Sam is a Research Fellow and Trial Manager at York Trials Unit who joined the University of York in 2013. She currently manages a portfolio of large national clinical trials across several clinical areas including orthopaedics and rheumatology, social care, infection and cancer, and mental health. Her current trial portfolio includes the PERISCOPE, BioDriveAFS, BATH-OUT-2, SInUS and moreRESPECT trials.
Prior to this, Sam coordinated the COVID-19 Urgent Public Health Study BASIL (Behavioural Activation in Social Isolation), which aimed to rapidly develop and evaluate a feasible, acceptable and cost-effective behavioural activation intervention to reduce depression and loneliness in older adults with physical and mental multimorbidity during periods of isolation.
Sam has substantial experience in a range of research methodologies including randomised controlled trials, systematic reviews, surveys, and qualitative methods. Sam undertook a PhD in Health Sciences at the University of York exploring the intersection of mental health and sexual health in the UK.
Prior to working in academia, Sam worked in a range of clinical mental health settings including acute, forensic, child and adolescent, and older adult services.
Sam has a keen interest in common mental health problems and physical comorbidity, severe mental illness and physical comorbidity, clinical trials, systematic reviews and qualitative methods.
Sam is able to supervise Masters and PhD projects with a broad focus on mental health problems and physical health. Specific areas of interest include interventions (both physical and psychological) to improve the health and wellbeing of people with severe mental illness.
Sam is a peer reviewer for the following:
