Staff and students from across the Institute of Population Health (IPH) recently gathered for this year’s Research, Scholarship and Impact Day. The event focussed on the Institute’s diverse research and scholarship activity, including strategies for research and impact.
The event was opened by Professor Sally Sheard, Executive Dean of the Institute, who welcomed attendees and addressed the key challenges for the Institute, along with an overview of research strategy. Professor Paula Williamson, Institute Research Lead followed with a celebration of recent successes, of which there were many. Dr Sara Waring, the Institute’s Impact Lead also led a session on impact, which covered support available and case studies showing how impact can be embedded into research from the outset.
Professor Louise Kenny, Faculty Executive Pro Vice Chancellor delivered the keynote address, highlighting plans for the Faculty’s new research strategy, as well as ambitions for student recruitment and environment.
After a networking lunch, there was a series of engaging quick-fire talks by PhD students, covering research ranging from the impact of food marketing via livestreaming gaming platforms, core outcome sets throughout the healthcare ecosystem to co-effects of psychosis and psychopathy on Theory of Mind task performance. Dr Clarissa Giebel, PPIE Lead provided an overview on patient and public involvement and engagement activity within the Institute. This was followed by a talk by Dr Pete Bridge on teaching scholarship, highlighting a range of activities within the School of Health Sciences, from SHELTA, a virtual reality app designed to support the mental wellbeing for students on placement, to use of digital technology to increase access to placement learning and simulation placements to enhance skills training.
Parallel breakout sessions followed with attendees able to choose between sessions on fellowship applications, writing for publications, communications support and consultancy.
Professor Paula Williamson said: “It was a real pleasure to hear about the research and scholarship being undertaken in a range of areas across our Institute, including the substantial impact achieved in many cases. Speakers also raised important questions for us to reflect on. We hope everyone enjoyed meeting colleagues old and new, and left with a feeling of excitement about the future for IPH.”
Professor Sally Sheard and Professor Paula Williamson