Sara worked as a Medical Anthropologist at University College London (UCL) Anthropology department for 29 years before retiring in 2020. Her recent work focused on the diverse ways in which quantitative data, and particular concepts used in data collection and statistics, are understood by different groups: those who provide the data, collect the data, those who analyse the data and policy makers. From this research, undertaken both in Africa and Europe, she is very aware of the miscomprehensions that can occur between specialist data analysts and the populations who provide data.
She now lives in rural Shropshire, where, as chair of the local community shop committee, she observes diverse perceptions of use and interpretation of scientific and medical data.