I am lead applicant on five successful funding bids (total amount £1,306,877) and co-applicant on a further two (total amount £605,968). I have authored over 70 peer reviewed papers and have written 2 book chapters. In 2018 I was selected as a finalist for the Joe Leigh Simpson Award for the Best Early Career Investigator. 

In 2020 I received a 4-year NIHR Advanced Fellowship to evaluate the implementation of the NHS Genomic Medicine Service during its early years, to identify barriers and enablers to successful implementation, and provide recommendations for practice. The focus in on the use of genomic testing for paediatric rare diseases. By the end of this study we will have 1) abetter understanding of the intended v actual outcomes of the Genomic Medicine Service; 2) insights into what happens during clinical encounters; 3) understand what the entire testing process is like for parents from being offered genomic testing to receiving their results and beyond, including the clinical as well as emotional and practical outcomes; and 4) understand how healthcare professionals feel about delivering the GMS, particularly those that are non-genetic specialists, including how prepared they feel to deliver genomic testing.  

Between 2018-2020 I led a Small Humanities and Social Science Grant from the Wellcome Trust where we conducted an international study comparing how patient and clinicians in different countries are dealing with the issue of uncertainty in prenatal genomics. The work was the foundation for an international Discrete Choice Experiment to understand patient preferences and attitudes towards receiving uncertain results.  

Between 2016-2019 I was co-applicant on an NIHR RfPB grant to explore the preferences, experience and outcomes of rare disease patients in the 100,000 Genomes Project. The study included a longitudinal survey (>500 patients/parents), observations of appointments and interviews with patients and health professionals. 

Between 2016-2018 I was co-applicant and lead researcher on an NIHR HTA study where we conducted the largest UK study to-date exploring bereaved parents’ views, preferences and likely uptake regarding less invasive post-mortem. The study included a cross-sectional survey with over 800 bereaved parents, interviews with parents and religious leaders, and focus groups with parents in the Muslim and Jewish communities.

In 2017 I was awarded one of seven inaugural Health Education England Fellowships to explore young people’s experience of genome sequencing. This research involved qualitative interviews with young people in the 100,000 Genomes Project and a survey with >800 young people evaluating the effectiveness of two animations that I developed explaining genome sequencing to young people. 

Between 2010-13 I led the psychosocial research arm of an NIHR funded RAPID study looking at service users’ views and experiences of new non-invasive prenatal tests (NIPT). The findings from this research fed into recommendations for the National Screening Committee for implementation of NIPT.