Overview

I am a social scientist in the Health and Community Sciences department, where I conduct research to understand how and why health interventions work. This includes leading process evaluations, realist evaluations, qualitative studies and mixed methods studies within trials, feasibility studies, intervention development studies and larger research programmes. I have also designed and conducted studies on public health and socioeconomic interventions. I support methods development through lectures, seminars, workshops, advice clinics and PhD supervision.

Career

I was previously a Research Associate at the Centre for the Development and Evaluation of Complex Interventions for Public Health Improvement (DECIPHer), University of Cardiff. Prior to academia, I worked as a researcher on child well-being programmes, employment services and substance abuse services in low-income areas. I have also worked for several voluntary organisations, including an education charity in the South Bronx (New York). My PhD (University of Bath) examined community participation in urban regeneration, working with both the Governance Research Group at Bath and the European CINEFOGO Network group on governance in Trento (Italy) and Prague.

Links

• Process evaluation
• Qualitative Research Group
• Orcid

Research group links

• Health services research

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Research

Research interests

Research interests: health inequalities, complex interventions, community development approaches to public health, citizen-state interactions in public services.

Methodological interests: process evaluation, realist evaluation, qualitative methods and mixed methods. I apply these methods - using critical realist and social science perspectives - to understand relationships between behaviours, organisations, social contexts and health outcomes. 

Research projects

Understanding the mechanisms driving the reduction of repetitive negative thought (Wellcome Trust) (Mixed methods lead)

RESONATE: Building individual and community resilience through nature-based therapies  (Horizon Europe) (Process evaluation advisor)

EQUATED: Towards equality of opportunity for timely and equitable dementia diagnosis (NIHR Three Schools’ Dementia Research Programme) (Qualitative lead)

MAINTAIN: Maintaining Independence in People with Dementia who have had a fall: a pilot cluster randomised controlled trial (Alzheimer's Society) (Process evaluation lead)

Understanding discordance with NICE Suspected Cancer: recognition and referral (NG12) guidance in primary care in England (NIHR RfPB) (Qualitative co-lead)

Development and testing of an intervention to improve Recovery after an Episode of Delirium (RecoverED) (NIHR PGfAR) (Qualitative and process evaluation lead)

A visual ethnography exploring the experiences of people living with memory concerns and engaging with health and lifestyle changes to improve cognitive decline (ESRC) (Qualitative methods advisor)

The SPOtting Cancer among Comorbidities (SPOCC) programme. Supporting clinical decision making in patients with symptoms of cancer and pre-existing conditions. (NIHR PGfAR) (Co-lead for two work packages) (NIHR PGfAR) (Work package lead)

The clinical and cost effectiveness of intra-operative Laser Speckle Imaging of tissue blood flow to avoid post-operative complications following breast reconstruction after mastectomy for breast cancer: A feasibility study. (RfPB) (Qualitative lead)

The APPLE Tree programme: Active Prevention in People at risk of dementia through Lifestyle, bEhaviour change and Technology to build REsiliEnce (ESRC-NIHR) (Process evaluation lead) 

ESMI-II: The Effectivenes and cost effectiveness of community perinatal Mental health servIces (NIHR HS&DR) (Qualitative lead)

HemiSPAIRE: The effects of a modified muscle sparing posterior technique (SPAIRE) in hip hemiarthoplasty for displaced intracapsular fractures on post-operative function compared to a standard lateral approach: A randomised controlled trial (NIHR RfPB) (Qualitative lead)

Dementia - Person Aligned Care Team (D-PACT) (NIHR PGfAR) (Qualitative and realist evaluation methods advisor)

At-Risk Registers Integrated into Primary Care to Stop Asthma Crises in the UK (ARRISA) (NIHR HTA) (Qualitative and process evaluation advisor)

Research grants

• 2021 NIHR Programme Grant
  Development and testing of an intervention to improve Recovery after an Episode of Delirium (RecoverED) (Qualitative and process evaluation lead) (£2,527,719)
• 2020 NIHR Programme Grant
  The SPOtting Cancer among Comorbidities (SPOCC) programme. Supporting clinical decision making in patients with symptoms of cancer and pre-existing conditions (Work package lead) (£1,754,535)
• 2020 NIHR Research for Patient Benefit
  The clinical and cost effectiveness of intra-operative Laser Speckle Imaging of tissue blood flow to avoid post-operative complications following breast reconstruction after mastectomy for breast cancer: A feasibility study (Qualitative lead) (£249,976)
• 2020 SWDTP
  Centre for Qualitative Research (Bath): Development and Delivery of Bespoke Qualitative Training (£7000)
• 2019 National Institute for Health Research, Research for Patient Benefit
  The HemiSPAIRE study: The effects of a modified muscle sparing posterior technique (SPAIRE) in hip hemiarthoplasty for displaced intracapsular fractures on post-operative function compared to a standard lateral approach; A randomised controlled trial (Qualitative lead) (£349,636)
• 2019 ESRC-NIHR
  The APPLE Tree programme: Active Prevention in People at risk of dementia through Lifestyle, bEhaviour change and Technology to build Resilience (Process evaluation lead) (£4,855,510)
• 2019 NIHR Health Services and Delivery Research
  ESMI-II: The Effectiveness and cost effectiveness of community perinatal mental health services (Qualitative lead) (£1,189,980)
• 2019 Alzheimers Society
  Improving night-time care and reducing hypnotic drug use in people with dementia living in care homes (NightCAP): A randomised factorial trial (£399,999)
• 2015 MRC/NIHR Efficacy and Mechanisms Evaluation (EME) programme
  Mechanisms of Action in Group Interventions (MAGI) study
• 2015 Researcher-Led Initiative, University of Exeter
  Developing Expertise in Process Evaluation Seminar Series (£1,000)
• 2013 NIHR Public Health Research
  'Helpmedoit!' a web and text based intervention to facilitate social support to achieve and maintain health related behaviour change (£430,883)
• 2012 Children and Young People's Research Network
  Health Improvement for Looked After Children (£3,000)

Links

• Exeter Collaboration for Academic Primary Care (APEx)

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Publications

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External Engagement and Impact

Committee/panel activities

Steering group member MoodHwb: mood and wellbeing in young people (University of Cardiff)

Steering group member Self-Consent for the HPV Vaccine Study (University of Bristol) 

Steering group member Trial of Acute Femoral Fracture Fixation (TrAFFix) (University of Oxford) 

Delphi group member: Consensus-based process evaluation reporting guidelines for public health intervention studies conducted within and/or parallel to an effectiveness trial, Amsterdam University Medical Centre, 2021

Editorial responsibilities

Associate Editor, Pilot and Feasibility Studies 2018-2022

External Examiner Positions

Exeternal examiner for University of Bath

Conferences and invited presentations

Panel member for ‘Future Directions in Qualitative Research and Collaboration’, at the Qualitative Research Symposium, University of Bath, Bath, 2016

Introduction to Process Evaluations of Complex Interventions, ‘Think Tank’ Seminar, Mood Disorders Centre, School of Psychology, University of Exeter,2016

Health Improvement for Looked After Children, invited presentation at 'New Belongings' Care Leavers Week 2014, Cardiff University/Voices from Care, Cardiff, 2014

Evidence of impact on policy and professional practice

‘Reimagination: The reframing of Memory’. Photographic exhibition from ‘A visual ethnography exploring the experiences of people living with memory concerns and engaging with health and lifestyle changes to improve cognitive decline’ study. Funded by ESRC. London Wellcome Collection, 8 Sept 2022, attended by around 200 people. Also displayed at Upper Waiting Hall in the Houses of Parliament (23 January 2023) and Holy Sepulchre church (February-April 2023). Elenyd Whitfield E., Parnell Johnson S., Higgs P., Martin W., Morgan-Trimmer S., Burton S., Poppe M., Cooper C.

Long-term Impact of Digital Technology on Our Social and Economic Wellbeing. Written evidence submitted by the ‘ESMI’ research team from the Universities of Exeter, Liverpool, King’s College London, and Oxford, December 2020. House of Lords Inquiry. O’Mahen H., Howard L., Sharp H., Wong G., Morgan-Trimmer S., Maitland J., Atmore K., Fisher L., Davey A.

Women’s experiences of Perinatal Mental Health care during COVID-19. Written evidence submitted by the ‘ESMI’ research team from the Universities of Exeter, Liverpool, King’s College London, and Oxford. NHSE Policy Brief December 2020. O’Mahen H., Howard L., Sharp H., Wong G., Morgan-Trimmer S., Maitland J., Atmore K., Fisher L., Davey A.

Workshops/Conferences organised

Co-organiser of international workshop ‘Thinking Critically about Governance: Explorations of Power in Practice’, University of Bath, April 2009

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Teaching

• HPDM055 Qualitative Research and Process Evaluation, MSc Health Research Methods (Process Evaluation)
• HPDM092 Fundamentals of Research Design, MSc Health Research Methods (Process Evaluation, Mixed Methods)

Past teaching

• HPDM119 Analytics and Evidence Based Public Health, MPH Masters of Public Health (Process Evaluation, Mixed Methods)
• SWDTP Qualitative Training Workshops, University of Bath Centre for Qualitative Research (Planning and Designing Qualitative Research)
• HPDM055 Qualitative Research and Process Evaluation, MSc Applied Health Services Research (Ethnography, Qualitative Research for RCTs)
• HPDM052 Core Concepts in Applied Health Services Research, MSc Health Research Methods (Mixed Methods)
• HPDM058 Implementation Science, MSc Healthcare Leadership and Management (Using theory in implementation research)
• PSYD050 Advanced Skills in Clinical Research and Critical Appraisal, Doctorate in Clinical Research (Implementation Science, Process Evaluation)
• CSC2007 Introduction to Health Research, BSc Medical Sciences  (Introduction to Qualitative Analysis)
• Process evaluation workshops for doctoral and post-doctoral researchers: Introduction to Process Evaluation; Developing Theory and Logic Models for Process Evaluations; and Integrating Data in Mixed Methods Process Evaluations
• Qualitative research methods, MSc Social Science Research Methods (University of Cardiff)
• Community development and social policy approaches to public health, Masters in Public Health (University of Cardiff)

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Supervision / Group

Research Fellows

Postgraduate researchers

Alumni

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