Staff Profile

Roles and Responsibilities

Research Associate (Diagnostic Methods) at the NIHR HealthTech Research Centre (HRC) in Diagnostic and Technology Evaluation (formerly NIHR MIC) at Newcastle University. Provide support to the Newcastle NIHR HRC projects evaluating clinical diagnostic tests. This includes evidence synthesis, study design, protocols, analysis plans and manuscripts; quantitative and qualitative data collection; data management, analysis, and interpretation of results (for example via care pathway analysis or thematic analysis); and reporting and dissemination of findings including proactively seeking out advice from relevant experts, NHS commissioners and regulators, and supporting and managing the patient, public, and service provider engagement and involvement activities for projects. Specialty in implementation science, open science, research data management and qualitative methods. 

UK Reproducibility Network (UKRN) joint local network lead for Newcastle University. This role involves promotion of the aims of the UKRN throughout the University and being a point of contact for UKRN, as well as representing the grassroots network of researchers at Newcastle University. I am also an open research champion for the university working as part of the University’s Research Culture Programme promoting and advocating for open research within the faculty of medical sciences. I have a particular interest in reproducible research and data sharing.

Qualifications

PhD Participants' attitudes towards data sharing, Newcastle University.

MPH Health Informatics, Staffordshire University. 

MSc Enterprise Environment and Place, The University of Birmingham. 

BA Geography, The University of Birmingham.  

Previous Roles

Database Manager, Newcastle Clinical Trials Unit.

Research Assistant on the study "The long term sequelae of radiation exposure due to computed tomography in children and young people".

Public Health Information Analyst, Sandwell Primary Care Trust.

Research Interests 

• Research Methodology
• Qualitative methods
• Implementation science
• Data Sharing (including participant attitudes)
• Reproducibility/Open Science
• Diagnostics
• Trial design
• Health data    

• Articles

  • Naseem R, Howe N, Pretorius S, Williams C, Lendrem C, Pallmann P, Carrol ED. Mapping decision-making pathways: Determination of intervention entry points for diagnostic tests in suspected serious infection. NIHR Open Research 2025, 4, 35.
  • Wilson JA, Fouweather T, Stocken DD, Homer T, Haighton C, Rousseau N, O'Hara J, Vale L, Wilson R, Carnell S, Wilkes S, Morrison J, Ah-See K, Carrie S, Hopkins C, Howe N, Hussain M, Lindley L, MacKenzie K, McSweeney L, Mehanna H, Raine C, Whelan RS, Sullivan F, von Wilamowitz-Moellendorff A, Teare D. Tonsillectomy compared with conservative management in patients over 16 years with recurrent sore throat: the NATTINA RCT and economic evaluation. Health Technology Assessment 2023, 27(31).
  • Akowuah EF, Maier RH, Hancock HC, Kharatikoopaei E, Vale L, Fernandez-Garcia C, Ogundimu E, Wagnild J, Mathias A, Walmsley Z, Howe N, Kasim A, Graham R, Murphy GJ, Zacharias J. Minithoracotomy vs Conventional Sternotomy for Mitral Valve Repair: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA 2023, 329(22), 1957-1966.
  • Wilson JA, O'Hara J, Fouweather T, Homer T, Stocken DD, Vale L, Haighton C, Rousseau N, Wilson R, McSweeney L, Wilkes S, Morrison J, MacKenzie K, Ah-See K, Carrie S, Hopkins C, Howe N, Hussain M, Mehanna H, Raine C, Sullivan F, von Wilamowitz-Moellendorff A, Teare MD. Conservative management versus tonsillectomy in adults with recurrent acute tonsillitis in the UK (NATTINA): a multicentre, open-label, randomised controlled trial. The Lancet 2023, 401(10393), 2051-2059.
  • Snowden C, Lynch E, Avery L, Haighton C, Howel D, Mamasoula V, Gilvarry E, McColl E, Prentis J, Gerrand C, Steel A, Goudie N, Howe N, Kaner E. Preoperative behavioural intervention to reduce drinking before elective orthopaedic surgery: the PRE-OP BIRDS feasibility RCT. Health Technology Assessment 2020, 24(12), 1-176.
  • Giles EL, McGeechan GJ, Coulton S, Deluca P, Drummond C, Howel D, Kaner E, McColl E, McGovern R, Scott S, Stamp E, Sumnall H, Todd L, Vale L, Albani V, Boniface S, Frankham J, Ferguson J, Gilvarry E, Hendrie N, Howe N, Mossop H, Ramsay A, Stanley G, Newbury-Birch D. Brief alcohol intervention for risky drinking in young people aged 14 15 years in secondary schools: the SIPS JR-HIGH RCT. Public Health Research 2019, 7(9).
  • Kunadian V, Wilson N, Stocken D, Hani A, McColl E, Burns G, Howe N, Fisher A, De Soyza A. Antiplatelet therapy in the primary prevention of cardiovascular diseasein patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a randomised controlled proof-of-concept trial. ERJ Open Research 2019, 5(3).
  • Howe N, Giles EL, Newbury-Birch D, McColl E. Systematic Review of participants' attitudes towards data sharing: a thematic synthesis. Journal of Health Services Research & Policy 2018, 23(2), 123-133.
  • Snowden CP, Lynch E, Avery L, Gerrand C, Gilvarry E, Goudie N, Haighton C, Hall L, Howe N, Howell D, McColl E, Prentis J, Stamp E, Kaner E. Preoperative Behavioural Intervention versus standard care to Reduce Drinking before elective orthopaedic Surgery (PRE-OP BIRDS): Protocol for a multicentre pilot randomised controlled trial. Pilot and Feasibility Studies 2018, 4(140).
  • Kunadian V, Chan D, Ali H, Wilkinson N, Howe N, McColl E, Thornton J, von Wilamowitz-Moellendorff A, Holstein EM, Burns G, Fisher A, Stocken D, De Soyza A. Antiplatelet therapy in the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease in patients with chronicobstructive pulmonary disease: protocol of a randomised controlled proof-of-concept trial (APPLE COPD-ICON 2). BMJ Open 2018, 8, e020713.
  • Giles EL, Coulton S, Deluca P, Drummond C, Howel D, Kaner E, McColl E, McGovern R, Scott S, Stamp E, Sumnall H, Tate L, Todd L, Vale L, Albani V, Boniface S, Ferguson J, Frankham J, Gilvarry E, Hendrie N, Howe N, McGeechan GJ, Stanley G, Newbury-Birch D. Multicentre individual randomised controlled trial of screening and brief alcohol intervention to prevent risky drinking in young people aged 14-15 in a high school setting (SIPS JR-HIGH): study protocol. BMJ Open 2016, 6(12), e012474.
  • Pearce MS, Salotti JA, Little MP, McHugh K, Lee C, Kim KP, Howe NL, Ronckers CM, Rajaraman P, Craft AW, Parker L, de Gonzalez AB. Radiation exposure from CT scans in childhood and subsequent risk of leukaemia and brain tumours: a retrospective cohort study. Lancet 2012, 380(9840), 499-505.
  • Pearce MS, Salotti JA, Howe NL, McHugh K, Kim KP, Lee C, Craft AW, de Gonzalez AB, Parker L. CT Scans in Young People in Great Britain: Temporal and Descriptive Patterns, 1993–2002. Radiology Research and Practice 2012, 594278.

• Letter

  • Pearce MS, Salotti JA, Little MP, McHugh K, Lee C, Kim KP, Howe NL, Ronckers CM, Rajaraman P, Craft AW, Parker L, de Gonzalez AB. CT scans in childhood and risk of leukaemia and brain tumours reply. Lancet 2012, 380(9855), 1736-1737.

• Review

  • Naseem R, Howe N, Williams CJ, Pretorius S, Green K. What diagnostic tests are available for respiratory infections or pulmonary exacerbations in cystic fibrosis: A scoping literature review. Respiratory Investigation 2024, 62(5), 817-831.