Sarah Cunningham-Burley

Sarah is Professor of Medical and Family Sociology at Edinburgh Medical School, where she has had a distinguished career championing the role of social sciences in research, education, and knowledge exchange. 

Sarah has been instrumental in promoting interdisciplinary collaboration and public engagement in research. Her research focuses on the sociology of health and illness, family life, and the social implications of new technologies and health. Sarah is also the Chair of the Nuffield Council on Bioethics and has held various leadership positions, including founding director of the Centre for Research on Families and Relationships and head of the public engagement research programme within the FARR Institute@Scotland. 

She is committed to engaging the public in research and promoting gender equality, and has been recognised for her contributions to the field, including being elected to the Academy of Social Sciences in 2012. Sarah's work has had a lasting impact on the medical curriculum and postgraduate taught programs, and she continues to inspire students and staff with her passion for exploring complex social and ethical issues in health-related research, healthcare, and public health.