Meet the team
Professor Helen Walthall
Director of Nursing, Midwifery and Allied Health Professionals' (NMAHP) Research and Innovation
Professor Walthall is the OUH research capacity and capability lead for nursing, midwifery and allied health professionals, leading the strategy and implementation of research across the Trust.
Cardiac nursing continues to be the focus of her research and she has been active within the sphere of cardiac nursing nationally and internationally, joining editorial boards and scientific committees.
Helen is a Visiting Professor at the Oxford School of Nursing and teach students from pre-registration through to doctoral studies.
She currently supervises PhDs, Professional Doctorates and MSc ACP dissertations.
Helen is a member of several national groups that explore and support the development of nursing and midwifery research and clinical academic roles.
These include the NIHR nursing and midwifery incubator, the NIHR advanced surgical technology incubator, clinical academic research implementation network (CARIN) and the Chief Nursing Office research transformation group.
Helen is one of the 2023 cohort on the NIHR Senior Research Leaders Programme.
Email: helen.walthall@ouh.nhs.uk
Sandie Wellman
Head of NMAHP Clinical Research Delivery
Sandie is the Head of NMAHPs, clinical research delivery. Her role provides clinical advice and leadership to all NMAHP delivery staff and oversight for teams working in clinical research.
She is responsible for ensuring frameworks for clinical governance, competencies and education are in place for research delivery staff.
A key aspect of Sandie's role is to work on the integration of clinical research across all areas of the Trust and the NMAHP strategic plan. She is passionate about clinical research and the opportunities it offers to patients.
Sandie has worked in clinical research since 1999, mainly in cancer research and clinically within early phase clinical trials.
In addition to her nursing role, she has managed a sample handling laboratory, been the designate person on a human tissue collection, overseen a quality management system and managed a team of research administrative staff.
Sandie has hosted many audits and MHRA inspections. She regularly teaches and presents both locally and nationally.
Email: sandie.wellman@ouh.nhs.uk
Dr Louise Strickland
Divisional Lead for NMAHP Research and Innovation - Surgery, Women's and Oncology (SuWOn) Division
Louise works alongside the team to develop research capacity and capability for nursing, midwifery and allied health professionals within the Trust.
Her background, expertise and current research activity involves perioperative patient care, surgical assisting, patient-reported outcome measures, patient blood management and patient recovery.
She is one of the 2024 cohort on the NIHR Senior Research Leaders Programme.
She is an Honorary Departmental Clinical Academic Nurse Researcher at the Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics, Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Sciences (NDORMS) and the Data Driven Blood and Transplant Research Unit (BTRU) Research Fellow, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford.
She completed her DPhil in Musculoskeletal Sciences at the University of Oxford, and her specific area of focus was early patient recovery following hip and knee replacement surgery.
Email: louise.strickland@ouh.nhs.uk
Dr Clair Merriman PhD MSc BSc(Hons) RGN
Divisional Lead for NMAHP Research and Innovation- Neurosciences, Orthopaedics, Trauma, Specialist Surgery, Children's and Neonates (NOTSSCaN)
Clair is a Clinical Academic Adult Nurse with a background in neuroscience and critical care.
She is Divisional Lead for NMAHP Research and Innovation at Oxford University Hospitals and a Visiting Research Fellow at Oxford Brookes University, supporting practitioners and academics to build research capacity and improve patient outcomes.
Her research focuses on nursing, midwifery and allied health workforce development, Fundamentals of Care and Quality Improvement.
She has expertise in mixed methods research and the use of appreciative inquiry as a methodology. She supervises MSc and doctoral students (leadership, internationally educated workforce and Fundamentals of Care).
In 2024 she received an NIHR Senior Research Leader award (Nursing and Midwifery).
Her PhD (2020) explored effective critical care ward rounds to inform national guidance.
She is Co-lead of the Workforce Development Research Group at Oxford Brookes University, a member of the National Body Temperature Group at the University of Oxford and the International Learning Collaborative Research Special Interest Group.
Email: clair.merriman@ouh.nhs.uk
Dr Sheera Sutherland
Divisional Lead for NMAHP Research and Innovation - Medicine, Rehabilitation and Cardiac (MRC)
Dr Sutherland's background is in renal dialysis nursing. She has worked in research delivery for over 14 years and led the renal research team for two years.
She completed her PhD in Health Care Studies in 2020 at Oxford Brookes University, looking at the design, development and evaluation of a physical exercise programme for renal dialysis patients suitable for use in both clinical and domestic environments.
Her research interests include patient wellbeing and exercise, use of wearable devices to determine activity levels and patient vital sign monitoring.
She continues to support renal service evaluation and quality improvement projects as well as supporting projects across the Divisions.
She has expertise in qualitative research methods and collaborations with the University of Exeter Clinical Rehabilitation Group.
Dr Claire Clews
Divisional Lead for NMAHP Research and Innovation - Clinical Support Services (CSS) and Corporate
Dr Clews is a working midwife whose research aligns to supporting parental choice and autonomy during pregnancy and childbirth specifically, birth in water and midwifery care of pregnant and new mothers in prison.
She has been a clinical placement facilitator for NMAHP students, Lead Midwife for Education at the University of Northampton and Head of the Health Professions team (Paramedics, Midwifery, Podiatry and Dental Nursing).
She supports OUH Divisional teams to increase research capacity, further supporting evidence-based practice.
Email: claire.clews@ouh.nhs.uk
Professor Daniel McGowan MPhys MSc DPhil
Healthcare Scientist: Medical Physics
Head of Education and Research, Consultant Clinical Scientist
Associate Professor, Department of Oncology, University of Oxford
Daniel McGowan is a Healthcare Scientist and Head of Research and Education (Consultant Clinical Scientist) within the Department of Medical Physics and Clinical Engineering at Oxford University Hospitals.
He is an Associate Professor in the Department of Oncology, University of Oxford with a clinical academic research group focused on nuclear medicine / PET imaging and theranostics with Master's, Doctoral and Post-doctoral researchers within it.
He is Course Director for Oxford's MSc in Medical Physics with Radiobiology.
Email: daniel.mcgowan@ouh.nhs.uk
Links
Professor Karen Barker OBE PhD FCSP
Consultant Physiotherapist and Head of Trauma and Orthopaedic Therapies
Professor of Physiotherapy, Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics, Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Sciences University of Oxford
Visiting Professor, School of Healthcare, Oxford Brookes University
Karen Barker leads the Physiotherapy Research Unit, a collaborative of physiotherapy researchers that has celebrated its over 35 years.
The unit supports research placements from within the therapies department, pre-qualifying physiotherapy courses and internships.
The unit has close links with both NDORMS at the University of Oxford and with Oxford Brookes University.
Her research interests are primarily in the fields of bone health, chronic back pain and joint arthroplasty.
Links
Dr Owen Gustafson BSc (Hons) PGCert MSc Res PCTHE PhD MCSP FHEA
Clinical Academic Physiotherapist
Associate Professor of Critical Care Rehabilitation, Oxford Brookes University
Associate Editor, Journal of the Intensive Care Society
With a clinical background in critical care physiotherapy, Owen has held a number of different academic and clinical roles, including an NIHR Clinical Doctoral Research Fellowship and an NIHR Senior Clinical and Research Practitioner Award.
Owen works clinically in the critical care physiotherapy follow-up service supporting patients in their long-term physical recovery. He leads the Rehabilitation and Recovery for Life after Critical Illness (ReLIFE) research theme at Oxford Brookes University, whose aim is to improve outcomes for those who have been acutely or critically unwell.
Email: owen.gustafson@ouh.nhs.uk
Links
Professor Nicola Stoner BSc PhD
Consultant Pharmacist - Cancer and ATMPs
Lead for Adult Cancer Pharmacy Team
Pharmacy Lead for Systemic Anti-Cancer Treatment (SACT)
Lead for Advanced Therapy Medicinal Products (ATMPs)
Visiting Professor, University of Reading
Nicola's clinical, academic and leadership work focuses on:
systemic anticancer therapy
oncology pharmacy practice
non-medical prescribing
advanced therapy medicinal products
service development
workforce transformation.
She has extensive experience supervising PhD, MSc, MRes, MPharm and undergraduate research projects, with research interests spanning:
cancer medicines optimisation
pharmacy-led models of care
ATMP governance
patient experience
professional development.
Email: nicola.stoner@ouh.nhs.uk
Links
Professor Mark Williams BSc PhD
Associate Professor in Rehabilitation, Oxford Brookes University
Mark's role is split between Oxford Brookes University and Oxford University Hospitals to conduct and facilitate AHP research.
His teaching and research focuses on the recovery from, and rehabilitation for, frailty and musculoskeletal conditions.
He has previously worked as a Programme Director of Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation, and a Research Fellow at the University of Oxford and University of Warwick. Clinically he has worked in both NHS and private settings as a musculoskeletal physiotherapist.
Email: mark.williams@ouh.nhs.uk
Links
Dr Sarah Scott BSc DClinPsych
Clinical Psychologist
Sarah is the External Research Supervisor for the Oxford Institute of Clinical Psychology Training and Research.
Her research interests are within the field of clinical health psychology, exploring the psychological impact of physical illness and what supports acceptance, adjustment and coping with change.
Her area of focus is Cardiology, aligned with her NHS role within the Oxford Heart Centre - Cardiac Rehabilitation and Adult Congenital Heart Disease.
Email: sarah.scott@ouh.nhs.uk
Dr Elizabeth King BSc (Hons) PG Cert, PhD
ICU Follow-Up Lead Physiotherapist and Clinical Lecturer, Nuffield Division of Clinical Laboratory Services
Elizabeth's research interests include rehabilitation and recovery following acute and critical illnesses.
She completed a PhD in 2025 through a qualitative case study where she explored the experiences of patients living with musculoskeletal impairments following critical illness, alongside their family members and staff supporting them.
Email: elizabeth.king@ouh.nhs.uk
Links
Dr Hannah McGivern PhD MSc BSc
Outreach Librarian (Information Specialist)
Hannah is an Outreach Librarian in the Bodleian Health Care Libraries, where she supports Oxford University Hospitals staff and University of Oxford staff and students.
She teaches research and information literacy skills including how to conduct a systematic review.
Her research interests include 'tea trolley' teaching models, collaboration across healthcare professions and the inclusivity of libraries.
She holds a PhD in Bone Biomechanics, completed in 2020, and worked as a research assistant for the University of Oxford before moving to the Bodleian Health Care Libraries.
