Our Team

The Ways Ahead project team consists of nine members, including two study co-ordinators, the principal investigator, and six other study contributors. Between us, the team has extensive experience, both in conducting cancer research, and working with people with brain tumours.

Brief profiles of each team member's expertise are provided below.

Study Co-ordinators

Ben Rimmer

Ben Rimmer is a Research Assistant at Newcastle University, and the co-ordinating researcher on the Ways Ahead project. His background is in Health Psychology, with a focus on cancer survivorship. He has a wealth of experience conducting interviews, particularly with cancer survivors, as well as liaising with health professionals, through previous roles within the NHS and Marie Curie Hospice. Ben has been responsible for recruiting for, and conducting the interviews, and co-design activities.

Lizzie Dutton

Lizzie Dutton is a Research Associate at Newcastle University and is the other co-ordinating researcher on the Ways Ahead project. Lizzie has been responsible for conducting the patient and public involvement activities and has extensive experience in healthcare design through her PhD.

Lizzie Dutton

Principal Investigator

Professor Linda Sharp

Linda Sharp is a Professor of Cancer Epidemiology at Newcastle University and is the lead researcher on the Ways Ahead project. She is involved in numerous cancer-related projects and has previously undertaken research to design a self-management programme for head and neck cancer survivors. She also has National Expert Group membership with the Psychosocial Oncology and Survivorship Clinical Subgroup.

Project Team

Dr Sophie Williams

Sophie Williams is a Clinical Neuropsychologist working within the Neuro-oncology Service, Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. Her work involves assessing clients diagnosed with a brain tumour who are experiencing changes in thinking ability (e.g. poor memory or attention), behaviour, personality and/or emotional adjustment. A frequent goal of the sessions is to identify interventions aimed at helping client’s maintain independence, continue to participate in valued activities, and maintain quality of life.

Dr Joanne Lewis

Joanne Lewis is a Consultant Clinical Oncologist within Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. She is a core member of the Brain Multi-Disciplinary Team and leads the Neuro-Oncology Tumour Service at NCCC. Her specialist areas include Neuro-oncology and Lymphoma, and she has been the principal investigator on many studies in these areas. She is network lead for research in Brain tumours.

Professor Pamela Gallagher

Pamela Gallagher is a Professor of Psychology at Dublin City University. She has extensive experience in cancer survivorship and health services research, and is the Principal Investigator on a closely-related project: ‘Self-management in head and neck cancer (HNC) survivors: Living well with and beyond HNC’.

Professor Vera Araújo Soares

Vera Araújo Soares is a Professor of Health Psychology & Planetary Health at University of Twente. She has a wealth of experience in behaviour change research, specialising in translational behavioural health research. More specifically, she is involved in developing evidence based interventions focusing on self-care and self-management of chronic conditions.

Professor Tracy Finch

Tracy Finch is a Professor of Healthcare and Implementation Science at Northumbria University. Her research focuses on the social, psychological and organisational aspects of implementing new interventions in health and wellbeing. She is co-developer of the Normalisation Process Theory, which forms part of the theoretical background for the Ways Ahead project.

Dr Richéal Burns

Richéal Burns is a Lecturer in Health Information Technology at IT Sligo in Ireland as well as a Health Economics Affiliate Researcher for the Nuffield Department of Surgical Sciences, University of Oxford. Her main areas of expertise are applied economic evaluation in the area of cancer, burden of illness studies and health policy.