Category: Reflections

Why did nobody ask us?! Reflections and findings from co-produced research into children’s vaccine uptake.

In conversation with Dr Helen Skirrow, Lena Choudary-Salter and Habiba Haque

A recap on our research project

Not enough children in the local area around Church Street, Westminster, London where the Mosaic Community Trust is based get their routine vaccines.  We therefore worked together on our project that Lena Choudary-Salter (Mosaic’s CEO) named ‘Why did nobody ask us?!’ to reflect that local parents’ views who live in an area of low vaccine uptake had not previously been listened to.  We have written about our partnership working before. Children missing out on their routine vaccines is a problem not just in Church Street but in lots of areas of London and other urban areas of the UK, which are poorer and have more ethnically diverse populations.

“I sound like Darth Vader and I cough up fur balls” How people living with Airway Stenosis have informed my research career so far.

In conversation with: Dr Gemma Clunie, Senior Clinical Academic Speech and Language Therapist working within: Sackler MSK Lab, Surgery & Cancer  and PERC Fellow (2024)

What is your research project about and what stage are you at?

Airway stenosis (AS) is a narrowing of the windpipe between throat and lungs. People with AS experience a range of distressing symptoms such as shortness of breath, wheeziness, a hoarse voice and swallowing difficulties. Many patients have complicated surgery to widen their throat and improve their breathing. The picture included below shows one of my PhD research participants immediately after this surgery.

How public involvement changed our research question exploring experiences of people with Long Covid

In conversation with: Emily Cooper, Research Associate, Adam Lound, Research Physiotherapist, Patient Experience Research Centre, Imperial College London

What is your research project about and what stage are you at?

This research project is one part of the REal time Assessment of Community Transmission – Long Covid (REACT-LC) study. The project is a qualitative interview study exploring the different experiences of people with long lasting symptoms after having Covid-19. This study builds on our earlier pilot project, which showed how people experienced different symptoms and whether or not they described this as being ‘Long Covid’. The pilot study highlighted the value of recruiting participants from outside of online support groups, to help better understand the range of different people living with long lasting symptoms.

Supporting schools to participate in research on children’s physical activity and wellbeing

In conversation with: Dr Bina Ram, Postdoctoral Research Associate working within the Child Health Unit, Department of Primary Care and Public Health, Imperial College London

What did you do?

I am leading the iMprOVE study which is examining physical activity of Year 1 children (aged 5-6 years) in Greater London primary schools. The main aim of the study is to compare differences in children’s physical activity across schools that do and do not implement a school based active mile intervention called (which involves children running or jogging for 15 minutes at least three times a week during the school day), whilst also examining its effect on children’s mental health and educational performance.

Developing an implant to prevent breast cancer-related lymphoedema

In conversation with: James E Moore Jr., Principal Investigator; Alain Vella, Research Engineer; and Arushri Swarup, Research Associate, from the Moore Research Group in the Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London

What is your research project about and what stage are you at?

We have developed an implant to prevent the onset of breast cancer-related lymphoedema (BCRL). BCRL is an under-represented condition that can occur following lymph node removal for the treatment of breast cancer. When lymph nodes are removed, lymphatic vessels (small vessels that transport fluid out of tissues) are damaged. In approximately 20% of patients this can lead to fluid build-up resulting in a swollen, heavy arm negatively impacting patients’ physical and mental health.