Hi! I’m Sarah. I’m a social scientist specialising in the very detailed methodology of Conversation Analysis and am one of a very few Conversation Analysts in Australia.

Following my undergraduate degree at UNSW, I wanted to continue doing anything in linguistics and was particularly drawn to understanding how could be used to improve healthcare communication. My research began as a doctoral student analysing surgeon-patient consultations in a project conducted under the auspices of the Applied Research on Communication in Health group at the University of Otago. During that time I mostly lived in Australia, researching by distance and working part-time in federal health policy.

After graduating in late 2011, most of my work has been in higher education in professional and education-focussed roles, allowing me to develop as an expert educator. In recognition of this expertise, I became a Senior Fellow of Advance HE (SFHEA) in 2019 and was awarded a 2021 AAUT Citation for Student Learning. I am currently the only Australian affiliate for use of the evidence-based communication training method, Conversation Analytic Role-play Method (CARM). I’ve developed and delivered education on communication and other aspects of professional practice for all levels of higher education, from first year students to highly experienced professionals.

Since starting Bedside Manners, I have delivered workshops for health care organisations and medical colleges, conducted research at leading Australian universities, and contributed as a Subject Matter Expert for the Communicating for Safety standard review at the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care.