Get involved

The work of our PPI groups

Our PPI groups have people of all ages who are interested in giving their opinion and are curious about health and social care. They have been involved in some really interesting things recently:

  • Worked with people researching loss of muscle due to bed rest
  • Helped develop a free online course about healthy ageing
  • Helped a doctor design a patient-friendly study to learn more about pneumonia
  • Working with PhD students over a year to develop their patient perspective – and us to learn what they do
  • Helping researchers develop a 5 year multi-site project, and the application for funding it

“I am an Asian woman of Pakistani origin. I am a kidney transplant patient and have suffered gastro intestinal problems since childhood. I believe I can bring a particular perspective and I hope to continue usefully contributing to research.”

– SS

Some of our groups meet up regularly (4 times a year), whilst others only once or twice a year. We have used Zoom for the last year and are trying out different times and days to hold meetings, to try to ensure everyone gets to be involved with our research.

Our members have even talked a few times on the radio about what we do to make sure we share the chance to be involved!

Join a group (physically or virtually)

The next PPI Group meetings for members are:

  • Thursday 15 June – Liver and GI PPI Group (email for details)
  • Muscle Health PPI Group (please email for details of the next meeting)

Patients, carers, relatives of patients and members of the public who are interested in a particular condition or disease area are invited to get involved with our researchers.

We work closely with these groups to make a difference:

  • Liver & GI PPI Reference Panel
  • Muscle Health PPI Group
  • R2P2  (Rheumatology Research Patient Partnership)

By joining a Public/Patient Involvement (PPI) Group you can:

  • Learn more about health research
  • Gain new skills/use existing skills to help others
  • Meet researchers and hear first hand from them about their work
  • Help shape research from a patient/public viewpoint
  • Find out about events happening locally and nationally

If you are part of a research grant application, you will be reimbursed for reasonable travelling expenses and if required, the cost of hiring carers. Perhaps you want to be a ‘virtual’ member and not attend meetings?  That’s fine too.

Find out more by listening to an interview that Laura Chapman, our Public and Patient Involvement and Engagement Manager, took part in with Unity FM in December 2020.

Join NIHR BioResource

You may also want to join NIHR BioResource as a healthy person or someone living with a disease/condition. NIHR BioResource seeks to facilitate human health research and its transformation into medical practice.

Clinical trials

If you are interested in taking part in clinical trials, information about them can be found via: