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Staff Profile

Sonia Garcia Gonzalez-Moral

Research Associate Horizon scanning (HealthTech)

  • Email: sonia.garcia-gonzalez-moral@ncl.ac.uk
  • Telephone: +44(0)1912082253
  • Personal Website:
  • Address: NIHR Innovation Observatory at Â鶹´«Ã½
    The Catalyst
    Room 3.12, 3 Science Square
    Â鶹´«Ã½ Helix
    Â鶹´«Ã½ upon Tyne
    NE4 5TG
Background

Sonia Garcia Gonzalez-Moral is a researcher with expertise in horizon scanning, evidence synthesis, and foresight methods applied to healthcare innovation. Her background spans information science, applied health research, and technology assessment, with a particular focus on identifying and evaluating emerging medical technologies and medicines. She has extensive experience developing and implementing methodological frameworks that combine systematic review techniques, foresight tools, and data-driven approaches to support evidence-based policy and strategic decision-making in health systems. Sonia’s research aims to enhance the timeliness and methodological rigour of horizon scanning processes, improve the translation of innovation insights into actionable intelligence, and strengthen early access pathways for transformative healthcare technologies.


Research

Sonia Garcia Gonzalez-Moral is a researcher specialising in horizon scanning methods, evidence synthesis, and foresight approaches for healthcare innovation. She currently serves as Horizon Scanning Methods Lead at the NIHR Innovation Observatory, where she develops and applies novel methodologies to identify and evaluate emerging medical technologies, medicines, and digital health innovations. Her work supports key national and international stakeholders—including NICE, NHS England, the Department of Health and Social Care, and the MHRA—by translating early-stage innovation signals into actionable intelligence for policy and strategic planning.


Sonia’s doctoral research at Â鶹´«Ã½ focuses on advancing methodological frameworks for MedTech horizon scanning, integrating multiple analytical and foresight techniques to accelerate access to innovative healthcare technologies. She has developed several influential tools and frameworks, including the MedTech Innovation Scanning Techniques (MIST) framework, PRISMA-inspired reporting standards (CHeRIOSS), and semi-automated data integration systems (IOAtlas).


Her research has been published in journals such as BMJ Open, BMJ Innovations, and the International Journal of Technology Assessment in Health Care, and she regularly presents at international conferences, including HTAi, CORE, and the Futures, Foresight and Horizon Scanning Conference. Sonia’s work bridges methodological innovation, applied research, and strategic foresight, contributing to the evolving science of horizon scanning and its application to healthcare policy, evaluation, and decision-making. 


Teaching

Systematic Review and Critical Appraisal module (HSC8055) in the Public Health and Health Services Research MSc at Â鶹´«Ã½.

Horizon Scanning for the NICE HTA process. Lecture taught at the MSc in Applied Health Research and Health Economics. University of Birmingham.

Publications

  • Articles

    • Wu, H, Fernandez-Garcia, C, OConnor, N, Williams, O, Akinbolade, S, Ogunyemi, A, Gonzalez-Moral, SG, Beyer, F, Meader, N, Rice, S. The Importance of Structured Expert Elicitation to Inform Outcomes Following Treatment Discontinuation: Evidence Assessment Group Perspective. PharmacoEconomics 2026, 44, 263-266.
    • Gonzalez-Moral SG, Fairweather M, Khan S, Fairbairn R, Norman G. . Journal of Medical Internet Research 2026, 28, e88253.
    • Garcia Gonzalez-Moral S, Mkwashi A, Beyer FR, Craig D. . Journal of Medical Internet Research 2026, 28(1), e93166.
    • Johnson EE, Orozco Leal G, Still M, O'Connor N, Jayachandran L, Robinson T, Meader N, Kenny RPW, Wallace SA, Garcia Gonzalez-Moral S, Vale L, Parker R, Rice S, Sagoo GS, Pearson F. . International Journal of Technology Assessment in Health Care 2025, 41(1), e64.
    • OKeefe, H, Green, E, Jahan, A, Forsythe, I, Nesworthy, J, Garcia Gonzalez-Moral, S. IOATLAS: scanning across the medical horizon. International Journal of Technology Assessment in Health Care 2025, 41(1), e66.
    • Gonzalez-Moral SG, Fairweather M, Khan S, Fairbairn R, Norman G. How Should Horizon Scanning Studies be Reported? Developing a Checklist of Standard Items: a Pilot Study. Journal of Medical Internet Research 2025. Submitted.
    • Garcia Gonzalez-Moral, S, Pennock, E, Ewedairo, O, Green, E, Elgey, J, Mkwashi, A. Horizon Scanning Methods for Health Care Technology Innovation Identification: Rapid Scoping Review of Patent Research Studies. Interactive Journal of Medical Research 2025, 14(e70323).
    • Kenny R, Bhattarai N, O'Connor N, Gonzalez-Moral SG, O'Keefe H, Hosseini-Jebeli S, Meader N, Rice S. . Health Technology Assessment 2025, 29(50), 1-160.
    • Garcia Gonzalez-Moral S, Pennock E, Ewedairo O, Mkwashi A. . OSF Preprints 2024. Submitted.
    • Tanner L, Still M, Ghasri S, Sadiq A, Harris B, Haston S, Potter R, Uteh CO, Al-Assaf A, Johnson EE, Moral SGG, Mkwashi A, Craig D, Angadji A, Thomas M, Pearson F. . Musculoskeletal Care 2024, 22(4), e1949.
    • Coughlan D, Arisa O, Thomson K, Yu G, Pearson F, Kernohan A, Garcia Gonzalez-Moral S, Wallace S, Rice S. . PharmacoEconomics 2024, 42, 5-9.
    • Garcia Gonzalez-Moral S, Beyer FR, Oyewole AO, Richmond C, Wainwright L, Craig D. . BMJ Open 2023, 13(9), e073730.
    • Khan SK, Gonzalez-Moral SG, Lanyi K, Ogunbayo D, Craig D. . International Journal of Technology Assessment in Health Care 2023, 39(1), e64.
    • Arber M, Garcia S, Veale T, Edwards M, Shaw A, Glanville JM. Performance of ovid medline search filters to identify health state utility studies. International Journal of Technology Assessment in Health Care 2017, 33, 472-480.
    • O'Connor S, Hanlon P, O'Donnell CA, Garcia S, Glanville J, Mair FS. Understanding factors affecting patient and public engagement and recruitment to digital health interventions: A systematic review of qualitative studies. BMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making 2016, 16, 120.
    • O'Connor S, Hanlon P, O'Donnell CA, Garcia S, Glanville J, Mair FS. Barriers and facilitators to patient and public engagement and recruitment to digital health interventions: protocol of a systematic review of qualitative studies. BMJ Open 2016, 6, e010895.

  • Conference Proceedings (inc. Abstracts)

    • Tuharska Z, Ordóñez-Moya K, Uteh C, Khan S, Thomson K, Garcia Gonzalez-Moral S. . In: International HealthTechScan (i-HTS) by EuroScan international network e. V.. Futures, Foresight & Horizon Scanning Conference 2024. 2025, Â鶹´«Ã½ Upon Tyne, UK: German Medical Science GMS Publishing House.
    • Gonzalez-Moral, SG, Mkwashi, A. . In: HTAi2025 - Buenos Aires. 2025.
    • Gonzalez-Moral SG, Khan S, Fairbairn R, Williams O, Fairweather M, Norman G. . In: HTAi 2025 Meeting. 2025, Buenos Aires, Argentina: Cambridge University Press.
    • Khan S, Gonzalez-Moral SG, Fairbairn R, Potter R, Inskip A, Hussain A, Norman G. . In: Health Technology Assessment International Conference 2025. 2025, Cambridge University Press.
    • Gonzalez Moral SG, Khan SK, Lanyi K, Ogunbayo D, Craig D. . In: HTAi 2022 Conference. 2022, Utrecht, Netherlands: Cambridge University Press.
    • Garcia Gonzalez-Moral S, Khan S, Lanyi K, Ogunbayo D, Craig D. . In: HTAi 2022 Meeting. 2022, Utrecht, The Netherlands: Cambridge University Press.
    • Gonzalez-Moral SG, Al-Assaf A, Pandey S, Ogunbayo O, Craig D. . In: Innovation through HTA. 2021, Virtual: Cambridge University Press.
    • Khalid SK, Garcia Gonzalez Moral S, Ogunbayo D, Craig D. . In: HTAi 2020 Annual Meeting. 2020, Online: Cambridge University Press.

  • Online Publications

    • O'Connor N, Bushby L, Barnabez J, Wallace S, Garcia-Gonzalez-Moral S, Close H, Pearson F. . 2024. Available at: .
    • Kunonga P, Eastaugh C, Gonzalez-Moral SG, Meader N, Craig D, McCully S, Stone J, Lucivero F. . Center for Open Science, 2024. Available at: .
    • Gonzalez-Moral SG, Khan SK, Fairbairn R, Williams O, Fairweather M, Norman G. Developing a checklist for transparent reporting of items in horizon scanning studieshttps://osf.io/m39vw/. 2024. In Preparation.

  • Reports

    • O'Connor N, Wu H, Williams O, Fernandez-Garcia C, Akinbolade S, Ogunyemi A, Gonzalez-Moral SG, Beyer F, Rice S, Meader N. . Manchester: National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, 2025. Highly specialised technologies guidance HST33.
    • Khan S, Garcia Gonzalez-Moral S, Inskip A, Norman G, Kolehmainen N, Craig D. . Â鶹´«Ã½ upon Tyne: NIHR Innovation Observatory, 2024. Medicines Horizon Scanning Annual Report.
    • Khan S, Jahan A, Gonzalez Moral SG, Mkwashi A. . Â鶹´«Ã½ upon Tyne: NIHR Innovation Observatory, 2024.
    • Tanner S, Still M, Harris B, Haston S, Potter R, Uteh CO, Sadiq A, Al-Assaf A, Ghasri S, Johnson EE, Garcia Gonzalez-Moral S, Mkwashi A, Craig D, Pearson F. . Orthopaedic Research UK: NIHR Innovation Observatory in partnership with Orthopaedic Research UK, 2024.
    • Khan S, Gonzalez Moral SG, Jahan A, Mkwashi A. . Â鶹´«Ã½ upon Tyne: NIHR Innovation Observatory, 2023.

  • Review

    • Haston S, Gill S, Twentyman K, Green E, Agbeleye O, Eastaugh C, Craig D, Garcia Gonzalez-Moral S, Mkwashi A. . International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 2025, 22(5), 811.