{"id":2493,"date":"2026-10-06T13:03:11","date_gmt":"2026-10-06T13:03:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/apex\/?p=2493"},"modified":"2026-10-06T13:03:12","modified_gmt":"2026-10-06T13:03:12","slug":"ppie-summer-school-by-oksana-kryshevich-and-louie-johnson","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/apex\/2026\/10\/06\/ppie-summer-school-by-oksana-kryshevich-and-louie-johnson\/","title":{"rendered":"PPIE Summer School, by Oksana\u00a0Kryshevich and Louie Johnson"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Oksana:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As a second-year PhD student new to PPIE in research, I was very excited to earn a spot in this year\u2019s summer school. I was eager to learn about the practical steps I could take towards more engaged and collaborative research!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Over the week I spent at the summer school, I not only learned about what PPIE is, but also how to conduct it in a meaningful and thoughtful way. Working in health research, we do our work for the people most affected, so listening to those with lived experience is crucial to make sure what I am doing is relevant and impactful to them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The highlight from the summer school was the collaborative group sessions, particularly the session around developing a PPIE plan for less standard projects. During this session, we were encouraged to plan what involvement would look like for a project that would not normally involve the public and patients, such as a quantitative, data-centred study. &nbsp;We did a short activity where instead of saying no to ideas or suggestions, we could only say \u201cYes, and?\u201d. This encouraged me to step out of my comfort zone, think outside of the box and be solution focused rather than dwelling on problems. Within just an hour, I was able to create a preliminary plan for my study, which I had previously thought was one of the most challenging tasks of my PhD.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Additionally, I found it greatly beneficial to interact and network with researchers from across the country and beyond, and at different career stages. Exchanging ideas and learning from each other is one of the best ways to reflect on my own practice and identify ways to improve it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The key takeaway message I took from the summer school is that impact will happen if I embrace the process, build connections with PPIE members and do not solely focus on the outcome of my project, but on the positive impact I want the involvement to have on everyone involved. <strong><br><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Louie:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">To me Patient and public involvement and engagement (PPIE) is essential for meaningful research. By actively collaborating with the communities and people our work aims to serve, PPIE can bridge the gap to real world impact. That is why I was absolutely delighted to be given the opportunity by APEX to attend the NIHR PPIE in Health and Care Research Summer School.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As a research associate who is transitioning into doctoral studies, my research looks to improve support around physical activity for people with type 1 diabetes. For me PPIE is the cornerstone of this work, allowing me to listen to the needs of the community I\u2019m working with to ensure my research is both relevant and impactful. As my time working as a research associate, I have planned and engaged in several PPIE sessions, including holding in-person and online workshop sessions with those with lived experience and their family members. With only little experience in conducting PPIE, the Summer School gave me the opportunity to expand on my knowledge and skills.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I particularly valued the session around \u2018creating safe spaces\u2019 where we were able to explore and discuss with those around us what safe spaces meant to us and what they might look like for those we work with. The idea of moving towards a \u2018brave space\u2019 is something that stuck out to me, allowing me to reflect on the values that are important to myself and how we can create inclusive and collaborative spaces for our respected groups. Hearing from the public member panel was another part of the Summer School which I really appreciated. Being able to hear the positive impact that PPIE has had on people&#8217;s lives was inspiring and reinforced for me that our work goes beyond just writing academic papers and has a genuine influence.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The session on approaching communities was another which I found extremely beneficial as we were able to discuss with public members what we should consider when reaching out to those we want to work with. Considering authenticity, engaging with people in a human way, and making people feel comfortable were aspects that really stood out to me and prompted reflection on my own work. \u2018Working with seldom heard groups\u2019 was another session which really resonated with me and my own research. Here we discussed how systems and attitudes can stop people being listened to, something which is pertinent to my work. We reflected on how we can challenge assumptions, how we can invite more inclusive approaches, and discussed useful tools such as active listening and using more creative approaches to prompt discussion and reflection.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In conclusion, the PPIE Summer School was an invaluable experience for me. It allowed me to reflect on my own practice, gain knowledge and new skills in public involvement, and connect with other passionate researchers who want to make a positive impact in Health and Care research. A huge thank you to the organisers, public member panel, and to those who made the three days run so smoothly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"888\" height=\"536\" src=\"https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/apex\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/249\/2026\/09\/OK.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2495\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/apex\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/249\/2026\/09\/OK.jpg 888w, https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/apex\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/249\/2026\/09\/OK-300x181.jpg 300w, https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/apex\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/249\/2026\/09\/OK-768x464.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 888px) 100vw, 888px\" \/><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Oksana: As a second-year PhD student new to PPIE in research, I was very excited to earn a spot in this year\u2019s summer school. I was eager to learn about the practical steps I could take towards more engaged and collaborative research! Over the week I spent at the summer school, I not only learned [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":989,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2493","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v23.0 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>PPIE Summer School, by Oksana\u00a0Kryshevich and Louie Johnson - Exeter Collaboration for Academic Primary Care (APEx) Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/apex\/2026\/10\/06\/ppie-summer-school-by-oksana-kryshevich-and-louie-johnson\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"PPIE Summer School, by Oksana\u00a0Kryshevich and Louie Johnson - Exeter Collaboration for Academic Primary Care (APEx) Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Oksana: As a second-year PhD student new to PPIE in research, I was very excited to earn a spot in this year\u2019s summer school. 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