Research Showcase to return on 19 May

University Hospital Birmingham’s (UHB) Research Showcase is returning for the first time in 4 years on 19 May, showcasing the latest in research, development and innovation from across the University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust – and that includes us from the NIHR Birmingham Biomedical Research Centre.

This event, marking International Clinical Trials Day, is an opportunity for patients and members of the public to find out how researchers across the region’s hospitals are working to better understand and transform healthcare for all people in our diverse communities.

Exhibits include the latest medical device innovations, intelligent devices to better hear a healthy heartbeat, and the use of artificial intelligence in spotting the signs of cancer.

From a range of interactive exhibits across the Trust’s hospital sites, visitors will be able to understand the accuracy of wearable health technology, the spread of infectious disease, and the true story that your eyes might be telling about your health.

International Clinical Trials Day is primarily a day to better understand the vital health research happening in our hospitals, and around the world; it provides an opportunity to de-mystify research for patients, visitors and staff.

Victoria Day, Head of NIHR Birmingham Biomedical Research Centre (BRC) Infrastructure, said:

“We’re thrilled that many of the new and existing BRC themes will be represented at the Research Showcase, highlighting the varied and complex translational research in inflammatory diseases carried out in our centre for the benefit of all patients across our diverse population.

“We are also delighted that we will be joined by a number of our fantastic patient and public contributors, who add such value to our research in many different ways with various roles in the BRC. Come along and speak to the team to find out more!”

Joanna Gray, Clinical Manager of the National Institute of Health Research (NIHR) Clinical Research Facility at UHB, said:

“Clinical research here and across the country is vital in helping to change lives, and improve the quality of our lives.

“The Research Showcase is always a brilliant opportunity to share what is often behind-the-scenes work with the public in an engaging, fun and accessible way.

“This year, we’ve asked exhibitors from across the Trust to demonstrate how their research is representative of the super diverse region we live in, acknowledging the health inequalities that do exist and how research teams are helping to address this.

“The Showcase is an important opportunity let patients, visitors and our colleagues across the site see, and get involved in what we do.

“We rely on thousands of patients each year to get involved in trials or in shaping research, and the Showcase helps us to take it to a wider audience and move it forward further.

“Visitors are often fascinated by just the small proportion we can exhibit at the Showcase from the hundreds of trials and studies we undertake across UHB and Birmingham Health Partners.”

You can find us at:

• Heartlands Hospital: Main Entrance, Level 1 balcony (near discharge pharmacy), 10:00am-15:00pm
• Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham: Main Entrance, Level 0 (Atrium), 10:00am-15:00pm

Original article: Research Showcase to return May 19 (uhb.nhs.uk)