Dr Mary O’Leary shares the work behind her recent application to Parkinson’s UK, exploring how nutritional interventions can support aspects of Parkinson’s symptom management. Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement (PPIE) Funding helped ensure lived experience could be brought into this work, inviting collaboration throughout the research process.
Author: Catherine H
Nothing About Us Without Us’: The Role of Public Perspectives in Health Research
In this recent interview, Dr Camilla Forbes from the Department of Health and Community Sciences shares information about her work in Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement (PPIE), highlighting the importance of engaging communities in research on health promotion and public health.
Bringing Academia to Different Communities: The Researchers in Churches SchemeĀ
As part of the 2025 FUTURES Festival, our partners,Ā Agile Rabbit, brought the celebrations to Cornwall as part of the Researchers in Churches scheme. This programme takes academia into a new setting, inviting members of the community to talks and conversations delivered in churches across theĀ South West.Ā
Loveland Bridging Communities Project
Tim Hughes tells us about recent work completed with Loveland, a community field project based in Falmouth, which invites local people to get involved in food growth and sustainability. With support from our Bridging Communities Fund, Loveland’s work has continued to grow, inviting new audiences to explore their natural surroundings.
Inviting Publics to Engage with Structural Biology
In this interview, Dr Becky Conners from the Department of Biosciences talks about her journey into public engagement, and the role this plays in her work on structural biology – including most recently, her contributions to both the Somerscience and FUTURES festivals on the importance of bacterial phages.
Self-Discovering Research: The Workshops of FUTURES 2025
Alongside our walking tours, visitors to the 2025 FUTURES Festival could book a ticket for one of our workshops. Whether they were interested in creative writing, encouraging growth in our natural environment, or honing their artistic skills, these free events offered audiences the chance to try something new.Ā
Being Human Festival: How Literature, Film, and Creativity Can Bring Communities TogetherĀ
The Being Human Festival is the UKās national celebration of the humanities, bringing humanities research to public audiences across the country. Running from the 6th to the 15th November, this yearās festival, āBetween the Linesā, invited academics to explore the theme of boundaries in their work.Ā
Sparks Programme: Promoting and Celebrating Community Research Partnerships
The FUTURES Festival also supported projects that connect communities to University research. Artist and workshop facilitator, Hannah Mumby, was joined by researcher Hannah Hayes to explore creative mapping of flood risk in the Exe Estuary, while Exeter Seed Bank investigated the health of local community growing spaces.Ā
B-HUGS: A Collaborative Project for Social Change
Dr Safi Darden talks about her recent project, B-HUGS, supported as part of the 2024-25 Engaged and Participatory Research Fund. This work draws on interdisciplinary expertise, looking to address rissues of educational belonging for Black youth in Devon.
How Can You Take Your Research into Communities?Ā
On the 12th October, Exeter Phoenix opened its doors to hundreds of local residents ready to let their imaginations run wild. With more than 20 stalls to explore, adults and children alike were invited to learn from academics across the University through engaging, hands-on activities.