The UL Participatory Health Research (PHR) Unit, supported by the HRI as part of our 5-year Strategic plan, organised its 9th Public and Patient Summer School. This event held on the 17th and 18th of June and welcomed over 115 delegates at a unique event in Ireland, focusing on empowering patients, carers and the public to actively engage in healthcare research as partners with health researchers.
The keynote speaker Simon Denegri OBE, Executive Director of the Academy of Medical Sciences (UK) shared his reflections on how he envisions the future of PPI. Dr Kim Ozano, Director of the SCL Agency (UK) gave the closing keynote on the theme of ‘Power and Participatory Research’.
There was a wide variety of engaging, interactive workshops and panel discussions and founder of the summer school, Professor Anne MacFarlane - HRI member and Co-Director of the PHR Unit at UL – said it “which to support researchers, community and patient organisations, students, PPI contributors, funders, health service providers and policy makers to come together for learning, discussion, and networking, and to foster meaningful partnerships. By amplifying and nurturing patient voices, we strive for strong patient-centred research in Ireland and beyond – this PPI Summer School has really energised us for the year ahead.”