Dr Sarah Northcott

Overview

Sarah is a Senior Lecturer and Clinical Academic based at the Division of Language and Communication Science. Her research interests lie in exploring ways to support the emotional and social well-being of people living with stroke and aphasia. She recently led the SOlution Focused brief therapy In Aphasia (SOFIA) study, a feasibility randomised controlled trial funded by the Stroke Association (https://blogs.city.ac.uk/sofia/).

Sarah’s first degree was in Music at Cambridge University and she went on to study piano accompaniment at the Royal Academy of Music in London. She subsequently retrained to become a Speech and Language Therapist at City, University of London. Sarah worked as a clinician on the Isle of Wight and for Lambeth Primary Care Trust before completing her PhD examining the social impact of stroke and aphasia at City, University of London. This led to an article on social networks that won the 2016 Editor's Award of the Journal of Speech Language and Hearing Research, language section. In 2015 she was awarded a School of Health Sciences 12-month Postdoctoral Fellowship Award at City, University of London. She subsequently received the Stroke Association Jack and Averil (Mansfield) Bradley Fellowship Award for Stroke Research in 2016. As well as leading the SOFIA Trial, she was a co-investigator and leading the qualitative evaluation on the SUPERB Trial, investigating peer befriending for people with aphasia, Stroke Association Priority Programme Award.

In 2022 she received funding from Research England: Participatory Research to lead THEA (Training Healthcare professionals to support the Emotions of people with Aphasia); and City University SHPS Research Sustainability Fund to lead ELA (Emotional and Language recovery for people with Aphasia). Most recently, Sarah and team have been awarded a grant from Sir Halley Stewart Trust, for the Wellbeing In Stroke and Aphasia (WISA) project, which is developing an innovative, accessible service to support the psychological wellbeing of people living with aphasia, starting in 2023.

Sarah is also a Research Affiliate of the Centre for Research Excellence in Aphasia Recovery and Rehabilitation, La Trobe University, Australia, a member of the Acquired Brian Injury Rehabilitation Alliance, and was a part-time Senior Lecturer at University of East Anglia, 2019-2021.

Qualifications

• PhD ‘Social support after a stroke’, City, University London, United Kingdom, 2013
• MSc in Speech and Language Therapy, City, University London, United Kingdom, 2004
• PGDiploma in Speech and Language Therapy, City, University London, United Kingdom, 2002
• PGDiploma in Piano Accompaniment, Royal Academy of Music, United Kingdom, 1999
• BA Hons Music, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom, 1994

Memberships of committees

• International Aphasia Rehabilitation Conference, 2016 – present
• British Aphasiology Society Therapy Symposium, 2012 – present

Memberships of professional organisations

• Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists
• Health and Care Professions Council

Research Overview

Sarah’s research focuses on improving psychosocial well-being for people with stroke and aphasia. There are two broad strands to her research.

Firstly, she is interested in research that explores ways to enable people with aphasia to make meaningful and positive change in their lives. She has a particular interest in Solution Focused Brief Therapy, and has recently received the Stroke Association Jack and Averil (Mansfield) Bradley Fellowship Award to enable her to conduct a feasibility study (the SoFIA trial). This study will explore how best to adapt this therapy approach for people with both mild and severe aphasia; the acceptability and perceived benefits; as well as examine the feasibility of carrying out a future large-scale trial into clinical and cost effectiveness.

Secondly, Sarah is interested in exploring the psychosocial impact of stroke, both the ‘lived experience’ of having a stroke using qualitative methodology, and also adapting and developing outcome measures that are accessible to people with aphasia. For example, as part of her PhD, she developed the Stroke Social Network Scale which enables both those with and without aphasia to self-report on their social network, enabling clinicians to identify those at risk of becoming socially isolated.

Research Grants

2016-2019 Northcott S. (PI) Adapting a psychosocial intervention for people with post-stroke aphasia: a feasibility study (SoFIA trial). The Stroke Association Jack and Averil (Mansfield) Bradley Fellowship Award. £174,936

2015-2019 Co-applicant; Hilari, K. (PI) Adjustment post stroke and aphasia: Supporting well-being through Peer Befriending (SUPERB trial). Stroke Association, Priority Programme Award. £490,664

2015 Northcott S. (PI). Exploring service users’ perspectives on a proposed feasibility study investigating Solution Focused Brief Therapy for people with post-stroke aphasia. Research Design Service Enabling Involvement Fund. £350

2015 Northcott S. (PI), Hilari K. (co-PI), and Simpson A. Speech and Language Therapists' delivery of psychosocial therapy and support to people with post-stroke aphasia. Research Sustainability Fund, City University London. £8,060

2013- 2014 Co-recipient; Hilari, K (PI) Can Solution Focused Brief Therapy help with social and emotional well-being after a stroke and aphasia? A feasibility proof-of-concept study. Research Sustainability Fund, City University London. £9,840

Principal Collaborators

Dr Katerina Hilari
Professor Alan Simpson
Dr Shirley Thomas
Professor Jane Marshall
Dr Shashi Hirani
Dr Carole Pound
Dr Chris Flood
Jane Ritchie
Kidge Burns

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