DPhil Supervision

Sue is a medical sociologist. Most of her work uses social science informed qualitative methods. her interests include women's health and digital health She is currently a lead or co-supervisor for several DPhil students including Sharon Dixon's mixed methods study of problematic periods and their sequelae,  Rachel Rolph's study of breast reconstruction with mesh, Tori Ford's work on vaginal thrush, Layla Lavalle's work on health inequality and health advice in pregnancy, Bakita Kasadha's work on peer researchers and Kate Sheridan who is studying the use of apps in fertility tracking.

In anticipation of retirement Sue will not be taking on more doctoral students after 2023.

Sue Ziebland  (pronounced sue-zee-bland; pronouns she/her) is Professor of Medical Sociology and Co-Director (with Professor Catherine Pope) of the Medical Sociology & Health Experiences Research Group (MS&HERG), in the Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences. 

She is also a governing body fellow and dean of Welfare at Green Templeton College. In 2013 she was appointed as an NIHR Senior Investigator (renewed 2017). In 2021 she was appointed as NIHR Senior Investigator emerita.

Between May 2017 and May 2022 Sue served as Programme Director for NIHR Research for Patient Benefit.

Sue’s background is in medical sociology, with particular focus on qualitative research approaches.   She has worked as a researcher in the academic, NHS and voluntary sectors and has published over 200 papers and chapters in social science and health publications. Sue was invited (by Ann McPherson) to be involved in the DIPEx (now HEXI - Health Experience Insights) project in 1999 when it was still at the kitchen table stage. She spent a considerable (and perhaps not surprising) amount of 1999 getting the projects through a national research ethics committee. Since then Sue has worked closely with colleagues to develop the methods and raise funding for the research.

An International Collaboration of colleagues who have emulated this work currently includes Japan, Korea, Australia, Norway, Netherlands, Germany, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Spain, Canada, USA,  Switzerland and Brazil.   

Within MS&HERG Sue specialises in qualitative methods for understanding health experiences and developing experience- based health information, clinical education and service improvements.   She  teaches qualitative data analysis on the Oxford Qualitative short courses in research methods.