Dr Benjamin Saunders
| Biography | Dr Saunders is a social scientist from a medical sociology background, who has a particular interest in improving care and self-management for people with long-term health conditions, as well as in advancements in the use of qualitative research methods. Ben is currently carrying out research in the fields of young people's mental health, musculoskeletal (MSK) pain, and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)/ stoma care. Ben is currently Co-Editor of the International Journal of Social Research Methodology Ben joined the Research Institute for Primary Care and Health Sciences in June 2014, having previously worked as a researcher in the Department of Sociology at the University of York, as part of the interdisciplinary York-Cardiff Coma and Disorders of Consciousness Research Centre. Here he worked on projects focusing on serious brain injury and end-of-life decision making. Prior to this, Ben completed his PhD at Cardiff University in 2012, in which he explored young adults' experiences of living with long-term conditions, particularly focusing on Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) and Type 1 diabetes. |
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| Research Interests | Dr Saunders is Principal Investigator (PI) on the SPCR-funded Stoma Support Study: Supporting the identification and management of distress in young people with an IBD stoma. Ben is also PI for the qualitative workpackage of the CAM-Pain programme: Addressing Child and Adolescent Musculoskeletal Pain (NIHR programme grant). Ben is Co-investigator on two SPCR-funded studies: SPLAT-19 Q -Symptom Patterns and Lived experience of Long-COVID in children and adolescenTs; and Q-DaPS: Qualitative Data Preservation and Sharing. Ben is also currently the lead social science, qualitative researcher on two NIHR funded clinical trials: PANDA-S (Prognostic And Diagnostic Assessment of Shoulder Pain); and WAVE (Work And Vocational AdvicE) trial. |
| Teaching and Learning | Dr Saunders currently supervises PhD students in the following areas; - Treatment for Tennis Elbow - Delegation in musculoskeletal physiotherapy - Primary care management of self-harm in young people Ben lectures on several degree programmes, and is Lead for the Exploratory component of the postgraduate module ‘Research Methods in Health’ in the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences. He is also an Associate Fellow of the UK’s Higher Education Academy (HEA). |