Patient and public involvement
Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) is essential to the work of the GIFT-Surg project as a way to feed the experiences and insights of patients and their representatives into the development and dissemination of research.
We include patient representatives across major applications through a regular Patient and Public Advisory Group quarterly meeting to discuss areas of research with members across disciplines and application areas.
This is matched with regular public engagement opportunities and activities that open up wider conversations with the public about our work. These activities at a range of events and festivals allow the public to hear more about the exciting research taking place across GIFT-Surg and to ask questions that inform and challenge the members taking part.
The project is supported by public engagement professionals across King’s College London and University College London. All activity is conducted according to the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Definition of Public and Patient Involvement and National Co-ordinating Centre for Public Engagement’s definition of Public Engagement.
Public engagement is supported by our Public Engagement Officer, Bella Spencer. If you are a public group interested in learning more about our activities, or a researcher interested in developing a project, please get in touch with Bella.
“The power of working with patients and taking developments into the clinic is a fantastic journey”
Professor Anna David
Public Engagement Activities
Young people learn about GIFT-Surg research at Westminster Enterprise Week
Students from Westminster Kingsway College learned about GIFT-Surg research on fetal growth and challenges in ultrasound imaging at a public engagement event as part of Westminster Enterprise Week on 10 November. Read more »
GIFT-Surg charity partner’s engagement with research showcased in new animation
GIFT-Surg collaborated with its long-term charity partner, Antenatal Results and Choices (ARC), to produce an animation showcasing the value of ARC’s involvement in research. The video explores how the charity contributes towards research projects by advocating for the ... Read more »
Workshops explore the public’s views on scanning and surgical innovations in pregnancy
The Public Engagement team at the Wellcome/EPSRC Centre for Medical Engineering (CME) at King’s College London hosted a series of workshops to explore public views on innovations in scanning and surgery during pregnancy. The Public Dialogue on Scanning and Surgical ... Read more »
New creative collaboration between GIFT-Surg and Twins Trust supports parents’ understanding of rare pregnancy complications
GIFT-Surg researchers collaborated with charity partner Twins Trust to create a series of illustrations explaining rare medical conditions that can occur during twin and higher-order pregnancies. Read more »
Public dialogue on scanning and surgical innovations in pregnancy
The Centre for Medical Engineering King’s College London is hosting a series of invite-only online workshops to explore public views on innovations in scanning and surgery during pregnancy. Read more »
Royal Institution: What did your placenta ever do for you?
The placenta is essentially the lifeline for a growing baby, and arguably one of the most important organs in the human body. Without it, you wouldn’t be here. Read more »
New Scientist Live
The School of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences at King’s College London exhibited innovative technology and research, including in-utero surgery carried out by the GIFT-Surg team, at the largest science festival in the UK, New Scientist Live. Read more »
Patient and Public Advisory Group Celebration Event
As part of a mid-point evaluation project, the GIFT-Surg Patient and Public Advisory Group (PPIAG) celebrated and assessed their progress at an event at the Wellcome Collection, featuring 19 past, present and future PPIAG members, talks, discussions and cake! Read more »
Public Dialogue Workshop
Our research has the potential to impact the treatment of thousands of mothers and babies. However, for these new tools and techniques to be successful in a clinic, it is fundamental that they are trusted and accepted by the public. To achieve this, the research community ... Read more »
Being Human Festival – Exploring Under the Skin event
The Being Human Festival is a national festival promoting public engagement with humanities research. As part of this, UCL organised Exploring Under The Skin - a range of events on what happens within human bodies. Read more »
Packed Lunch: Medical Robotics
Surgery is increasingly benefiting from developments in robotic technology, but what does it mean to hand over control to a machine? Join Danail Stoyanov for a conversation about his work developing innovative robotic techniques to make surgery less invasive. Read more »
Pint of Science – Inside the Womb: Advanced Surgery
Pint of Science is an international, annual science festival that takes place in pubs across 24 countries and nearly 400 cities. It brings researchers into local establishments to share their scientific discoveries with public audiences over a refreshing drink or two. ... Read more »