SARAH LOUISE WATSON
Dubai
Summary
A PhD Medicine and Vision Science student from Queen's University Belfast with over seven years' experience creating useable, equitable, enjoyable, and useful user-focused platforms. A recipient of the Strathclyde Excellence Scholarship (top 2 % of students annually, 2017–2021), the Department for the Economy (DfE) Collaborative Award (2021–2025), and awarded Best PhD Medicine Student (2024–2025) for outstanding academic performance and innovation. I am a people first, science driven researcher with precise attention to detail, fresh innovative ideas, and a focus on the diverse needs of users. Identifying innovative approaches and improved solutions to push the digital boundaries of user-centric and data-driven services motivates and drives me. My philosophy is that introducing fresh perspectives and new techniques allows businesses to evolve and grow.
Overview
8
8
years of professional experience
Work History
PhD Medicine and Vision Science Researcher
Queens University Belfast/ OKKO Health
07.2021 - Current
- I am a co-creator, researcher, and usability specialist of the OKKO Health software medical device and associated visual function tests that investigate the feasibility of home monitoring of visual function in populations at high risk of developing Diabetic Retinopathy (DR) using novel game-based technology.
- My role was to make a mobile app to detect sight loss in DR before the patient notices they have a problem. The project involved designing, creating, and validating visual function tests (e.g. colour, frequency doubling acuity, contrast, luminance) against gold standard clinical tests.
- Extensive experience conducting longitudinal mixed-methods clinical studies across high-risk populations, including pregnancy, continuous glucose monitoring and dialysis for over six months.
- Demonstrated expertise in evaluating mobile health apps for usability, acceptability, adherence, and clinical validity in pregnant women or those planning pregnancy.
- Knowledge of reproductive health and fertility tracking, including hormonal cycles (LH, FSH, progesterone, estradiol) and ovulation monitoring technologies.
- Familiar with international digital health regulatory frameworks, including NICE, DTAC, MHRA (UK), and FDA (USA), and ethical approval processes.
- Served as a lead author in Watson, S. L., Hogg, P. R. E., Donnelly, M., Peto, P. T., & Mofty, H. K. (2025). Exploring adherence to usability and accessibility principles in digital health applications for patients with diabetes: Systematic review [Preprint]. JMIR Preprints. https://preprints.jmir.org/preprint/71567
Executive Director
With Purpose Ltd
09.2022 - Current
- Operational & Team Leadership: Led a high-performing team, delegating responsibilities across production, marketing, and business development.
- Stakeholder engagement: Led discussions with global technology leaders, investors, and policymakers to shape the company’s strategic direction and industry impact, securing contracts with Samsung, Razer, Activision, and Microsoft. This experience will help me to contribute to consumer trust, patient onboarding, and health campaign delivery in a regulated environment.
- Influencer & Brand Relations: Led high-profile content strategies, driving With Purpose Ltd’s 70+ million monthly views, and optimising user engagement through AI-driven analytics and digital marketing frameworks.
- Developed and executed digital strategies that achieved 70M+ monthly views, building trust, educating audiences, and promoting long-term engagement—skills directly transferable to health tech platforms focused on user retention, education, and behavioural change.
- Technology and Digital Innovation: Oversaw the development and implementation of cutting-edge content delivery mechanisms, ensuring seamless integration of AI, user engagement, and immersive digital experiences.
- Programme & Budget Oversight: Managed multi-million-pound budgets, directing resource allocation, forecasting, and financial planning to drive profitability and sustainable growth.
- Skilled in audience behaviour analysis, A/B testing, and iterative content improvement—transferable to understanding and improving user journeys in digital health apps like Inito’s fertility tracking platform.
- Now focused on bringing this background into a purpose-driven health tech setting, with a strong interest in supporting women’s health, fertility education, and empowering patients through accessible, evidence-based technology.
Digital Health UX/UI Specialist, Psychology Executive, and Shareholder
Moment One
07.2021 - 12.2023
- Co-founded digital behavioural health platform Moment One, combining AI-driven coaching and digital therapy to support mental wellbeing, resilience, and emotional self-awareness.
- Led UX research and usability testing from discovery through delivery, applying human-centered design methods to develop and validate chatbot-based interventions.
- Planned and conducted qualitative and quantitative research (e.g. user interviews, journey mapping, usability testing), translating insights into actionable design and product decisions.
- Engaged diverse user groups in iterative feedback loops, including those planning pregnancy, those facing fertility issues and those experiencing pregnancy loss ensuring emotional safety, accessibility, and alignment with psychology and counselling theory. We also engaged users experiencing anxiety, depression, PTSD, chronic stress, etc.
- Synthesised findings into compelling research, professional reports, and stakeholder-facing presentations to guide design strategy and cross-functional decision-making.
- Collaborated closely with engineers, clinicians, product managers, and designers to ensure technical feasibility, clinician approval, and user trust.
- Applied market and category analysis to position the product within a competitive digital health landscape, identifying opportunities for innovation and scalability.
Deputy Head Team Lead
UK Civil Service - Department of Finance
07.2021 - 12.2021
- Used Microsoft Excel, Word, SPSS, and other analytical tools to identify operational inefficiencies, analyse complex data, and provide evidence-based recommendations.
- Ensured compliance with regulatory frameworks and departmental standards, promoting a safe, accountable working environment.
- Collaborated with senior management and UX teams to translate organisational goals into intuitive, user-focused interface concepts, and digital tools.
- Conducted and evaluated user research to develop personas, journey maps, and storyboards, supporting inclusive and evidence-driven design processes.
- Delivered rapid prototypes under tight timelines and limited resources, supporting usability testing and iterative refinement in a fast-paced, startup-like environment.
- Analysed digital systems to identify user pain points, and recommended iterative design improvements to increase clarity, engagement, and efficiency.
- Supported strategic outreach efforts to showcase research and design impact, helping to expand team capacity and influence within the organisation.
- Presented findings to cross-functional teams and senior stakeholders, facilitating more informed, user-centred decision-making, and digital transformation.
Lead UX/UI Digital Platform Research Specialist
CWJ Capital for James Williams
05.2021 - 07.2021
- Led the integration of UX research with early-stage machine learning applications to inform digital platform development, demonstrating a forward-thinking design strategy.
- Conducted interface audits and behavioural analysis to uncover user pain points within digital exchange (DEX) environments, applying findings to refine navigation, and decision flows.
- Synthesised qualitative research and quantitative data (using Excel, SPSS, and in-platform analytics) to support evidence-based design decisions.
- Supported the design and iteration of responsive web and mobile platforms with a focus on accessibility, behavioural insight, and stakeholder alignment.
- Delivered clear, actionable research outputs to cross-functional and external stakeholders, improving decision-making and platform direction through user-centred evidence.
- Applied design thinking within a fintech context—balancing technical constraints, regulatory expectations, and user goals in a high-stakes environment.
Research Associate
University of Strathclyde - Psychological Sciences and Health
01.2018 - 07.2021
- Led the development of research proposals, ethics submissions, and study protocols with a strong grounding in safeguarding, informed consent, and ethical frameworks (BPS, BACP)—essential for working with sensitive health data and vulnerable populations including pregnancy participants.
- Designed and conducted digital qualitative interviews and quantitative surveys exploring user experience in remote therapy settings, informing best practice in digital health delivery.
- Recruited a diverse participant cohort via Qualtrics and Psych Sona platforms, ensuring inclusive sampling and robust data representation.
- Collected, screened, and cleaned large datasets using defined inclusion/exclusion criteria to maintain data integrity and reliability.
- Applied advanced analysis techniques including ANOVA and thematic analysis to interpret findings within tight research deadlines and project milestones.
- Created clear visual data outputs (graphs, tables, figures) to support evidence-based insights for public health strategy and academic dissemination.
- Managed peer-reviewed publication pipelines and research reporting; served as lead author on a published paper exploring relational depth in online therapy: Watson, S. (2021). Experiences of Relational Depth in Online Therapy During COVID-19. DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.18303.12963
Education
PhD - Medicine
Queens University
Belfast, UK01.2025
BSc. (Hons) - Psychology and Counselling
University of Strathclyde
06.2021
1:1 - Neuroscience
Harvard University
Cambridge, MA09.2020
Skills
- Digital health research and evaluation
- User-centred design and usability testing
- Mixed methods research (quantitative, qualitative)
- Health data analysis (SPSS, Excel, ANOVA, thematic analysis)
- Understanding of reproductive and hormonal health
- Ethical compliance (BPS, BACP, data privacy, safeguarding)
- User needs assessment & behavioural insight
- Experience with digital health platforms, mobile apps and mobile applications
- UX research artefact creation (journey maps, personas, storyboards)
- Scientific communication and stakeholder engagement
- Project planning and time-sensitive delivery
- Agile collaboration across multidisciplinary teams
- Evidence-based innovation and problem-solving
- Clear documentation and performance data reporting
Awards
Diabetes UK
Belfast • 05/2022
Diabetes UK ambassador, presentations given at Diabetes UK, Our Lives our voices
conference, Civil Service conference and at Miss World Northern Ireland live event.
Miss World Association
Miss World Organisation
Belfast • 05/2022
Charity Beauty with a purpose international award awarded for 'The creation of an access fund to provide free counselling for UK users within Moment One.'
Queen's University Belfast
Belfast • 2024-2025
Best Year 2 Medicine student award
Conferences
European Association for Diabetic eye complications (EAsDEC)
Belfast • 05/2022
The association for research in Vision and Opthalmology (ARVO)
New Orleans, USA • 04/2023
Watson, S. L., Mofty, H., Peto, T., Fallis, R., & Hogg, R. (2023). Systematic review exploring adherence to usability and accessibility principles in digital health interventions for patients with diabetes. Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science, 64(8), 2659.
The association for research in Vision and Opthalmology (ARVO)
Salt Lake City, Utah USA • 05/2025
Hogg, R. E., Watson, S.L., Campbell, S., Osborne, S., Donnelly, M., Wright, D. M., & Peto, T. (2025). The association between hypoglycaemia and visual function measured using a smartphone home-monitoring app in patients with diabetes mellitus. Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science, 66(8), 335.
BPS Psychology, Health and Medicine Annual Conference
Belfast • 05/2025
Watson, S. L. (2025). The evaluation of performance and acceptability of longitudinal monitoring in populations that are hard to reach clinically and at high risk of developing diabetic retinopathy. Paper presented at the Division of Health Psychology Annual Conference, British Psychological Society. https://cms.bps.org.uk/sites/default/files/2025-03/PHM%20Annual%20Conference%202025%20-%20Programme.pdf
Socials
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarah-louisewatson-csmcosca-mbpss-9423b31a2/
Researchgate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Sarah_Watson-14
With Purpose Ltd youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVYe9OwcrGrlRmlX8cSWgvg
Timeline
Executive Director
With Purpose Ltd
09.2022 - Current
PhD Medicine and Vision Science Researcher
Queens University Belfast/ OKKO Health
07.2021 - Current
Digital Health UX/UI Specialist, Psychology Executive, and Shareholder
Moment One
07.2021 - 12.2023
Deputy Head Team Lead
UK Civil Service - Department of Finance
07.2021 - 12.2021
Lead UX/UI Digital Platform Research Specialist
CWJ Capital for James Williams
05.2021 - 07.2021
Research Associate
University of Strathclyde - Psychological Sciences and Health
01.2018 - 07.2021
PhD - Medicine
Queens University
BSc. (Hons) - Psychology and Counselling
University of Strathclyde
1:1 - Neuroscience
Harvard University
Similar Profiles
Erin GarrityErin Garrity
Registered Midwife at Queens University BelfastRegistered Midwife at Queens University Belfast
Helen HirstHelen Hirst
Senior Lead Experiential Learning NICPLD at Queens University BelfastSenior Lead Experiential Learning NICPLD at Queens University Belfast
Sheila MurungaSheila Murunga
Data Analytics at Queens University BelfastData Analytics at Queens University Belfast
Flemin GeorgeFlemin George
SENIOR ACCOUNTANT & OFFICE ADMINISTRATION at CASA OPTICS LLCSENIOR ACCOUNTANT & OFFICE ADMINISTRATION at CASA OPTICS LLC
FADY S. EL BORNOFADY S. EL BORNO
Executive Director – Strategic Affairs Sector at Department of Municipalities and Transport (DMT)Executive Director – Strategic Affairs Sector at Department of Municipalities and Transport (DMT)