Staff Profile

Christina is an applied qualitative health researcher, with a strong commitment to patient and public involvement and engagement.

Her key research focuses are:

• cancer diagnostic pathways and barriers to early diagnosis
• cancer inequalities and intersectionality
• rural inequalities, and examination of residents' experiences of health, wellbeing, and services

Christina would welcome enquiries from postgraduate research students with an interest in qualitative methods, cancer pathways, patient experience, and rural experiences of health and wellbeing.

Christina is particularly interested in collaborative approaches to co-design, and patient and public involvement and engagement in research

Her work uses different medium to engage the public, such as through her partnership with The Maltings in Berwick to deliver the 2024 artists residency programme Residencies – The Maltings (maltingsberwick.co.uk), and co-development of animations to disseminate research findings, such as those from the RURALLY study (RURALLY: What affects people in rural areas going to their GP about bowel cancer symptoms? (youtube.com)).

Some examples of recent grants include:

• Co-PI: COLO-BENEFIT: Barriers, Enables, and INEqualities in symptomatic Faecal Immnochemical Testing (FIT) completion. Bowel Cancer UK, 2025-2027

• Co-PI: What does the introduction of Lung Health Checks (LHCs) in England mean for lung  cancer inequalities? A mixed methods investigation. Cancer Research UK, 2025-2027

• PI: COLO-FC: Barriers to Faecal Immunochemical Test (FIT) Completion amongst patients with symptoms of possible colorectal cancer. Bowel Cancer UK, 2023-2024

• Co-I: ERCP Quality Improvement Project. British Society of Gastroenterology, 2022-2024

• Co-I: ‘Come and Work here!’ Exploring the role of local community-led initiatives to improve recruitment and retention of healthcare staff in remote and rural areas. NIHR Health Services & Delivery Research Programme, 2021-2023

• Co-I: Exploring the role of health literacy in the diagnosis of head and neck cancer. NIHR Research for Patient Benefit, 2021-2023

• PI: The Two ‘Big C’s’: Colorectal cancer diagnosis during the COVID-19 pandemic. The British Academy Special Grants Scheme: COVID-19, 2020-2022

• PI: RURALLY: Recognition, Understanding and Responses to colorectal symptoms Among people Living in rural Localities of Yorkshire. Yorkshire Cancer Research, 2019-2022

• Articles

  • Derbyshire E, Brown S, Hungin P, Dobson C, Rutter M. The causes, and impact, of colonoscopic perforation for endoscopists: lessons from a qualitative interview study. European Journal of Gastroenterology & Hepatology 2025, (ePub ahead of Print).
  • Dobson C, Biran A, Hamilton W, Rees C, von Wagner C, Sharp L. Practitioner perspectives on symptomatic faecal immunochemical testing: a qualitative interview study. British Journal of General Practice 2025, epub ahead of print.
  • Biran A, Dobson C, Rees CJ, Hamilton W, Humes D, Neilson LJ, Turvill J, Von Wagner C, Whelpton J, Sharp L. Patient experiences and expectations of faecal immunochemical testing for investigation of colorectal cancer symptoms: A cross-sectional qualitative interview study with patients and practitioners in the UK. BMJ Open 2025, 15(5), 093215.
  • Biran A, Dobson C, Rees CJ, Brooks-Pearson R, Cunliffe A, Durrant LA, Ludlow H, Hancock J, Pedley I, Neilson LJ, Wilson A, Sharp L. Healthcare provision for cancer survivors with chronic bowel symptoms post pelvic radiotherapy. "… and then you're kind of cast adrift": A qualitative study. European Journal of Oncology Nursing 2025, 76, 102895.
  • Biran A, Dobson C, Rees C, Brooks-Pearson R, Cunliffe A, Durrant L, Hancock J, Ludlow H, Neilson L, Wilson A, Sharp L. From pelvic radiation to social isolation: a qualitative study of survivors’ experiences of chronic bowel symptoms after pelvic radiotherapy. Journal of Cancer Survivorship 2025, 19, 1019-1027.
  • Maclaren A, Locock L, Skea Z, Angell A, Cleland J, Dawson T, Denison A, Dobson C, Hollick R, Murchie P, Skatun D, Watson V. ‘Come and work here!’: A qualitative exploration of local community-led initiatives to recruit and retain health care staff in remote and rural areas of the UK. Journal of Health Services Research & Policy 2025, (ePub ahead of Print).
  • Fretwell A, Dobson C, Orange ST, Corfe B. Diet and physical activity advice for colorectal cancer survivors: Critical synthesis of public-facing guidance. Supportive Care in Cancer 2024, 32, 609.
  • Everett SM, Ahmed W, Dobson C, Haworth E, Jarvis M, Kluettgens B, Oates BC, Oppong KW, Rees C, Scarisbrick L, Sharp L, Wadhwani S, Penman ID. British Society of Gastroenterology Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) Quality Improvement Programme: minimum service standards and good practice statements. Frontline Gastroenterology 2024, 15(6), 445-471.
  • Dobson CM, Deane J, Osborne B, Araujo-Soares V, Rees CJ, Angell L, Sharp L. ‘I Do It All Alone’: The Burdens and Benefits of Being Diagnosed With, and Treated for, Colorectal Cancer During the Covid-19 Pandemic. Health Expectations 2024, 27(3), e14110.
  • Dobson C, Deane J, Macdonald S, Murchie P, Ellwood C, Angell L, Rubin G. Barriers to Early Presentation amongst Rural Residents Experiencing Symptoms of Colorectal Cancer: A Qualitative Interview Study. Cancers 2023, 15(1), 274.
  • Hampton J, Koo S, Dobson C, Stewart C, Neilson L, Montague K, Mitra S, Whelpton J, Addison C, Kelly P, Rushton S, Hull M, Sharp L, Rees C. The COLO-COHORT (Colorectal Cancer Cohort) study: Protocol for a multi-centre, observational research study and development of a consent-for-contact research platform. Colorectal Disease 2022, 24(10), 1216-1226.
  • Dobson C, Brown S, Russell A, Rubin G. Risk and the importance of absent symptoms in constructions of the ‘cancer candidate’. Health, Risk and Society 2022, 24(5-6), 225-240.
  • Dobson C, Brown S, Russell A, Rubin G. Public & private accounts of help-seeking: The implications of research methods on the presentation of narratives. International Journal of Social Research Methodology 2022, 25(4), 483-493.
  • Kerrison R, Travis E, Dobson C, Whitaker K, Rees C, Duffy S, von Wagner C. Barriers and facilitators to colonoscopy following faecal immunochemical test screening for colorectal cancer: a key informant interview study. Patient Education and Counselling 2022, 105(6), 1652-1662.
  • Dobson C, Rubin G, Murchie P, Macdonald S, Sharp L. Reconceptualising rural cancer inequalities: Time for a new research agenda. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 2020, 17(4), 1455.
  • Dobson, C. When should a 'good patient' consult for symptoms of colorectal cancer?. The Digest 2019, 7(12), 26-29.
  • Dobson C, Russell A, Brown S, Rubin G. The role of social context in symptom appraisal and help‐seeking among people with lung or colorectal symptoms: A qualitative interview study. European Journal of Cancer Care 2018, 27(2), e12815.
  • Dobson CM. How do 'Good Patients' respond to symptoms of colorectal cancer?. EuroDigest 2017, 1(4), 32-33.
  • Walter FM, Emery JD, Mendonca S, Hall N, Morris HC, Mills K, Dobson C, Bankhead C, Johnson M, Abel GA, Rutter MD, Hamilton W, Rubin GP. Symptoms and patient factors associated with longer time to diagnosis for colorectal cancer: Results from a prospective cohort study. British Journal of Cancer 2016, 115(5), 533-541.
  • Walter FM, Rubin G, Bankhead C, Morris HC, Hall N, Mills K, Dobson C, Rintoul RC, Hamilton W, Emery J. Symptoms and other factors associated with time to diagnosis and stage of lung cancer: a prospective cohort study. British Journal of Cancer 2015, 112, S6-S13.
  • Hall NJ, Rubin GP, Dobson C, Weller D, Wardle J, Ritchie M, Rees CJ. Attitudes and beliefs of non-participants in a population-based screening programme for colorectal cancer. Health Expectations 2015, 18(5), 1645-1657.
  • Dobson CM, Russell AJ, Rubin GP. Patient delay in cancer diagnosis: what do we really mean and can we be more specific?. BMC Health Services Research 2014, 14, 1-6.

• Review

  • Fretwell A, Louca P, Cohoon G, Sakellaropoulou A, Henriques Caetano MDP, Koullapis A, Orange ST, Malcomson FC, Dobson C, Corfe BM. Still too little evidence: the role of diet in colorectal cancer survivorship - a systematic review. Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition 2024, 65(16), 3173-3185.