Staff Profile

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.

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 Newcastle University 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. 

Systematic Review and Critical Appraisal module (HSC8055) in the Public Health and Health Services Research MSc at Newcastle University.

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

• Articles

  • 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. Methods used in Early Value Assessments for NICE: a scoping review. International Journal of Technology Assessment in Health Care 2025, 41(1), e64.
  • Kenny R, Bhattarai N, O'Connor N, Gonzalez-Moral SG, O'Keefe H, Hosseini-Jebeli S, Meader N, Rice S. Algorithm-based remote monitoring of heart failure risk data in people with cardiac implantable electronic devices: a systematic review and cost-effectiveness analysis. Health Technology Assessment 2025, 29(50), 1-160.
  • Garcia Gonzalez-Moral S, Pennock E, Ewedairo O, Mkwashi A. Healthcare technology innovation identification: A rapid scoping review of patent research to inform horizon scanning methods. 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. Emerging Technologies for Improving Musculoskeletal Health: A Systematic Evidence Gap Map. 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. Disease Severity Modifier in the NICE Single Technology Appraisal of Trastuzumab Deruxtecan: External Assessment Group Perspective. PharmacoEconomics 2024, 42, 5-9.
  • Garcia Gonzalez-Moral S, Beyer FR, Oyewole AO, Richmond C, Wainwright L, Craig D. Looking at the fringes of MedTech innovation: a mapping review of horizon scanning and foresight methods. BMJ Open 2023, 13(9), e073730.
  • Khan SK, Gonzalez-Moral SG, Lanyi K, Ogunbayo D, Craig D. Closing the loop between horizon scanning and health technology assessment - An overview of topics submitted for appraisal in England. 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)

  • Gonzalez Moral SG, Khan SK, Lanyi K, Ogunbayo D, Craig D. OP56 A Life Cycle Approach To Horizon Scanning Outputs - From Signals To Guidelines. In: HTAi 2022 Conference. 2022, Utrecht, Netherlands: Cambridge University Press.
  • Garcia Gonzalez-Moral S, Khan S, Lanyi K, Ogunbayo D, Craig D. A Life Cycle Approach To Horizon Scanning Outputs - From Signals To Guidelines. In: HTAi 2022 Meeting. 2022, Utrecht, The Netherlands: Cambridge University Press.
  • Gonzalez-Moral SG, Al-Assaf A, Pandey S, Ogunbayo O, Craig D. OP218 Searching Preprint Repositories For COVID-19 Therapeutics Using A Semi-Automated Text-Mining Tool. In: Innovation through HTA. 2021, Virtual: Cambridge University Press.
  • Khan SK, Moral SGG, Ogunbayo D, Craig D. OP484 Analysis Of Horizon Scanning Outputs For The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence Health Technology Assessment Process. In: HTAi 2020 Conference. 2020, Cambridge University Press.
  • Khalid S, Garcia Gonzalez Moral S, Ogunbayo D, Craid D. Analysis Of Horizon Scanning Outputs For The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence Health Technology Assessment Process. In: International Journal of Technology Assessment in Health Care. 2020.

• Online Publications

  • O'Connor N, Bushby L, Barnabez J, Wallace S, Garcia-Gonzalez-Moral S, Close H, Pearson F. What is known about anxiety, claustrophobia and its impact on decision-making about important occupations and equipment for people with motor neurone disease? a scoping review protocol. 2024. Available at: https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/VXJY6.
  • Kunonga P, Eastaugh C, Gonzalez-Moral SG, Meader N, Craig D, McCully S, Stone J, Lucivero F. Exploring the approaches for including ethical dimensions in horizon scanning and foresight methods in biomedical and health policy decision making: a rapid scoping review and protocol. Center for Open Science, 2024. Available at: https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/T2NHC.
  • 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. Leniolisib for untreated activated phosphoinositide 3-kinase delta syndrome (APDS) in people 12 years and over. 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. Medicines Horizon Scanning Annual Report 2020. Newcastle upon Tyne: NIHR Innovation Observatory, 2024. Medicines Horizon Scanning Annual Report.
  • Khan S, Jahan A, Gonzalez Moral SG, Mkwashi A. Horizon Scanning Report: Horizon scan and landscape analysis of innovations in therapeutic radioligand technologies. Newcastle 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. Emerging Technologies for Improving Musculoskeletal Health: An Evidence Gap Map. Orthopaedic Research UK: NIHR Innovation Observatory in partnership with Orthopaedic Research UK, 2024.
  • Khan S, Gonzalez Moral SG, Jahan A, Mkwashi A. Horizon scanning report: Identification of innovations for PET radiopharmaceuticals in the context of the Welsh Health Service. Newcastle 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. A Horizon Scan of Neurotechnology Innovations. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 2025, 22(5), 811.