The Oxford BRC PPI advisory group (previously known as the Patients Active in Research (PAIR) group) comprises PPI contributors representing different themes of the BRC. The group aims to facilitate PPI across all themes and to offer support, advice and training. The group’s vision is to improve the value of research to researchers, patients and society by working in partnership with researchers to identify and maximise opportunities for meaningful PPI across Oxford BRC themes.
For more information or to get advice from the group, please email: polly.kerr@phc.ox.ac.uk
Alan Chant
“I am the patient representative on Oxford BRC Steering Committee and a member of the PPI Advisory Group. I have over 7 years’ experience in being a PPI representative on research organisations – including NIHR funding panels (SPCR, PGfAR & HTA), Cancer Research UK, Wellcome Trust, Oxford OCTO, NICE and the UK Clinical Research Collaboration Board. I have also been a Trustee of Oxford Hospital Charity and NCRI, and am a current Trustee of Myeloma UK. My experience includes having reviewed over 250 research funding applications, presented at PPI conferences, been involved in clinical trials and been a co-author on PPI impact studies.”
Catriona Gilmour Hamilton
Catriona joined the haematology department at Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust in late 2017 after completing a PhD that investigated patients’ experiences of participation in cancer research. Her earlier career included oncology nursing, and working for a national cancer charity in patient support and information provision. A major part of her role at OUH is to promote and facilitate engagement with patients, both in haematology research and in service development. She also manages a patient engagement group, the Oxford Blood Group.
Derek Goldrei
“I’m on the PPIE panel for the Antimicrobial Resistance and Modernising Microbiology theme of the BRC. I’m a mainly retired teacher of maths at both the Open University and Oxford University. I’m on the panel as an interested member of the public who has participated in trials of things like the efficacy of swab tests for detecting bacteria and viruses. One of the ways in which the researchers exploit the panel is to help draw up guidelines and information sheets for all those involved in such trials, for instance, nurses and doctors but especially the patients. This then helps with the creation of guidelines and information sheets for those tests which are subsequently adopted for general use.”
Jenny Gould
“I became involved as a PPI with the Musculo-Skeletal Trauma Team 4 ½ years ago, following a number of orthopaedic operations. My background is in stress management and psychotherapy. An especially satisfying project was the James Lind Alliance PSP, focusing on fragility fractures of the lower limb. A national survey of patients, carers, and healthcare staff collected opinions on all aspects of lower limb fragility fracture care. These were whittled down to a Top 10 list of research questions. Scientific papers were published, quickly resulting in new research projects.”
Magdalen Wind-Mozley
“In 2015, whilst having an ECG (participant in Ebola vaccine trial), I saw a poster regarding patient and public involvement with the Oxford Vaccine Group and volunteered. Over the last few years I have contributed to assorted trials; from grant applications to letters thanking volunteers for their participation; from feedback on photos, to texts for social media adverts. I find the work absolutely fascinating and, at times, inspirational. With the Covid-19 pandemic and scientific research (into treatments, control measures and vaccines) at the forefront of many people’s minds; this is a critically important time to involve patients and the public at every stage.”
Nikki Hayward
Nikki has a keen interest in improving patient and public involvement in cancer research by raising awareness of the importance of a lay perspective in all aspects of trial design and delivery. Representing the cancer theme, she is aiming to improve PPI in Oxford, leading on recruitment of lay people to work alongside researchers, to improve relevance of research as well as improving accessibility through improved written and verbal communication, and more palatable research design.
Peter McQuitty
“I have been severely asthmatic since the age of two. My referral to the respiratory experts at OUH NHS Foundation Trust six years ago led to my participation in a range of clinical trials, including for one of the exciting new biologic treatments; this has transformed my life. As a result of my participation I have learned a lot about my own disease and have been able to contribute to the development of the new personalised treatments being used to combat it.”
Sue Duncombe
“My interest in research started when my husband was diagnosed and later died of prostate cancer. I’ve developed PPI plans for research submissions, facilitated PPI workshops to ensure researchers get the input they need from PPI contributors and have provided feedback on research proposals. With the cancer lead nurse we have recently set up a PPI group to provide a lay perspective to researchers from people affected by cancer, across all stages of the research cycle from concept to dissemination.”
Douglas Findlay
Douglas Findlay began his career in teaching and has 30 years’ experience in the health care and pharmaceutical industries, in sales and marketing, training and development. He is an experienced patient advocate and currently works as a Patient and Public Involvement lead with the Academic Health Science Network, a Patient Safety Partner with NHS England and Improvement and has Patient and Public Involvement roles with the Royal College Surgeons and the Thames Valley and Hampshire Clinical Senate.
Mark Jennings
“Originally qualified as a Chartered Engineer, I have over 40 years’ experience as a senior manager and leader at all levels of the healthcare system. Previous roles include Operations Director of a major acute trust, National Programme Lead at the Department of Health, Programme Director at the NHS Institute at the University of Warwick, lead for a Prime Minister’s Delivery Unit review and Director of Healthcare Improvement at the King’s Fund, London. The focus of my work and expertise is now supporting local and national NHS organisations with improving services and increasing productivity. In 2014 I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, and now play a very active role in the Oxford branch of Parkinson’s UK. I represent the Neurology theme on the BRC PPI Advisory Group.”
Nisha Shah
Nisha is a social scientist and a mixed methods researcher at the Centre for Health, Law, and Emerging Technologies (HeLEX) at the University of Oxford. Her research focuses on understanding the impact of data-driven technologies on healthcare and patients through a socio-technical perspective, and a significant portion involves both engaging with and involving perspectives of different stakeholders in developing policy about these. Nisha currently leads a UKRI funded project (AIDE) about enabling artificial intelligence in healthcare for all, and manages a patient and public panel to co-design this project with.