Sadia Nafees

Research Project Support Officer

Career Overview:

Sadia completed her bachelor degree in dentistry from Pakistan. Her interest in maxillofacial surgery brought her to the UK where she gained good experience during clinical attachments at various hospitals in London including Guy’s hospital. During this time she developed an interest in the regeneration of bone which led towards a Master project. This research started with the multi-disciplinary team, including Periodontology and Molecular Biology, at Queen Marys’ University of London. Her MSc project was: “Second messenger signalling underlying the synergy between Retinoic Acid and Bone Morphogenetic Proteins” which she completed in 2003. After taking a career break in 2004, she re-started her research career in public health in Jan 2009 at the Department of Primary Care and Public Health of Cardiff University. The unit was rebranded and moved to Bangor University in Oct 2011 where she did her PhD.

Current position held at Bangor University:

Research Project Support Officer, Nov 2013-To date

North Wales Centre for Primary Care Research, Bangor University, North Wales, UK

Previous position held at Cardiff University:

Research assistant, Oct 2011-Oct 2013

North Wales Centre for Primary Care Research, Bangor University, North Wales, UK

Research Assistant, Sep 2008-Sep 2011

Department of Primary Care and Public Health, Cardiff University, Wales, UK

Educational Background:

Doctor of Philosophy in Healthcare sciences,

Bangor University, North Wales, UK

Master of Science in Experimental Oral Pathology,

Queen Mary University of London, London, UK

Bachelor of Dental Surgery,

Nishtar Medical College Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan, Pakistan

Research Overview:

Sadia started her research career in public health in Jan 2009, and have assisted on various projects since then; learned research methodologies and gained experience in systematic reviews, surveys, interviews, focus groups and randomised controlled trials in complex interventions.

Sadia is currently working as a research project support officer on different projects: “‘WICKED’ (Wales Interventions and Cancer Knowledge about Early Diagnosis): The development and evaluation of primary care interventions to expedite the diagnosis of symptomatic cancer in Wales”; "Systematic review of prognostic factors responsible for the survival of lung cancer patients"; "Experiences & views relating to the Lifestyle Management Programme (exercise related) for osteoarthritis - a qualitative study"; and “Talking about human papillomavirus and cancer”: development of scripted consultations through lay and professional stakeholder co-production using qualitative, quantitative and secondary data.

Sadia successfully completed her PhD studentship (funded by Cardiff University) in Healthcare Sciences at Bangor University in 2016. The PhD project focused on "design and development of behavioural change complex intervention to promote Physical Activity among adult Cancer Survivors (PACS)". Her area of interest involves follow-up care among adult cancer survivors to change their behaviour towards the adoption and maintenance of physical activity. The research project represents the developmental phase of the MRC framework for complex interventions that included qualitative and quantitative research methodologies consisting of a systematic review, focus groups of cancer survivors, and an online survey of healthcare professionals. She has also designed a feasibility/pilot randomised controlled trial for future research based on the developed theory-based physical activity behaviour change intervention (12 week physical activity promotional text messages) for adult cancer survivors

Keywords to describe Research areas and interests:

Evidence synthesis, health services research, oncology, behaviour change, health promotion, physical activity promotion, systematic reviews, focus groups, surveys and randomised controlled trials.

Oral presentations:

• July 2015 International Festival of Public Health UK 2015, Manchester, UK
• Jan. 2015 North Wales Cancer Patient Forum meeting, Gwersyllt, North Wales, UK
• Nov. 2014 First annual audit Cancer Clinical Programme for Governance (CPG) Symposium, North Wales, UK
• Sep. 2014 All Wales Physical Activities project, Steering Group meeting, Powys, North Wales, UK
• June 2014 INSPIRE, NWCPCR, Wrexham, UK
• Mar 2014 South West Society for Academic Primary Care, Bristol, UK
• Mar. 2014 Cancer Network Rehabilitation Advisory Group meeting, North Wales, UK
• Nov 2013 Wales Health Economist Group, Cardiff, UK
• Oct 2013 Post Graduate Research (PGR) Symposium, Bangor University, UK
• May 2013 Psychiatry & Behavioural Sciences, Stanford University, San Francisco, USA

Poster presentations:

2012-2014 Edwards RT, Nafees S, Williams NH, Wilkinson C, Stuart N, Jones J. Development of physical activity booklet for adult cancer survivors and its evaluation in a pilot randomised controlled trial. Grant awarded by BCUHB (£17K)

Key Publications:

Hendry M, Pasterfield D, Gollins S, Adams R, Evans M, Fiander A, Robling M, Campbell C, Bekkers, M-J, Hiscock J, Nafees S, Rose J, Stanley M, Makin M, Williams O, Wilkinson C.  Talking about human papillomavirus and cancer: Protocol for a patient-centred study to develop scripted consultations. British Medical Journal Open. 2016; 6:e011205 doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2016-011205

Fitzsimmons D, Phillips CJ, Bennett H, Jones M, Williams N, Lewis R, Sutton A, Matar HE, Din N, Burton K, Nafees S, Hendry M, Rickard I, Wilkinson C. Cost effectiveness of different strategies to manage patients with sciatica. Pain. 2014; 155(7):1318-27

Neal RD, Nafees S, Pasterfield D, Hood K, Hendry M, Gollins S, Makin M, Stuart N, Turner J, Carter B, Wilkinson C, Williams N, Robling M. Patient-reported measurement of time to diagnosis in cancer: development of the Cancer Symptom Interval Measure (C-SIM) and randomised controlled trial of method of delivery. BMC Health Services Research 2014, 14:3  doi:10.1186/1472-6963-14-3

Lewis R, Williams NH, Sutton AJ, Burton K, Din N, Matar HE, Hendry M, Phillips CJ, Nafees S, Fitzsimmons D, Rickard I, Wilkinson C, Comparative Clinical Effectiveness of Management Strategies for Sciatica: Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analyses, The Spine Journal (2013), doi: 10.1016/j.spinee.2013.08.049.

Williams NH, Lewis R, Din NU, Matar HE, Fitzsimmons D, Phillips CJ, Sutton A, Burton K, Hendry M, Nafees S, Wilkinson C. A systematic review and meta-analysis of biological treatments targeting tumour necrosis factor α for sciatica. Eur Spine J. 2013.; Volume 22, Issue 9, pp 1921-1935

Weller D, Vedsted P, Rubin G, Walter F, Emery J, Scott S, Campbell C, Andersen RS, Hamilton W, Olesen F, Rose P, Nafees S, van Rijswijk E, Muth C, Beyer M, Neal RD. The Aarhus Statement: Improving design and reporting of studies on early cancer diagnosis. BJC 2012, 106: 1262-1267. DOI 10.1038/bjc.2012.68

Lewis R, Williams N, Matar HE, Din N, Fitzsimmons D, Phillips C, Jones M, Sutton A, Burton K, Nafees S, Hendry M, Rickard I, Chakraverty R, and Wilkinson C. The clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of management strategies for sciatica: systematic review and economic model. Health Technol Assess 2011; 15(39).