr Sorrel Burden is a Reader in Dietetics at the University of Manchester and leads nutritional research for the Intestinal Failure Unit at Salford Royal Hospital, part of the Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust.

She began her career as a clinical dietitian in Liverpool before moving to Manchester, where she specialised in gastroenterology at Manchester Foundation NHS Trust and completed her PhD on pre-operative oral nutritional support in patients with colorectal cancer. Following her doctoral studies, Dr Burden secured a series of prestigious fellowships from the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) and Macmillan Cancer Support, enabling her to further advance her research career.

Dr Burden’s current research focuses on parenteral nutrition in intestinal failure, malnutrition in older adults, and food insecurity. She has supervised 12 PhD students to completion and has published more than 120 peer-reviewed papers. Her work has been supported by funding from industry partners, charitable organisations, and the Medical Research Council.

A committed mentor, Dr Burden is passionate about supporting the next generation of dietetic researchers. She has supervised and mentored numerous dietitians undertaking master’s and doctoral studies both in the UK and internationally, and is dedicated to building research capacity within the profession and promoting high-quality, evidence-based practice.

In addition to her research and mentoring roles, Dr Burden is the course lead for Critical Appraisal and Evidence Synthesis on the Master of Research (MRes) programme at the University of Manchester. Her methodological expertise includes mixed-methods research and the use of large datasets to address complex nutritional challenges.

My research interests focus on nutrition in intestinal failure and malnutrition in older adults. I also have an established track record in pre-operative nutritional support for patients with colorectal cancer. Currently I am also working in the area of food insecurity. 

• British Dietetic Association
• Health Professions Council 
• British Association of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition  
• Deputy Chair Malnutition Action Group standing committee fo BAPEN 2018-2023 

• Mixed methods studies 
• Big data projects using the UK Biobank, English Longitudinal Study of Ageing & the Office for National Statistics 
• Cohort studies and clinical trials    

• 2024 -MSc Medical Statistics, University of Oxford 
• 2024 - PG Cert Higher Education, University of Manchester 
• 2006 - PhD  Thesis Preoperative oral sip feeding in colorectal cancer patients, University of Manchester  
• 1999 - MA Applied research design, University of Manchester 
• 1998 - MSc - Professional Practice in Dietetics, Metropolitan University of Leeds 
• 1990 - BSc (Hons) Home Economics, Metropolitan University of Manchester