Sarah West is a post-graduate researcher who has been working on projects in the domestic and sexual violence field since 2017, previously conducting non-academic research at third sector organisations Galop and SafeLives. Their research approach prioritises empowerment based and participatory methods of design and evaluation.

Sarah has previously conducted a number of community research projects with a focus on LGBT+ experiences of domestic and sexual violence, and maintains connections with the international LGBT+ domestic abuse network. Sarah has contributed specialist LGBT+ knowledge via steering groups and advisory boards for a number of research projects.

Sarah has also conducted research and evaluation in a variety of NHS mental health topics, stemming from their early career as a front line worker in the substance misuse field and completing a practice focused MSc in Alcohol and Drug studies at the University of the West of Scotland. 

Having started their PhD in 2021, Sarah's current research focuses on the needs of people providing informal support to survivors of sexual violence, and the role of digital interventions in meeting those needs.

Sarah maintains an ongoing interest in trauma informed research practices.