Staff Profile

About me

After completing a training fellowship in evidence synthesis with Cochrane, I am now a healthcare researcher in evidence synthesis at the NIHR Innovation Observatory. My work centres around the correct application and development of secondary research methods and health technology assessment (HTA) processes across many healthcare topics. Earlier academic experience includes working with the rare neuromuscular disease community, clinical academics, and industry to support the delivery of a clinical trial and natural history studies and then latterly leading the co-creation of a two-year programme to disseminate standards of care internationally.

About the NIHR Innovation Observatory

The NIHR Innovation Observatory is a world leading health and care innovation scanning centre providing data-driven insights to foster innovation and equitable access to high quality care. We aim to transform health systems and improve population health by providing advanced data-driven insights that foster innovation and equitable access to high quality care. At the core of our work is the development of data-driven methods to identify, capture and synthesise intelligence on new health innovations. We develop and share cutting edge methods in horizon scanning, building capacity in the systems across the public, voluntary and industry sectors.

We deliver essential intelligence and insights about medicines and MedTech innovation to the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE), NHS England, the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), the NIHR, the UK Health Security Agency, the Department for Health and Social Care and industry - allowing these organisations to prepare for policies, regulation and frontline delivery for new, emerging and disruptive technologies.

Current core activities

• Applying evidence synthesis methods to answer priority research questions. I have experience working in multi-disciplinary teams to produce systematic reviews, scoping reviews, evidence gap maps and horizon scanning reports. Other research methods I have experience with include semi-structured interviews and the early stages of a core outcome set development.

• Working with a team of information specialists and health economists with the Newcastle-Technology Assessment Review (TAR) group. The TAR group independently appraises the clinical and cost-effectiveness of health technologies submitted to NICE for potential use within the NHS. I have experience and an interest in working on appraisals for Highly Specialised Technologies.

• Writing and reviewing technology briefings for medicines identified via horizon scanning as relevant to the UK healthcare system. The health technology briefings are an early step in the NICE topic selection process and aim to facilitate timely market access and delivery to patients.

I contribute to teaching and marking for the compulsory module, 'Introduction to Systematic Reviewing and Critical Appraisal,' as part of the Public Health and Health Services Research MSc/MPH program.

I have co-supervised undergraduate and postgraduate student dissertations. I would be open to supervising students undertaking systematic, scoping, or rapid reviews.

• Articles

  • Moradi N, O'Connor N, Thomson KH, Shabaninejad H, Sotire T, Still M, Fernandez-Garcia C, Wallace SA, Williams O, Vale L, Sagoo GS. NICE Approaches to Expert Opinion Evidence in Highly Specialised Technologies: Time to Change? Evidence Assessment Group Perspective. PharmacoEconomics 2024, 42, 913-917.
  • Johnson EE, O'Connor N, Hilton P, Pearson F, Goh J, Vale L. Interventions for treating obstetric fistula: An evidence gap map. PLOS Global Public Health 2023, 3(1), e0001481.
  • Beyer F, Rice S, Orozco-Leal G, Still M, O'Keefe H, O'Connor N, Stoniute A, Craig D, Pereira S, Carr L, Leeds J. Clinical and cost effectiveness of endoscopic bipolar radiofrequency ablation for the treatment of malignant biliary obstruction: a systematic review. Health Technology Assessment 2023, 27(7), 1-118.
  • O'Connor N, Thomson KH, Gill S, Jackson S, Wallace SA, Pearson F. A rapid priority setting exercise combining existing, emergent evidence with stakeholder knowledge identified broad topic uncertainties. Journal of Clinical Epidemiology 2023, 154, P178-187.
  • Thomson KH, O'Connor N, Dangova KT, Gill S, Jackson S, Bliss DZ, Wallace SA, Pearson F. Rapid priority setting exercise on faecal incontinence for Cochrane Incontinence. BMJ Open Gastroenterology 2022, 9, e000847.
  • Vesentini G, O'Connor N, Elders A, Le Berre M, Nabhan AF, Wagg A, Cacciari L, Dumoulin C. Interventions for treating urinary incontinence in older women: a network meta‐analysis [protocol]. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2022, (8), CD015376.
  • Thomson KH, Dangova K, Bliss DZ, Wallace S, O'Connor N, Richter HE, Pearson F. Future developments and new technologies in the field of faecal incontinence: scanning the horizon using late-stage clinical trial registrations. BMJ Innovations 2022, 8(4), 278-284.

• Conference Proceedings (inc. Abstracts)

  • Vesentini G, O'Connor N, Le Berre N, Nabhan AF, Wagg A, Wallace S, Dumoulin C. 240 - What is the best treatment for urinary incontinence in older women? A Cochrane network meta-analysis. In: International Continence Society (ICS 2024). 2024, Madrid: Elsevier.
  • O'Connor N. Use of technology to co-create student assessment for a postgraduate module in systematic reviewing and critical appraisal(presented on behalf of the Evidence Synthesis Group). In: Newcastle University Learning and Teaching Conference. 2023, Newcastle, UK.
  • Johnson E, O'Connor N, Hilton P, Pearson F, Goh J, Vale L. Novel methods used when conducting an evidence gap map surrounding interventions for treating obstetric fistula. In: 27th Cochrane Colloquium. 2023, London: Cochrane.
  • O'Connor N, Johnson EE, Wallace SA, Vale L, Pearson F. Nocturnal enuresis in children: Rapid scoping review and semi-structured interviews to inform development of a core outcome set. In: Cochrane Colloquium. 2023, London, UK: Cochrane.
  • O'Connor N, Johnson EE, Wallace SA, Vale L, Pearson F. Impact of Enuresis. In: Bladder & Bowel UK National Symposium. 2023, Bolton.
  • O'Connor N, Johnson EE, Wallace SA, Pearson F, Vale L. A scoping review and semi-structured interviews to generate a list of outcome measures used to evaluate the clinical effectiveness of interventions in children with nocturnal enuresis. In: 7th UK Patient Reported Outcome Measures (PROMs) Research Conference: 'PROMs Across the Lifespan'. 2023, Sheffield, UK: PROMs.
  • Johnson E, O'Connor N, Hilton P, Goh J, Vale L, Pearson F. 130 - Interventions for treating obstetric fistula: Results of an evidence gap map. In: International Continence Society (ICS 2023). 2023, Toronto: Elsevier BV.
  • O'Connor N, Thomson K, Dangova K, Gill S, Wallace S, Jackson S, Pearson F. OP32 A Multistep Multistakeholder Priority Setting Exercise For Fecal Incontinence. In: Health Technology Assessment international (HTAi) 2022. 2022, Utrecht, the Netherlands: Cambridge University Press.
  • Beyer F, Rice S, Orozco-Leal G, Still M, O'Keefe H, O'Connor N, Stoniute A, Craig D, Pereira S, Carr L, Leeds J. PTU-35 Endoscopic bipolar radiofrequency ablation for treating malignant biliary obstruction: Systematic review and meta-analysis. In: British Society of Gastroenterology (BSG) Annual Meeting. 2021, Online: BMJ Publishing Group.
  • Beyer F, Rice S, Orozco-Leal G, Still M, O'Keefe H, O'Connor N, Stoniute A, Craig D, Pereira S, Carr L, Leeds J. P-P21 Endoscopic bipolar radiofrequency ablation for treating biliary obstruction caused by unresectable cancer: systematic review of clinical and cost effectiveness. In: UGI Congress 2021. 2021, Belfast: Oxford University Press.

• Online Publications

  • O'Connor N, Bushby L, Barnabez J, Wallace S, Garcia-Gonzalez-Moral S, Close H, Pearson F. What is known about anxiety, claustrophobia and its impact on decision-making about important occupations and equipment for people with motor neurone disease? a scoping review protocol. 2024. Available at: https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/VXJY6.
  • Ryburn L, Murphy A, Schroth M, Guyer J, Gonzales JL, Muni-Lofra R, Wittchen A, Ancil B, O'Connor N. The Guide to the 2017 International Standards of Care for SMA. 2018. Available at: https://www.treat-nmd.org/resources-and-support/care-guides/sma-care/#1695210803951-6e11031c-eecc.

• Report

  • Thomson K, O'Connor N, Shabaninejad H, Sotire T, Still M, Moradi N, Fernandez-Garcia C, Wallace SA, Williams O, Vale L, Sagoo G. Highly Specialised Technology appraisal - Sebelipase alfa for treating Wolman disease (rapidly progressive LAL-D) [ID3995]. Manchester: Newcastle Technology Assessment Review (TAR) group, 2023.

• Review

  • Rice S, Carr K, Sobiesuo P, Shabaninejad H, Orozco-Leal G, Kontogiannis V, Marshall C, Pearson F, Moradi N, O'Connor N, Stoniute A, Richmond C, Craig D, Allegranzi B, Cassini A. Economic evaluations of interventions to prevent and control health-care-associated infections: a systematic review. The Lancet Infectious Diseases 2023, 23(7), e228-e239.