Following a degree in Natural Sciences (Experimental Psychology) at the University of Cambridge, Sally Wheelwright remained in Cambridge to research reading development for a year followed by 15 years of autism research. In 2010, she moved to the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Southampton to develop quality of life questionnaires and complete a PhD, focussing on cancer cachexia (uncontrolled, unintentional weight loss and muscle wasting). In 2017, Sally joined the Macmillan Survivorship Research Group in Health Sciences, University of Southampton to work on prospective longitudinal cohort studies exploring the recovery of health and wellbeing in adults diagnosed with cancer.
Sally joined SHORE-C in October 2021. Her research interests centre around measuring and improving quality of life in people with life limiting and life changing conditions.
A series of public consultation events held in 2025 in Sussex and Surrey explored the use of electronic questionnaires in healthcare, particularly among groups at risk of poorer health outcomes. The consultations aimed to understand barriers, concerns, and enablers related to digital health tools, especially in the context of the NHS's shift toward digital services.
This project aims to design a programme the help people with bowel cancer who not very active to move more before and after thir bowel cancer surgery, which can help them feel better, recover faster, and even lower the chance of the cancer coming back. The team are working closely with patients, nurses, cancer support workers and other health experts to make sure the programme is easy to use, helpful, inclusive and fit's into people's lives.
Neil Botting, Ana-Carolina Goncalves, Todd Leckie, Sally Wheelwright, Stefanie Harding, Christina Koulouglioti, Luke Hodgson (2026) Prehabilitation in patients with low physical fitness undergoing colorectal cancer surgery: a scoping review. BJA Open; 19: 100572 Find it online here
29/06/2026
Leckie, T., Sinclair, H., Murphy, L., Harding, S., Botting, N., Wheelwright, S., Aicken, C., Huber, J. W., & Hodgson, L. E. (2026). Patient Acceptance of Colorectal Cancer Exercise Prehabilitation: A Scoping Review. Anesthesia Research, 3(2), 18 Find it online here
17/06/2026
McCracken J, Wheelwright S, Shaw C (2026) Parenteral nutrition in advanced cancer: A qualitative study on decision-making and information needs of patients and carers. PLoS One 21(6): e0350396. Find it online here
02/06/2026
Veronika I. Engele , Vassilios Vassiliou, Sally Wheelwright , Monika Sztankay, Chiara Puglisi, Katarzyna Pogoda , Rachel van Leeuwaarde ... Anne S. Oberguggenberger (2026). Assessing Quality of Life in Individuals with Hereditary Cancer Risk: Results from Phases 1-3a of the EORTC QLQ-HCR30 Questionnaire European Journal of Cancer; 116226. Find it online here
09/01/2026
Yang W, Skan O, Rogers SN, Wheelwright S, Kim DS. (2025) Understanding the Factors That Influence Shared-Decision Making Around Surgical Resection of Low-Risk Thyroid Cancers: A Prospective Qualitative Study. Thyroid. Find it online here
18/12/2025
Sztankay M, Wheelwright S, Vassiliou V, Bleiker EMA, Rahman B, Holzner ...Oberguggenberger, A. (2025) Quality of Life in Adult Individuals Living With or at Risk of a Hereditary Cancer Predisposition Syndrome: A Scoping Review of the Qualitative Literature. Cancer Medicine;14 (18). Find it online here
12/09/2025
Wheelwright, S., Lean, Q.Y., Minton, O., Shilling, V. The use of patient reported outcome measures in routine cancer clinical care: results from a freedom of information request. Discov Health Systems 4, 64 (2025). Https://doi.org/10.1007/s44250-025-00250-6 Find it online here
03/06/2025
Piccinin C, Aaronson N, Bjordal K, Coens C, Darlington A, …, Wheelwright S, Groenvold M. (2025) Flexibility in patient-reported outcome and health-related quality of life measurement: The EORTC Quality of Life Group measurement strategy, European Journal of Cancer, 220. doi:10.1016/j.ejca.2025.115392. Find it online here
07/04/2025
Wheelwright S, Minton O, Absolom K, Fairvre-Finn C, Fallowfield L, Gilbert ...Shilling V. (2025) Integrating ePROMs: A Key Opportunity for England's National Cancer Plan. Journal of Cancer Policy (44): 100575 Find it online here
10/03/2025
Meattini I, De Santis MC, Visani L, Scorsetti M, Fozza A, Meduri B ... Livi L. (2024). Single-modality endocrine therapy versus radiotherapy after breast-conserving surgery in women aged 70 years and older with luminal A-like early breast cancer (EUROPA): a preplanned interim analysis of a phase 3, non-inferiority, randomised trial. Lancet Oncology, 26 (1): 37-50 Find it online here
12/12/2024