Projects per year
Personal profile
Research interests
My main research interest is improving outcomes for women undergoing oncoplastic and reconstructive breast surgery.
My PhD work used systematic reviews and qualitative work to determine the need for and feasibility of randomised clinical trials in breast reconstruction. A series of systematic reviews demonstrated a paucity of high-quality evidence of the effectiveness of BR and highlighted the need for well-designed pragmatic multicentre RCTs and prospective cohort studies with standardised outcomes to provide evidence to inform decision-making for reconstructive surgery. Qualitative work suggested that well-designed trials may be possible but a lack of understanding of trial methodology and the need for RCTs emerged as a major barrier to the acceptance of RCTs among the surgical community.
As a Clinical Lecturer, I led the BRAVO (Breast Reconstruction and Valid Outcomes) Study which developed a core outcome set for reconstructive breast surgery funded by an Academy of Medical Sciences Clinical Lecturer Starter Grant and I co-led the NIHR Research for Patient Benefit funded iBRA (Implant Breast Reconstruction evAluation) study, a prospective multicentre cohort study to inform the feasibility, design and conduct of a pragmatic RCT comparing different approaches to implant-based breast reconstruction. I also led a number of large trainee collaborative projects in oncoplastic and reconstructive breast surgery including iBRA-2 which explored the impact of immediate breast reconstruction on time to adjuvant therapy and TeaM (funded by the Association of Breast Surgery) which aimed to determine the practice and short term outcomes of therapeutic mammaplasty.
I completed a highly prestigious Training Interface Group National Oncoplastic Fellowship in Liverpool where I learned a range of reconstructive and oncoplastic techniques and achieved my Certificate of Completion of Training in July 2017.
I am currently an NIHR Clinician Scientist and Associate Professor of Oncoplastic Breast Surgery. My current projects include the Pre-BRA, ANTHEM, Best-BRA and Brighter studies all of which aim to build the evidence base for oncoplastic and reconstructive breast surgery to help women make more informed decisions about their surgical options.
I divide my time between the University and the Bristol Breast Care Centre at North Bristol NHS Trust where I aim to provide high quality, evidence-based patient care.
External positions
Member of NCRI Breast Clinical Studies Group
Mar 2018 → …
Associate Editor 'Trials'
Jan 2018 → …
Association of Breast Surgery Academic and Research Committee
Jan 2017 → …
Trainee member of the Association of Breast Surgery Academic and Research Committee
Jun 2015 → Jan 2017
Chair of the Mammary Fold Academic and Research Collaborative
Jun 2015 → May 2017
Trainee member of NCRI Breast Clinical Studies Group
1 Nov 2014 → 30 Jun 2016
Structured keywords and research groupings
- ConDuCT-II
- Bristol Population Health Science Institute
Keywords
- Oncoplastic surgery
- Breast Reconstruction
- outcomes research
- feasibility studies
- methodology
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Network
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The BRAVER Study - Methods to develop less and better research in reconstructive breast surgery
1/03/17 → 31/08/23
Project: Research
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Research output
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A Core Outcome Set for Seamless, Standardized Evaluation of Innovative Surgical Procedures and Devices (COHESIVE): A Patient and Professional Stakeholder Consensus Study
Avery, K. N. L., Wilson, N. M., Macefield, R. C., Mcnair, A. G. K., Hoffmann, C., Blazeby, J. M. & Potter, S., 1 Feb 2023, In: Annals of Surgery. 277, 2, p. 238-245 8 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article (Academic Journal) › peer-review
Open AccessFile6 Citations (Scopus)30 Downloads (Pure) -
Bridging pre-surgical endocrine therapy for breast cancer during the COVID-19 pandemic: outcomes from the B-MaP-C study
B-MaP-C study collaborative, Dave, R. V., Elsberger, B., Taxiarchi, V. P., Gandhi, A., Kirwan, C. C., Kim, B., Camacho, E. M., Coles, C. E., Copson, E., Courtney, A., Horgan, K., Fairbrother, P., Holcombe, C., Kirkham, J. J., Leff, D. R., McIntosh, S. A., O'Connell, R., Pardo, R., Potter, S., & 4 others , 3 Apr 2023, (E-pub ahead of print) In: Breast Cancer Research and Treatment. 199, 2, p. 1-15 15 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article (Academic Journal) › peer-review
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Current practice and provision of oncoplastic breast conserving surgery in the UK: Results of the ANTHEM National Practice Questionnaire
Davies, C. F., Whisker, L., Skillman, J., Macmillan, D., Holcombe, C., Fairbrother, P. & Potter, S., 22 May 2023, In: Breast Cancer Research and Treatment. p. 1-15 15 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article (Academic Journal) › peer-review