Staff Members

Dr Marina Sawdon, BSc (Hons), PhD, PGCert

(email at marina.sawdon@durham.ac.uk)

Biography

Dr Marina Sawdon graduated in 2002 with a Ph.D. in the cardiorespiratory response to trauma at the University of Durham. She is currently Strand Leader for the Cardiovascular, Respiratory and Renal Medicine (CVRR) strand of Phase I Medicine at Durham University, Queen’s Campus and conducts research into medical education as well as whole body cardiovascular physiology. She works in an established area of research at Durham University and also in the Department of Academic Emergency Medicine, James Cook University Hospital and collaborates closely with research groups at DSTL, Porton Down.

Marina graduated from Durham University in June 2008 with a Postgraduate Certificate in Learning and Teaching in Higher Education and is a fellow of the Higher Education Academy.

Medical Education Research

Currently the main focus of Marina's medical education research has involved investigating the use of an electronic remote audience response system (KEEpad) to assess students’
• prior knowledge
• learning
• knowledge retention/ decay
as well as improving student satisfaction of feedback on their progress through CVRR. Other studies include assessing peer evaluation of professionalism in medical undergraduate students. Future studies aim to investigate methods of assessing Professionalism in anaesthetic registrars, as well as the use of ultrasound in teaching the measurement of blood pressure.

Physiology Research

Briefly, the main focus of Marina's physiology research is the interaction between the responses to injury and that to haemorrhage, and the consequences of changes in patterns of blood flow and hence oxygen delivery to organs that require constant levels of both (e.g. the vital organs such as the gut, liver and kidneys).

Studies have included investigations into how two different forms of injury both modify the cardiovascular response to blood loss, and how drugs affect these responses. Further work focused on the effects of resuscitation following injury and haemorrhage.

Marina's physiology research divides into three main areas:
• Cardiovascular response to thoracic (pulmonary) blast injury, haemorrhage and subsequent fluid resuscitation
• Haemodynamic response to simulated musculo-skeletal injury and secondary tissue damage
• Changes in autonomic control of the heart during simulated musculo-skeletal trauma and drug administration in human volunteers

Interests

Marina is part of the Durham University School of Medicine and Health Running team and ran 3 miles for Sport Relief in 2008, and the Great North Run in 2009 and 2010 to raise money for the Butterwick Hospice. She is also a member of Tees Rowing Club and won a gold medal at Durham Regatta in 2008.

Publications

Books: sections

• Kirkman, E, Watts, S, Sapsford, W & Sawdon, M (2007). Effects of blast injury on the autonomic nervous system and the reponse to resuscitation. In Explosion and Blast Injuries. Atkins, J & Elsayed, N Elsevier.

Conference papers

• Sawdon, M., Finn, G., Chaytor, A. & McLachlan, J.C. (2012), “Diligence is the mother of good fortune” measuring conscientiousness in health care settings, AMEE Ottawa Conference on the Assessment of Competence in Medicine and the Healthcare Professions. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
• Finn, G. & Sawdon, M. (2012), A qualitative exploration of students’ approaches to self-assessment of exam performance (poster), AMEE Ottawa Conference on the Assessment of Competence in Medicine and the Healthcare Professions. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia..
• Hyde-Wesson, C., Chaytor, A. & Sawdon, M. (2012), Conscientious behaviour is a predictor of academic outcome in Foundation Programme students, Society for Research in Higher Education. Newport, Wales.
• Finn, G. M. & Sawdon, M. (2012), Peer estimates of professionalism correlates with the Conscientiousness Index, ASME Annual Scientific Meeting. The Brighton Centre, Brighton.
• Finn, G. M., Carter, M., Sawdon, M., Thompson, N. & Tiffin, P, (2012), The relationship between personality traits, self-report conscientiousness the Conscientiousness Index and academic performance in undergraduate medical students, ASME Annual Scientific Meeting. The Brighton Centre, Brighton.
• Sawdon, M., Finn, G. & Griksaitis, M. (2011), A comparison of prosections and ultrasound as modalities for teaching cardiac anatomy, Joint Meeting of Anatomical Societies. Bursa, Turkey.
• Sawdon, M., Finn, G. & Griksaitis, M. (2011), Are two methods better than one for teaching cardiac anatomy?, Joint Meeting of Anatomical Societies. Bursa, Turkey.
• Sawdon, S. & Curtis, F. (2011), Evaluation of GradeMark for electronic assessment & feedback: Staff and students’ perspectives, Assessment in Higher Education Conference. University of Cumbria, Carlisle.
• Sawdon, M., Finn, G., Griksaitis, M. & Kirkman, E. (2011), Simulating Haemorrhage in Medical Students using a Lower Body Negative Pressure Chamber; Measuring the Consequences for Tissue Oxygenation, Association for Simulated Practice in Healthcare (SESAM) 2011, Society in Europe for Applied Simulation Conference. Granada, Spain.
• Sawdon, M. & Finn, G. (2011), Unskilled and unaware: Self-assessment in a real-world setting, ASME Annual Scientific Meeting. Royal College of Physicians, Edinburgh.
• Sawdon, M. & Curtis, F. (2011), Use of an Audience Response System to provide individualised feedback to undergraduate medical students (poster), AMEE International Meeting. Austria Reed Messe Wien Conference Centre, Vienna, Austria
• McLachlan, J.C., Finn, G.M. & Sawdon, M. (2010), ”With all due diligence” measuring conscientiousness in complex settings, 14th Ottawa Conference on the Assessment of Competence in Medicine and the Healthcare Professions. Miami, Florida, USA.
• Sawdon, M & Curtis, F (2010), Building interactive clinical case studies using and evaluating online software, AMEE International Meeting 2010. Scottish Exhibition & Conference Centre (SECC), Glasgow, UK.
• McLachlan, J.C., Finn, G.M. & Sawdon, M. (2010), Exploring the relationship between professionalism and conscientiousness, ASME Annual Scientific Meeting 2010. Robinson College, Cambridge, UK.
• Finn, G.M. & Sawdon, M. (2010), Factors influencing students’ ability to self and peer assess performance, AMEE International Meeting 2010. Scottish Exhibition + Conference Centre (SECC), Glasgow, UK.
• Sawdon, M. (2010), Promoting long term knowledge retention by use of KEEpad audience response system, AMEE International Meeting 2010. Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre (SECC), Glasgow, UK.
• Sawdon, M., Finn, G., Griksaitis, M. & Kirkman, E. (2010), Simulating Haemorrhage in Medical Students using a Lower Body Negative Pressure Chamber, Association for Simulated Practice in Healthcare (ASPiH) 2010 Inaugural Annual Conference. Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England.
• Finn, G.M., Sawdon, M. & Garner, J. (2010), Students' attitudes towards peer assessment of professionalism: A multi-centre study, AMEE International Meeting 2010. Scottish Exhibition + Conference Centre (SECC), Glasgow, UK.
• Finn, G.M. & Sawdon, M. (2010), The impact of feedback and personality type upon students’ ability to self-assess skills, attributes and aptitudes, ASME Annual Scientific Meeting 2010. Robinson College, Cambridge, UK.
• Finn, G. & Sawdon, M. (2009), Does peer and self-assessment correlate to the use of the conscientiousness index when evaluating professionalism in medical students?, ASME Annual Scientific Meeting 2009. The Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh.
• McLachlan, J., Finn, G., Sawdon, M., Macnaughton, J., Clipsham, L. & Douglass, S. (2009), Exploring the relationship between professionalism and conscientiousness, AMEE International Meeting 2009. Malaga, Spain.
• Sawdon, M. & Finn, G. (2009), Students’ Views On Peer Assessment & Professionalism: Knowing When To “Switch It On”, ASME Annual Scientific Meeting 2009. The Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh.
• Finn, G. & Sawdon, M. (2009), Students’ views on peer evaluation and professionalism: “getting away with it”, AMEE International Meeting. Malaga, Spain
• Cosgrove, J.F., Nesbitt, I.D., Kennedy, D.J., Sawdon, M., Fordy, K., Laws, P. & Green, J. (2009), Thomas the Tank Engine improves the qualitative understanding of hypoxaemia, The 11th Current Controversies in Anaesthesia & Peri-Operative Medicine Conference and the Intensive Care Society of Ireland (ICSI) Autumn Meeting. Dingle. Co. Kerry, Ireland.
• Cosgrove, J.F., Nesbitt, I.D., Kennedy, D.J., Sawdon, M., Fordy, K., Laws, P. & Green, J. (2009), Thomas the Tank Engine significantly improves the understanding of oxygen delivery and hypoxaemia, The State of the Art. Hilton London Metropole, Edgware Road, London, UK.
• Sawdon, M. & White, P. (2008), Assessing Knowledge Decay and Improving Student Satisfaction of Feedback using the Audience Response System, Proceedings of ASME Annual Scientific Meeting, New Horizons in Medical Education. University of Leicester, England..
• McLachlan JC, Sawdon M, Macnaughton J & Finn GM. (2008), Assessment of conscientiousness and its relation to professionalism, Teaching and Learning: Improving the Experience. Newcastle University, Faculty of Medical Sciences.
• Sawdon, M. & White, P. (2008), Promoting Recall by use of KEEpad Audience Response Systems, Proceedings of Teaching and Learning: Improving the Experience; Faculty of Medical Sciences Teaching and Learning Event. Newcastle University, England..
• Sawdon, M. & Kirkman, E. (2002), Cardiovascular response to haemorrhage and its modulation by concomitant injury, 5th Scientific Congress Federation of Asian & Oceanian Physiological Societies (FAOPS). Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
• Sawdon, MA, Dabner, S, Wilkosz, S, Hennesey, C, Snowden, C & Kirkman, E (2001), Effects of musculo-skeletal injury on the splanchnic haemodynamic response to severe blood loss in the anaesthetised rat, 2nd Int Conference on Hepatic & Splanchnic Circulation in Health & Disease. Dunedin, New Zealand.
• Sawdon, M., Ohnishi M., Little, R.A. & Kirkman, E. (2001), Naloxone does not inhibit the injury-induced attenuation of the response to severe haemorrhage, Central Mechanisms of Cardiovascular Control. Sydney, Australia.
• Kirkman, E., Sawdon, M., Ohnishi M., Stapley, S.A. & Watkins, P. (2000), Effectiveness of hypertonic saline-dextran in resuscitation following thoracic blast and haemorrhage, Shock 13: The Physiological Society. University of Aberdeen, 535.
• Sawdon, M., Ohnishi M., Kirkman, E., Stapley, S.A. & Watkins, P. (2000), Hypertonic saline/dextran is ineffective for resuscitation after thoracic blast and haemorrhage, Br. J. Surg 7: Joint meeting of The Surgical Infection Society of Europe & The European Shock Society. Nijmegen, The Netherlands, 931.

Journal papers: academic

• Finn, G. M., Sawdon, M. & Griksaitis, M. J. (Submitted). The additive effect of teaching undergraduate cardiac anatomy using cadavers and ultrasound echocardiography. Medical Teacher
• Sawdon, M. & Finn, GM. (2013). The ‘Unskilled and unaware’ effect is linear in a real-world setting. The Journal of Anatomy
• Sawdon, M. & Finn, G. (2012). The 'unskilled and unaware' self-assessment in a real world setting. Journal of Anatomy 221(1): 95-96.
• Finn, GM., Sawdon, M. & Griksaitis, MJ. (2012). The additive effect of teaching undergraduate cardiac anatomy using cadavers and ultrasound echocardiography. European Journal of Anatomy 6(3).
• Kelly, M., O'Flynn, S., McLachlan, J. C. & Sawdon, M. A. (2012). The Clinical Conscientiousness Index: a valid tool for exploring professionalism in the clinical undergraduate setting. Academic Medicine 87(9): 1218-1224.
• Cosgrove, J.F., Nesbitt, I.D., Kennedy, D.J., Sawdon, M. , Fordy, K. Laws, P. & Green, J. (2012). Thomas the Tank Engine significantly improves the understanding of oxygen delivery and hypoxaemia. Medical Teacher 34(6): 511-511.
• Griksaitis, M, Sawdon, M & Finn, G (2012). Ultrasound and cadaveric prosections as methods for teaching cardiac anatomy: A comparative study. Anatomical Sciences Education 5(1): 20-26.
• Finn, G., Garner, J. & Sawdon, M. (2010). 'You're judged all the time!' Students' views on professionalism: a multicentre study. Medical Education 44(8): 814-25.
• Waterhouse, J., Sawdon, M. & Kirkman, E. (2010). Capillary dynamics and the interstitial fluid-lymphatic system. Anaesthesia & Intensive Care Medicine 11(2): 69-74.
• Sawdon, M. (2010). Characteristics of Special Circulations. Anaesthesia & Intensive Care Medicine 8(2): 69-72.
• Yeo, R.P. & Sawdon, M. (2010). Hormonal control of metabolism: regulation of plasma glucose. Anaesthesia & Intensive Care Medicine 11(7): 279-283.
• Sawdon, M. (2009). Improving Knowledge Retention using KEEpad. Medical Education 43(5): 487-487.
• Sawdon, M. Ohnishi M., Little, R.A. & Kirkman, E. (2009). Naloxone does not inhibit the attenuation of the response to severe haemorrhage seen after simulated injury in the anaesthetised rat. Experimental Physiology 94(6): 641-647.
• Finn, G., Sawdon, M., Clipsham, L. & McLachlan J. (2009). Peer estimates of low professionalism correlate with low Conscientiousness Index scores. Medical Education 43: 960-967.
• Sawdon, M. & Kirkman, E (2008). Simulating Haemorrhage in Medical Students. International Journal of Clinical Skills 2(2): 74-78.
• Waterhouse, J, Sawdon, M & Kirkman, E (2007). Capillary dynamics and the interstitial fluid lymphatic system. Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine 8(2): 73-78.
• Sawdon, M (2007). Characteristics of Special Circulations. Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine 8(2): 69-72.
• Yeo, R. P. & Sawdon, M. (2007). Hormonal Control of Metabolism: Regulation of Plasma Glucose. Anaesthesia & Intensive Care Medicine 8(7): 295-298.
• Kirkman, E & Sawdon, M (2004). Capillary dynamics and interstitial fluid lymphatic system. Anaesthesia & Intensive Care Medicine 5(2): 38-42.
• Kirkman, E. & Sawdon, M. (2004). Neurological and humoral control of blood pressure. Anaesthesia & Intensive Care Medicine 5(6): 179-183.
• Kirkman, E & Sawdon, M (2004). Neurological and humoral control of blood pressure. Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine 5(6): 179-183.
• Sawdon, M, Ohnishi, M, Watkins, PE & Kirkman, E (2002). The effects of primary thoracic blast injury and morphine on the response to haemorrhage in the anaesthetised rat. Experimental Physiology 87(6): 683-689.
• Kirkman, E & Sawdon, M (2001). Capillary dynamics and interstitial fluid lymphatic system. Anaesthesia & Intensive Care Medicine 2(1): 17-20.
• Kirkman, E & Sawdon, M (2001). Inflammatory response: vascular endothelium. Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine 2(2): 77-80.
• Kirkman, E & Sawdon, M (2001). Neurological and humoral control of systemic bloodpressures, blood volume and blood flow. Anaesthesia & Intensive Care Medicine 2(4): 155-159.
• Dabner, S., Norcliffe, L., Ralphs, K., Campling, G., Sawdon, M.A., Snowden, C. & Kirkman, E. (2001). The response to musculo-skeletal injury leads to hepatic damage following haemorrhage and resuscitation in the anaesthetised rat. Proceedings of the 2nd International Conference on Hepatic & Splanchnic Circulation in Health & Disease, Dunedin, New Zealand
• Sawdon, M., Kirkman, E. & Watkins, P. (2000). Doxapram attenuates the apnoea induced by primary thoracic blast injury in the anaesthetised rat. The Journal of Physiology 528: 104P.
• Kirkman, E., Sawdon, M., Ohnishi M. & Watkins, P. (2000). Effects of morphine on the response to haemorrhage after primary thoracic blast injury in the anaesthetised rat. The British Journal of Pharmacology 129: U20-U20.
• Kirkman, E., Sawdon, M.A., Ohnishi, M., Cooper G.J. & Watkins, P. (2000). Effects of primary thoracic blast injury on the response to haemorrhage in the anaesthetised rat. The Journal of Physiology 523: 292P.

Research Groups

• Centre for Medical Education Research

Teaching Groups

• Gateway to Medicine
• Medicine Phase 1

Supervises

• Mrs Samantha Ismaile