Mrs Sarah Moorlock MSc

Sarah Moorlock

Department of Applied Health Sciences
Programme Manager

Contact details

Address
Murray Learning Centre
University of Birmingham
Edgbaston
Birmingham
B15 2TT
UK

Sarah is the Programme Manager for the PRE-EMPT study.  The programme aims to reduce pre-term birth by offering ultrasound measurement of cervical length to low-risk women having their first baby.  You can find out more about the study here.

Qualifications

  • MSc in Nutrition, Physical Activity and Public Health, University of Bristol, 2014 (with Distinction)
  • BA Joint Honours Sport with English, Manchester Metropolitan University, 2005

Biography

Sarah is the Programme Manager on the PRE-EMPT Study.  

The Programme aims to find out:

  1. Whether a scan of the cervix (an internal scan), would be acceptable to women having their first baby.
  2. How the results of this scan should be explained to women.
  3. Whether women with a short cervix would accept progesterone treatment and additional appointments with preterm specialists.
  4. How we could design a scan and treatment pathway, from start to finish, so that women are supported to make decisions that are right for them, and so they have the best possible experience.
  5. Whether this pathway would be good value for money.

Design 

We will ask women their views about the new service, and what is important to them, and use this information to work with them and healthcare professionals to develop the scan and treatment pathway. We will then try out this care pathway in several maternity hospitals and talk to women and healthcare professionals again to make sure it is suitable across the NHS. We want to make sure this pathway will be acceptable to as many women as possible. 

 Patient and Public Involvement 

Discussions with women from a range of backgrounds and charity partners (Tommy’s/Sands/Approachable Parenting) have shaped our project design. We have a dedicated Public Involvement Lead who will support our public collaborator and a dedicated Women’s Advisory Group (WAG) to plan and support the delivery of our project, ensuring a focus on women’s experiences throughout. 

Dissemination 

We will share what we find out widely. This will help pregnant women to make choices that are right for them, and support healthcare professionals in providing the best care. Our public, charity and healthcare professional partners will help us to create an information package and advise us how we can share it with different audiences. We will also share findings at medical conferences and publications in medical journals. 

Previously, Sarah worked as a Project Manager on the CONNECT study which evaluated the impact of remote Sexual and Reproductive Health Services (SRHS) consultations on health inequalities.

Prior to this Sarah was a Senior Trial Manager at Birmingham Clinincal Trials Unit on the following trials:

iHOLDS trial which is a large, randomised double-blinded, multi-centre study looking at standard dose vs a higher dose of oxytocin on the rate of caesarean section in induction of labour.  The Trial is being run at Birmingham Clinical Trials Unit (BCTU).  You can find out more about the trial here

Colour-COPD trial, a 2-arm, multi-centre, randomised controlled trial (RCT) investigating the use of a sputum colour chart to guide antibiotic self-treatment when patients experience acute exacerbation of COPD.

Sarah has also previously worked in research posts the School of Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation Sciences on two RCTs: Community-based Prevention of Diabetes (Com-PoD) study and the Retirement in Action (REACT) Study. Com-PoD assessed the effectiveness of a community-based diabetes prevention programme, and REACT assessed the effectiveness of a physical activity and social programme on improving the physical function of older adults.

From 2009-2014 Sarah worked in the Department of Primary Care Clinical Sciences at the University of Birmingham where she delivered the exercise intervention in two RCT's: 1) investigating the effectiveness of exercise on postnatal depression (The PAM-PeRS study) and 2) vasomotor menopausal symptoms (The Active Women study). She also worked on numerous weight management RCTs including Weigh 2 Go (the efficacy of drinking water prior to main meals to aid weight loss); Scale Down (the effectiveness of daily self-weighing on weight loss) and Limit study (weight loss maintenance).

Teaching

Sarah has taught on the MSc Psychology of Physical Activity Module in the School of Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation    Sciences.  She has delivered the following lectures:

  • Intervention Design, Implementation and Evaluation
  • Motivational Interviewing Techniques

Research

Physical function and physical activity in older adults

Diabetes prevention

Postnatal depression and exercise

Menopausal symptoms and exercise

Obesity and weight management

Women's Health

Maternal Health

Publications

Recent publications

Article

Ladlow, P, Western, MJ, Greaves, CJ, Thompson, JL, Withall, J, Koning, JD, Bollen, JC, Moorlock, SJ, Guralnik, JM, Fox, KR & Stathi, A 2023, 'The REtirement in ACTion exercise programme and its effects on elements of long term functionality in older adults', Frontiers in public health, vol. 11, 1151035. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2023.1151035

Stathi, A, Withall, J, Greaves, CJ, Thompson, JL, Taylor, G, Medina-Lara, A, Green, C, Snowsill, T, Johansen-Berg, H, Bilzon, J, Gray, S, Cross, R, Western, MJ, Koning, JLD, Ladlow, P, Bollen, JC, Moorlock, SJ, Guralnik, JM, Rejeski, WJ, Hillsdon, M & Fox, KR 2022, 'A group-based exercise and behavioural maintenance intervention for adults over 65 years with mobility limitations: the REACT RCT', Public Health Research, vol. `0, no. 14. https://doi.org/10.3310/MQBW6832

Snowsill, T, Stathi, A, Green, C, Withall, J, Greaves, C, Thompson, J, Taylor, G, Gray, S, Johansen-Berg, H, Bilzon, J, De Koning, J, Boles, J, Moorlock, S, Western, MJ, Guralnik, JM, Rejeski, WJ, Fox, KR & Medina-Lara, A 2022, 'Cost-effectiveness of a physical activity and behaviour maintenance programme on functional mobility decline in older adults: an economic evaluation of the REACT (Retirement in Action) trial', The Lancet Public Health, vol. 7, no. 4, pp. e327-e334. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2468-2667(22)00030-5

Stathi, A, Greaves, C, Thompson, J, Withall, J, Ladlow, P, Taylor, G, Medina-Lara, A, Snowsill, T, Gray, S, Green, C, Johansen-Berg, H, Sexton, C, Bilzon, J, De Koning, J, Bollen, J, Moorlock, S, Western, MJ, Demnitz, N, Seager, P, Guralnik, JM, Rejeski, WJ, Hillsdon, M & Fox, K 2022, 'Effect of a physical activity and behaviour maintenance programme on functional mobility decline in older adults: the REACT (REtirement in ACTion) randomised controlled trial', The Lancet. Public health. https://doi.org/10.1016/ S2468-2667(22)00004-4

REACT Study Research Group, Withall, J, Greaves, C, Thompson, J, De Koning, J, Bollen, J, Moorlock, S, Fox, KR, Western, M, Snowsill, T, Medina-Lara, A, Cross, R, Ladlow, P, Taylor, G, Zisi, V, Clynes, J, Gray, S, Agyapong-Badu, S, Guralnik, JM, Rejeski, WJ & Stathi, A 2020, 'The tribulations of trials: lessons learnt recruiting 777 older adults into REtirement in ACTion (REACT) a community, group-based active ageing intervention targeting mobility disability.', The journals of gerontology. Series A, Biological sciences and medical sciences, vol. 75, no. 12, pp. 2387-2395. https://doi.org/10.1093/gerona/glaa051

Smith, JR, Greaves, C, Thompson, J, Taylor, RS, Jones, M, Armstrong, R, Moorlock, S, Griffin, A, Solomon-Moore, E, Kok, MSY, Price, L & Abraham, C 2019, 'The community-based prevention of diabetes (ComPoD) study: A randomised, waiting list controlled trial of a voluntary sector-led diabetes prevention programme', The International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, vol. 16, 112. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12966-019-0877-3

Stathi, A, Withall, J, Greaves, C, Thompson, J, Taylor, G, Medina-Lara, A, Green, C, Bilzon, J, Gray, S, Johansen-Berg, H, Sexton, C, Western, M, De Koning, J, Bollen, J, Moorlock, S, Demnitz, N, Seager, P, Guralnik, JM, Rejeski, WJ & Fox, KR 2018, 'A community-based physical activity intervention to prevent mobility-related disability for retired older people (REtirement in ACTion [REACT]): study protocol for a randomised controlled trial', Trials, vol. 19, 228. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13063-018-2603-x

Coleman, SJ & Sebire, SJ 2016, 'Do people’s goals for mass participation sporting events matter? A self-determination theory perspective', Journal of Public Health Medicine. https://doi.org/10.1093/pubmed/fdw090

Daley, A, Blamey, RV, Jolly, C, Roalfe, AK, Turner, KM, Coleman, S, Mcguinness, M, Jones, I, Sharp, DJ & Macarthur, C 2015, 'A pragmatic randomized controlled trial to evaluate the effectiveness of a facilitated exercise intervention as a treatment for postnatal depression: the PAM-PeRS trial', Psychological Medicine, vol. 45, no. 11, pp. 2413-2425. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0033291715000409

Parretti, H, Aveyard, P, Blannin, A, Clifford, S, Coleman, S, Roalfe, A & Daley, A 2015, 'Efficacy of water preloading before main meals as a strategy for weight loss in primary care patients with obesity: RCT', Obesity, vol. 23, no. 9, pp. 1785-1791. https://doi.org/10.1002/oby.21167

Daley, AJ, Stokes-Lampard, H, Thomas, A, Rees, M, Coleman, S, Roalfe, A, Hunter, MS & MacArthur, C 2013, 'Aerobic exercise as a treatment for vasomotor menopausal symptoms: randomised controlled trial protocol', Maturitas, vol. 76, no. 4, pp. 350-6. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.maturitas.2013.08.004

Daley, AJ, Jolly, C, Sharp, DJ, Turner, KM, Pritchett, R, Coleman, S, McGuinness, M, Roalfe, AK, Jones, I & MacArthur, C 2012, 'The effectiveness of exercise as a treatment for postnatal depression: study protocol', BMC pregnancy and childbirth, vol. 12, 45. https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2393-12-45

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