Science historian and Guardian science blogger, Vanessa Heggie (@HPS_Vanessa) has written a fascinating piece about how AIDS activists among others changed the way we run clinical trials and persuaded researchers to adopt new methods. That's certainly the history lesson passed down to me as Chair of INVOLVE by previous members. They will tell you that, before we ever talked... Continue Reading →
NIHR gives ‘chapter one and verse’ on patients and the public in research: 2012/13 annual report published
Forgive me. For once, I write with a semi-official hat on. But this afternoon feels like a bit of a milestone moment in lifting public involvement in research ever higher on people's agendas. If you have heard me speak in public then you will know I start by saying how proud I am that the... Continue Reading →
A commercial break of sorts: (Dr Ann-Gel) Palermo comes to Bristol 25th Sept: book a place
Community-based Participatory Research: Unlocking the potential - 25th September in Bristol, 14.30-16.00. Dr Ann-Gel Palermo is an experienced community activist researcher, involved with numerous organisations, local and federal committees in the USA concerned with public health and health disparities. She is chair of the Harlem Community & Academic Partnership (HCAP) which is a New York... Continue Reading →
Survey: Cancer patients and research – the signage is there but not the opportunity to take part
You know how the story goes. Cancer is way ahead of other conditions when it comes to patients having the opportunity to participate in clinical research. But there's still lots of room for improvement. Today NHS England has announced the results of the annual National Cancer Patient Experience Survey. Almost 70,000 patients took part in... Continue Reading →
Moorfields research team reports on benefits of public involvement to eye patients and staff
Sometimes it is the lot of the blogger to feel like the producer of 'Have I Got News For You.' One's research can taken you to all sorts of places you didn't know existed. Then again it can also turn up some gems. This morning I blogged about the WHO report on medicine priorities and... Continue Reading →
Blog: We have the public to thank for this week’s well-informed decisions in health research
We have had two pieces of good news about health research of patient benefit this week. First, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) issued new guidance saying that tamoxifen or raloxifene taken daily for five years can cut breast cancer risk by 40%. This means women at risk of developing breast cancer have... Continue Reading →
Generation R: young people improving research event: 11 Sept 2013
Been meaning to post this for a while and not just because the poster design is going to brighten up my blog pages for a while. Our Medicines for Children Research Network (MCRN) really has been an exemplar for involving young people in research. Find something as good across Europe and I will eat my... Continue Reading →
Music Exposure Study: Please take this quick test + help us learn how music affects l/term hearing
Not often that I do this but this important 'Music Exposure Study' study is looking for thousands of volunteers and I thought I would help....Please take part and also retweet. You may have seen this hearing impairment study announced earlier last year. Researcher, Rob Mackinnon, based at the NIHR Nottingham Hearing Biomedical Research Unit is... Continue Reading →
Comment piece: New mental health research charity springs from an unlikely quarter #mentalhealth
It has been in the works for a not inconsiderable amount of time. A slow burner if you like. So it somehow seems fitting that the first flames should flicker almost unnoticed. Yesterday, Research Fortnight's Adam Smith wrote about a new mental health research charity to be launched next year with a hefty £20 million... Continue Reading →
