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Profile

I am a senior information specialist and chartered librarian leading the information specialist team in ÂÌñ»»ÆÞ Institute of Health Sciences (LIHS) and supporting the management of the Academic Unit of Health Economics (AUHE). I manage a portfolio of information specialist work including custom-made literature searching, reference management and search methodology advice for systematic reviews, realist reviews, evidence syntheses, research proposal scoping, economic evaluations and cost-effectiveness models.

Our team collaborates on over 40 projects with research staff within AUHE, the University and with colleagues in other Universities, NHS trusts and industry partners. I am also an advisor for the   conducting ‘evidence check’ searches and scoping evidence synthesis projects for local NHS trusts and organisations

  (for description of our services, support, free downloads and guides) 

In 2002 I joined the ÂÌñ»»ÆÞ as an Information Specialist (Trials Search Co-ordinator) for the Cochrane Schizophrenia Group. In 2007 I joined three health economists to form the Academic Unit of Health Economics.

Work prior to 2002:

• Information Officer, ÂÌñ»»ÆÞ Beckett University
• Knowledge Agent, Qinetic (formerly Defence Evaluation Research Agency)
• Assistant Librarian, Guy's Hospital Medical School Library, KCL
• Information Officer, British Steel Technology Centre

Research interests

Research methods training videos

Finding Evidence to Support Your Research Proposal short video series on behalf of the . December 2019

Systematic Review Webinars by IMPACT, NIHR Global Health Research Group IMPACT in South Asia & Cochrane Common Mental Disorders, August 2020 

• . Choosing databases and resources. Recording and reporting the sources you have searched.
• . How to design a search using PICO. Overview of reference management software.  Recording and reporting all search activities.

Systematic Review Webinars by AMIPS & RESPONSE projects, November 2020

Systematic Review SearchTips for Information Professionals, UHMLG Spring Forum, April 2020

• – sharing and remembering (nearly) everything about systematic review searching

Current research projects (selected):

Developing and evaluating an adapted behavioural activation intervention for people with depression and diabetes in South Asia (NIHR RIGHT)

: Developing and evaluating a diabetes self-management education intervention for people with severe mental illness. (NIHR PGfAR)

 Function Replacement in repeated Self-Harm: Standardising Therapeutic Assessment and the Related Therapy (NIHR PGfAR)

 Improving the safety and continuity of medicines management at care transitions (ISCOMAT) for people with heart failure (NIHR PGfAR)

 Improving Mental and Physical Health Together. (NIHR GHRG)

 Developing Realist Economic Evaluation Methods (REEM) and Guidance to Evaluate the Impact, Costs, and Consequences of Complex Interventions. (NIHR HS&DR)

Supporting the health of women at work: A realist review of pregnancy, postnatal, and menopause workplace interventions and their effectiveness (NIHR Evidence Synthesis) 

I am an Associate Editor for Systematic Reviews Journal (BMC) and Peer Reviewer for:

• BMJ
• Cochrane Methodology Reviews (Protocol reviewer) and Cochrane Handbook Chapters
• Evidence-based Library and Information Practice
• Health Information and Libraries Journal
• Research Synthesis Methods
• NIHR grant proposals
• NIHR final reports

Past projects (selected):

: The future for diagnostic tests of acute kidney injury in critical care: evidence synthesis, care pathway analysis and research prioritisation (NIHR HTA)

: Penicillin allergy status and its effect on antimicrobial prescribing, patient outcomes, and antimicrobial resistance (NIHR PGfAR)

: Caring Optimally: promoting effective Mouth MInuTes in care homes (NIHR PGfAR)

: Understanding the Impacts of Care Farms on the Health and Well-being of Probation Service-users: A Pilot study (NIHR PHR)

CIVAS: Evaluation of patient preferences for and cost effectiveness of community intravenous antibiotic services (NIHR HS&DR)

Clinical adoption of artificial intelligence in digital pathologies. NPIC

 Establishing components of interventions to reduce restrictive practices with children and young people: an evidence synthesis. (NIHR HS&DR)

: Practices of falls risk assessment and prevention in acute hospital settings: A realist investigation (NIHR HS&DR)

:  PreHospital Randomised Assessment of a Mechanical Compression Device in Cardiac Arrest (NIHR)

 REcruiting and RetAining nurses, and carers in Care Homes: what works, for which staff, under what circumstances, and at what cost? The REACH Realist Review (NIHR HS&DR)    

RISA-IPD ReducIng Self-harm in Adolescents: Individual Patient Data meta-analysis (NIHR HTA Evidence Synthesis): Do networked information technologies improve patient safety? A realist synthesis. (NIHR HS&DR)

(NIHR HS&DR)

(Nuffield Foundation)

Co-investigator (Co-I)

• ENQUIRE – Using routine health data to undErstaNd eQUIty in canceR carE: A quantitative study with embedded stakeholder engagement
• Investigating and documenting the school lives of high school pupils living with chronic or life-limiting illness

Qualifications

• MSc Information Management, University of Sheffield
• BA (Hons) Geography, University of Liverpool
• MCLIP
• FHEA

Professional memberships

• Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (CILIP) revalidated
• Library and Information Research Group (CILIP) Research Awards Officer
• Health Libraries Group (CILIP)
• Cochrane Information Retrieval Methods Group
• University Health & Medical Librarians Group (UHMLG)
• Yorkshire and Humber Health Library and Knowledge Network (YOHHLNet)
• EAHIL Evidence-based Information Group

Student education

• Information searching and reviewing skills on postgraduate and undergraduate modules (search methods, health databases, systematic review protocols, research dissemination tools and reference management software, (eg MEDLINE, Web of Science, EndNote, ResearchGate)
• Co-lead for Masters module Systematic Reviews of Research (crurrently paused)
• Course Director of ÂÌñ»»ÆÞ Mixed Methods Systematic Review Courses (CPD)
• Invited lecturer for the (CPD)
• Founder of LIHS Mini Masterclass staff research skills training programme

Research groups and institutes

• ÂÌñ»»ÆÞ Institute of Health Sciences
• Academic Unit of Health Economics
• Applied Health Econometrics Group
• Decision Modelling Group
• Evidence Synthesis Group
• Health economics