Mrs Sarah Moorlock MSc

Sarah Moorlock

Institute of Applied Health Research
Senior Trial Manager

Contact details

Telephone
+44 (0)121 414 8137
Email
s.j.moorlock@bham.ac.uk
Twitter
@colourcopd
View my research portal
Address
Birmingham Clinical Trials Unit
Public Health Building
University of Birmingham
Edgbaston
Birmingham
B15 2TT
UK

Sarah is the Senior Trial Manager for the Colour-COPD trial, a 2-arm, multi-centre, randomised controlled trial investigating the use of a sputum colour chart to guide antibiotic self-treatment when patients experience acute exacerbation of COPD.

Discover more information about the trial.

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 began her career at the University of Birmingham in 2009 working in the Primary Care Clinical Sciences department in a variety of research areas which included exercise as a treatment for postnatal depression (PAM-PeRS Study) and menopausal symptoms (Active Women Study) as well as research roles related to obesity, weight loss and lifestyle behaviour change.

In 2014 Sarah joined the School of Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation Sciences and managed two different studies: Com-PoD assessed the effectiveness of a community-based diabetes prevention programme, and REACT assessed the effectiveness of a physical activity programme on improving the physical function of older adults.

In April 2020, Sarah joined Birmingham Clinical Trials Unit where she currently manages the Colour COPD Trial.

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

Postgraduate supervision

Sarah co-supervised a Masters Student (studying Physiotherapy pre-registration) on a Dissertation Project on baseline data from the Retirement in Action (REACT) Study.  

Research

Sarah has experience of conducting and managing research studies in a variety of health-related areas:

  • The Colour COPD Trial

The primary aim of the Colour COPD Trial is to determine whether a sputum colour chart can improve the way patients self-manage their COPD exacerbations, such that use of the colour chart is non-inferior to usual care with respect to hospital admissions. This Randomised Controlled Trial (RCT) includes 12 secondary outcome measures, a pilot phase embedded within the main trial, an economic evaluation and a process evaluation.  The Trial aims to recruit 2954 patients with COPD from around 80 GP practices predominantly from the Birmingham and Greater Manchester areas and will run until November 2023.

  • REACT Study

Sarah worked as a Research Associate on the REtirement in ACTion (REACT) study- an RCT and economic evaluation of a community-based physical activity intervention to prevent mobility-related disability for retired older adults.   The study recruited 777 men and women aged 65 or above with declining physical function across three sites (Birmingham, Exeter and Bath/Bristol).  This study involved working closely with many third sector organisations and charities across the West Midlands Region.

  • ComPoD Study

The Community-based diabetes prevention study was a randomised, waiting list controlled trial of a voluntary sector-led diabetes prevention programme.  The study evaluated the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of the “Living Well, Taking Control” (LWTC) programme and recruited 315 Primary Care patients across Birmingham and Devon. Sarah was the Research Fellow on this study and worked closely with the health charity who delivered the LWTC programme.

  • The Scale Down Study

This study investigated the effectiveness of daily self-weighing on weight loss in obese primary care patients.  Sarah worked as a weight management advisor on this study.

  • The ‘Weigh 2 Go’ study

This RCT explored the effectiveness of Primary Care patients preloading with water before main meals to help with weight loss.  Sarah worked as a weight management advisor on this study.

  • The Limit Study

Sarah worked as a researcher on this study which investigated the effectiveness of daily self-weighing as an intervention for maintaining successful (5%) weight loss after attending a commercial weight loss programme.

  • The Active Women Study

Sarah delivered the physical activity intervention on this RCT which explored the effectiveness of exercise as a treatment for vasomotor (hot flushes and night sweats) menopausal symptoms.  Sarah’s role involved facilitating physical activity by equipping women with the skills, knowledge and confidence to engage in regular physical activity.

  • PAM-PeRS Study

The Physical Activity for Mums Promoting Exercise and Recovery Study explored the effectiveness of exercise as a treatment for postnatal depression.  Sarah’s role involved supporting mum’s to be physically activity through home visits, telephone support calls and written materials.

Sarah was also involved in data collection for the Preventing Obesity in Pregnancy Study (POPS) and the Lighten Up Study.

Publications

  1. Janet Withall, PhD, Colin J Greaves, PhD, Janice L Thompson,  PhD, Jolanthe L de Koning, PhD, Jessica C Bollen, PhD, Sarah J Moorlock, MSc, Kenneth R Fox, PhD, Max J Western, PhD, Tristan Snowsill, PhD, Antonieta Medina-Lara, PhD, Rosina Cross, MSc, Peter Ladlow, PhD, Gordon Taylor, PhD, Vasiliki Zisi, PhD, James Clynes, BSc, Selena Gray, MBChB, Sandra Agyapong-Badu, PhD, Jack M Guralnik, PhD, W Jack Rejeski, PhD, Afroditi Stathi, PhD for the REACT Study Research Group.  ‘The Tribulations of Trials: Lessons learnt recruiting 777 older adults in REtiement in ACTion (REACT) a community, group-based active ageing intervention targeting mobility disability’, Journal of Gerontology: Medical Sciences.  March 2020.
  2. Smith, Jane R.; Greaves, Colin; Thompson, Janice; Taylor, Rod S; Jones, Matthew; Armstrong, Rosie; Moorlock, Sarah; Griffin, Ann; Solomon-Moore, Emma; Kok, Michele SY; Price, Lisa; Abraham, Charles.  ‘The community-based prevention of diabetes (ComPoD) study: a randomised, waiting list controlled trial of a voluntary sector-led diabetes prevention programme’.  International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity 16(1):112, November 2019.
  3. Afroditi Stathi, Janet Withall, Colin J. Greaves, Janice L. Thompson, Gordon Taylor, Antonieta Medina-Lara,Colin Green, James Bilzon, Selena Gray, Heidi Johansen-Berg, Claire E. Sexton, Max J. Western, Jolanthe L. de Koning, Jessica C. Bollen, Sarah J. Moorlock, Naiara Demnitz, Poppy Seager, Jack M. Guralnik,W. Jack Rejeskiand, Ken R. Fox.  ‘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 19(1), December 2018.
  4. SJ Coleman and SJ Sebire.  Do people's goals for mass participation sporting events matter? A self-determination theory perspective.  Journal of Public Health 39(4), 1 December 2017, Pages e202–e208.
  5. Daley AJ, Jolly K, Sharp DJ, Turner KM, Blamey RV, Coleman S, McGuinness M, Roalfe AK, Jones I, MacArthur C.  (2012)  The effectiveness of exercise as a treatment for postnatal depression: Study protocol. Biomed Central Pregnancy and Childbirth 12, 45.
  6. 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 76:350-6.
  7. Daley AJ, Thomas A, Roalfe AK, Stokes-Lampard H, Coleman S, Rees M, Hunter MS, MacArthur C.  (2015)  The effectiveness of exercise as treatment for vasomotor menopausal symptoms: Randomised controlled trial.  Royal College of Obstetrics and Gynaecology 122, 4:565-75
  8. Daley AJ, Jolly K, Sharp DJ, Turner KM, Blamey RV, Coleman S, McGuinness M, Roalfe AK, Jones I, MacArthur C.  (2015)  A pragmatic randomised controlled trial to evaluate the effectiveness of a facilitated exercise intervention as a treatment for postnatal depression: the PAM-PeRS trial.  Psychological Medicine 25, 1-13.
  9. Parretti, HM, Aveyard P, Blannin A, Clifford SJ, Coleman SJ, Roalfe A and Daley AJ.  (2015)  Efficacy of water preloading before main meals as a strategy for weight loss in obese primary care patients: RCT. Obesity 23, 9:1785-9.

View all publications in research portal