Provost ’s Award for Public Engagement

Earlier this year, University College London announced the winners of the2017 Provost’s Awards for Public Engagement. The winner of the Early Career Researcher Award was Hema Chaplin, Research Facilitator at theArthritis Research UK Centre for Adolescent Rheumatology.In her first two years at the Centre for Adolescent Rheumatology, Hema and the team have transformed the way that patients and the public are actively involved in research activities. By working closely with the Centre researchers, as well as encouraging community activities, they ensure that research activities follow one rule: they do what young people themselves have said they wanted.Hema has played an active role in establishing close partnerships with secondary schools in North London, and running Young Scientist Days for young people to experience lab-based research. The high degree of relevance and quality of the Centre’s research activities are testament to the enthusiastic approach to patient and public involvement adopted by Hema and the team.The Centre runs frequent focus groups for young people to give their views on research priorities, as well as continued engagement with their core research user group, Young People United. Some of the activities that young people have been involved with include the development of self-management apps, the Centre’s website, research aims and fundraising.Chris Macdonald, Research Involvement Manager at Arthritis Research UK, emphasises the benefits ...
Source: Arthritis Research UK - Category: Rheumatology Source Type: news