Sarah Lamb

Sarah Lamb is the Mireillle Gillings Professor of Health Innovation at the University of Exeter and Honorary Departmental Professor at the University of Oxford. She holds leadership roles including Director of the Centre for Statistics in Medicine and Head of the Statistics, Clinical Trials and Epidemiology Section at NDORMS (Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics, Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Sciences). Her research focuses on musculoskeletal disorders, rehabilitation, and clinical trials, with a strong emphasis on translating evidence into healthcare practice.

Education: DPhil (Medicine) from the University of Oxford (1997), MSc in Rehabilitation (1991, Southampton), and MA Arts (2008, Oxford). Additional qualifications include a Postgraduate Certificate in Statistics (2005, Sheffield) and a Graduate Diploma in Physiotherapy (1986, Salford).

Research interests include back pain, falls prevention, and the effectiveness of physiotherapy interventions. She has led large-scale clinical trials, such as studies on cognitive behavioral therapy for low back pain and exercise for rheumatoid arthritis of the hand, both incorporated into international guidelines. Her work has been implemented across over 164 NHS hospitals and globally through training programs.

Awards include a 2016 Doctor of Science (honoris causa) from Brunel University, Fellowship in the Academy of Medical Sciences, and a National Institute of Health Research Senior Investigator Award. She has secured over £123 million in research grants, including major trials on rotator cuff disorders, anterior cruciate ligament surgery, and frozen shoulder treatment.

Lamb has directed multiple centers, including the Oxford Clinical Trials Research Unit and the Centre for Rehabilitation Research in Oxford. She has collaborated internationally through initiatives like the EU FP7-funded harmonization of outcome measurement methods and served on Cochrane Review panels for fall prevention.