How are the public involved in the BRC?

There are several groups across the BRC themes and partners where public members work with and advise researchers:

1. Cancer – researching into a range of cancers including head and neck, leukaemia and gastro-intestinal.
2. NIHR/Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Facility Birmingham (CRF) – Scientific Advisory Committee – acting as the public voice in deciding which of the many and varied clinical research projects are suitable to deliver at the CRF.
3. Data and Artificial Intelligence (AI) – researching into the use of data and AI to improve healthcare.
4. Liver & Gastrointestinal (GI) – researching into inflammatory liver disease and inflammatory bowel disease, as well as oral, intestinal and systemic health.
5. Muscle Health group – researching underlying metabolic causes of muscle loss with a focus on inflammatory diseases and multiple long term conditions.
6. Patient reported outcomes – utilising a patient’s direct reports about their health, symptoms, or treatment to shape future healthcare.
7. R2P2 – Rheumatology Research Patient Partnership – researching into rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, Sjogren’s syndrome, and juvenile arthritis.
8. Research User Group (Keele University) – research covers a range of health conditions such as osteoarthritis, chronic pain, inflammatory arthritis, mental health illness and long-term conditions.
9. Thrombo-inflammation – researching cardiovascular diseases such as heart attack, stroke, vascular dementia, high blood pressure and venous thrombosis.
10. Women’s Metabolic Health – The Hildas  – researching into health conditions affecting women such as polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), intracranial hypertension, gestational diabetes, and mild autonomous cortisol secretion (MACS).

Keen to get involved in one of these groups? Just complete this form and find out more.

Public members are involved across the BRC governance and operational groups:

• Executive Board and Advisory committee – 3 public members provide advice on the strategic direction of the BRC
• BRC Patient and Public Advisory Group (PPAG) – a diverse group of 18 people from different PPI groups working with the BRC, who work alongside the BRC PPIE Team. They help improve public involvement across the BRC and co-develop new public involvement and engagement initiatives and programmes
• Working Groups – members of the PPAG work with other BRC staff and researchers on the following groups:
  • Academic Career Development
  • Communications
  • Research Culture, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
  • PPIE Leadership Group and Community of Practice for PPIE practitioners and researchers

• New BRC Patient and Public Advisory Group formed in September 2023
• REP-EQUITY: Public contributors help co-develop a new toolkit for improving the inclusion of underserved communities in research
• NIHR Race Equality Framework: we piloted the Framework with our patient partners. Find out more about our work

Involving patients and public in research is all about making a difference. Research is better when it’s done with those who it ultimately benefits – the public. To give you a flavour of the type of projects we have involved public members in, please see the list of PPIE case studies below.

• Exploring the expectations, needs and concerns of people with rheumatoid arthritis commencing methotrexate
• Development of a trial of preventative treatments for those at risk of rheumatoid arthritis
• Fostering discussion on women’s health: International Women’s Day Health Inequalities Workshop
• Community engagement on polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) research
• Sharing PPIE best practice in women’s health across the globe