The Engaged Health Research Group
The Engaged Health Research Group is a group of people who support and lead collaboration in research. We are committed to involving patients, service users, carers and family members in research, putting people at the heart of what we do.
Our aim is to share experiences and resources to continuously improve how communities, parents, carers, patients and members of the public are involved in research. Together, we are building relationships with community groups in the South West to ensure that diverse communities and patient groups are involved in shaping health research and therefore making the research more relevant.
Engaged Health Research Group Members
Professor Kristin Liabo
Associate Professor
Kristin is a member of the PenARC Patient and Public Involvement team and deputy Director of PenARC. The PPIE team works to support and encourage members of the public to participate in various aspects of PenARC's research, not just as data providers but in the prioritisation, planning and conduct of studies. I have a background in childhood studies and systematic reviewing. Read more >
Kate Boddy
Research Fellow
My work as part of the Patient and Public Involvement Team within PenCLAHRC entails involving people in research so that the people who are meant to benefit from research have a say in shaping it. I have a background in health service research and have previously worked as an information specialist on numerous systematic reviews. I have a particular interest in a number of research areas including teaching evidence based medicine skills to non-clinical audiences, methods of engaging service users in research prioritisation and involving the public in systematic reviews. Read more >
Naomi Morley
Research Associate
I am a Research Associate in the PenARC Patient and Public involvement team, supporting the coordination of effective involvement and engagement of patients and public members in the ‘Children’s Health & Maternity’, as well as the ‘Ageing, Dementia and Frailty’, priority programme.
My background is in dementia care and stroke rehabilitation, working for a number of years as a support worker for the NHS and the Stroke Association, before studying Medical Sciences and supporting a number of frailty studies. Read more >
Lauren Asare
Graduate Research Assistant
Lauren is a Research Assistant working as a part of the Patient and Public Involvement (PPIE) Team. Her role entails supporting patients and members of the public in their involvement and engagement during the ongoing process of conducting research into healthcare services.
Beccy Summers
Postgraduate Research Associate
Rebecca joined the Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement team this year (2022) after completing her PhD in Health Economics at Swansea University. Her research centred on exploring key healthcare stakeholder perspectives on value in patient education and activation programmes in cancer care. She comes from an adult nursing background, and as such is passionate about making sure that the care provided to people is in keeping with their, and their family’s, values, believing in involving patients, the public and carers in the development of care. It was this drive to listen to, and act upon, the voice of healthcare service-users which led her to join the PenARC team. Read more >
Tanya Hynd
Patient and Public Involvement Co-ordinator
I support the PenARC Patient and Involvement team to effectively involve patients and members of the public to participate in Health research. I have a background in Service user participation and am also a Mental Health Counsellor. Read more >
Jess Smith
BRC Patient & Public Involvement Engagement Manager
Jess is working to connect people from across the South West with researchers to influence how research is carried out. She has previously worked with research charities and universities in communications and involvement.
Hat Porter
Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement Officer
Hat works closely with researchers, other members of the PPI team and public collaborators to support patients and members of the public to be involved with and shape research. They have experience of patient-led research and campaigning.
Helen Smith
Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement Administrator
Helen is the Administrator for our Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement (PPIE) Team.
She also works as Administrator for the Academy of Nursing & Medical Imaging and Health Care Professions PPIE Advisory group, the Academy of Nursing, and the TIME FOR DEMENTIA Academy of Nursing and Medical Imaging Programme.
What is patient and public involvement?
Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement (PPIE) means involving and engaging people with research on an equal basis to academics and health care professionals. Public involvement can improve the quality and relevance of research by providing a different perspective from researchers.
There are different levels of involvement from consultation (asking people what they think) to collaboration (people being actively involved in what the research study looks like) to user led research (people deciding what research needs to happen and deciding how that research is done).
Our Values and Principles for working with communities and individual patients and carers
- Inclusive opportunities: offer public involvement opportunities that are accessible and that reach people and groups according to research needs
- Working together: work together in a way that values all contributions, and that builds and sustains mutually respectful and productive relationships
- Support and learning: offer and promote support and learning opportunities that build confidence and skills for public involvement in research
- Governance: involve the public in research management, regulation, leadership and decision making
- Communications: use plain language for well-timed and relevant communications, as part of involvement plans and activities
- Impact: seek improvement by identifying and sharing the difference that public involvement makes to research
Contact Us!
PenARC PPIE team: piexeter@exeter.ac.uk
BRC PPIE team: involvement@exeter.ac.uk
