ASO Webinar: The importance of Public and Patient Involvement from a research and public perspective

The intention of this webinar is to provide attendees with insights into the importance and benefits of public involvement from the perspective of both the patient and researcher.

This ASO Webinar was held live on 24th June 2021 and was chaired by Prof Louisa Ells and Mr Ken Clare.

• Welcome (Ken Clare)
• PPI in the Re:Mission study and the importance of ethnic diversity in research  (Abi Ojo and Jenny Teke)
• PPI and the PROGROUP study (Steve Perry)
• PPI in PARIS (Jennifer James)
• Coproduction and the childhood obesity Trailblazer (Sufyan Dogra)
• Panel discussion (chaired by Louisa Ells)

Novo Nordisk has provided sponsorship to the Association for the Study of Obesity (ASO) to fully fund all costs for the development of this webinar, including creation, organisation, production and administration. Novo Nordisk has had no influence on the content and full editorial control remains the sole responsibility of ASO. None of the speakers have received a fee for their participation in this webinar, and ASO has been fully responsible for engaging with participants.

Speakers

Ken Clare
Obesity UK, Director of Bariatric and Metabolic Surgery Services

Ken has a lifelong experience of living with obesity. With a professional background in general and mental health nursing, he also has five years experience as a specialist bariatric nurse. During the past 18 years, he has become a strong advocate for people with obesity and is passionate about ensuring patient voices are considered at every stage of research, commissioning and service delivery. Ken founded WLSInfo (patient information and support charity) in 2002, was a founding member of OEN (Obesity Empowerment Network) and GOPA (Global Obesity Patient Alliance). He currently serves as Chair of EASO-ECPO European Coalition for People Living with Obesity and is a Trustee of ASO (Association for the Study of Obesity). Additionally Ken has taken part in a range of patient involvement roles, organised many obesity related conferences and has extensive experience across all media platforms. He is currently engaged with the University of Liverpool and Leeds Beckett University in roles focussing on Patient and Public Involvement. In his spare time Ken is a flight simulator enthusiast, a keen photographer and is currently learning German.

Louisa Ells
Leeds Beckett University, Professor of Obesity

Louisa is a registered public health nutritionist with a specialist interest in multi-disciplinary, cross-sector applied obesity research. Her research focuses on obesity related public health, service evaluation, inequalities and e-health, delivered using systematic reviewing, mixed method, coproduction and person-centred approaches.

Louisa joined the University in May 2020 as Professor of Obesity, working in the nutrition and dietetic team and co-lead of the Centre for Applied Obesity Research. Louisa is an adjunct Professor at the University of North Carolina, Greenboro in the USA, and is specialist academic advisor to Public Health England. She is also an invited expert for the NICE Centre for Guidelines, and sits on the European Association for the Study of Obesity Nutrition working group.

Louisa has specialised in applied obesity research for the past two decades, working across academia, policy and practice, having previously worked at the North East Public Health Observatory and was a founding member of the National Obesity Observatory (now part of Public Health England). Louisa is passionate about research coproduction: working with policy, practice and community partners to co-develop research solutions to address real world problems. She has worked on projects with a combined income exceeding £4.5 million, and has a strong publication record, and established network of international collaborations spanning Europe, the USA and Australia.

Abimbola Ojo
Public Health Researcher

Dr Abimbola Ojo (Abi) is a public health researcher, currently working with the Public Health England as a Senior Covid Response Practitioner. She has taken active roles in various clinical research projects both in the UK and internationally.  Her public health research began in Africa where she worked on prevention of HIV/AIDs and other communicable diseases particularly among youths. In the UK, Abi’s research interests encompass obesity, health inequalities, ethnicity, and health. She believes that addressing social inequalities is paramount to improvement in public health.

Abi has recently completed her doctorate in Public Health from the University of Teesside, UK. Her thesis focuses on exploring the perceptions, beliefs, knowledge, and practices around dietary intake among Black Asian and Minority Ethnic adults in England.

Abi is a member of the Patent and Public Involvement (PPI) group for the REMission low-calorie diet research project. Abi is a co-author of Treatment outcomes among pulmonary tuberculosis patients at treatment centres in Ibadan, Nigeria. Annals of African Medicine, 8(2). In addition, she is an excellent clinical practice facilitator with the National Institute of Health Research.

Jenny Teke
Medway Community Healthcare, Lead Research Nurse and R&D Manager

Jennifer Teke, is the Lead Research Nurse and R&D Manager for Medway Community Healthcare with a nineteen years career in health care nationally and internationally. Jenny is a PPI member of the ReMission study.

Jenny is an experienced clinical research professional with demonstrated history of working in the research industry on academic as well as commercial trials. Proficient in many aspects of clinical trial conduct including trial set-up, on-site and central monitoring, clinical site management, protocol development. She is also a National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Facilitator for research training courses such as: Good Clinical Practice (GCP), Valid Informed Consent (VIC), PI Masterclass and Next Steps in research. She is also a member of the Clinical research Network, Kent Surrey and Sussex workforce steering committee. Having a keen interest in research, she has completed several research courses including the Advanced Leadership Practitioner (ALP) delivered by the NIHR.

Jenny is a Nurse by profession with keen interest in Public Health. She has recently completed her Doctorate Degree in Public Health at Teesside University, UK. Her research interest is in Health inequalities, NCDs especially Obesity in Black and Minority ethnic populations. Her Doctorate thesis is entitled: ‘Exploring the barriers and facilitators to access and uptake of Tier 2 weight management programmes for adult black and minority ethnic (BME) communities’.

Steve Perry
PPI and co-applicant on the PROGROUP research project

Steve Perry is a self-employed electrician in his day job but his real passion is trying to help people that are dealing with the same issues as he has. Since completing a weight management program in Plymouth many years ago and subsequently having bariatric surgery, he has committed himself to helping others. He became a weight management "buddy", which is a specialist patient that provides support to both the weight management program and their clients. He is chairperson of the Weigh Forward group, a support group for pre and post operative patients, providing lived experience of bariatric surgery. He is also PPI and co applicant on the PROGROUP research project.

Jennifer James
Senior Physiotherapist, Liverpool University Hospital

Jennifer James is a senior physiotherapist from the Liverpool University Hospitals NHSFT (tier three) specialist weight management service.  As part of her role she helps patients with severe obesity to increase their levels of physical activity and reduce their sedentary behaviour, whilst acknowledging and helping patients to manage any difficulties they might have, for example, pain or medical conditions. Jennifer is currently completing a NIHR funded PhD fellowship, the aim of which is to develop an behaviour change programme to help patients to become more physically active and reduce sedentary behaviour following bariatric surgery, to optimise their longer term outcomes.  This programme is now being tested in a feasibility study with a view to doing a larger study to see if the programme is helpful to patients.  The ultimate aim of this research is to improve post-operative care for patients following bariatric surgery.

Sufyan Dogra
Senior Research Fellow, Bradford Institute for Health Research, UK

Dr Sufyan Abid Dogra does anthropology of modern Britain and works as a Senior Research Fellow at Bradford Institute for Health Research. He explores ways to encourage healthy dietary habits and enhance physical activity among children and young people from ethnic/religious minorities living in deprivation in the UK. His interests are health, ethnicity, religion, diversity and coproduction of research for the people and public policy. He conducted a pioneering research on how mosques/madrassas can be used for health promotion in the UK. His findings led to Bradford Council’s successful bidding for government’s Trailblazer Childhood Obesity Programme.

He is leading on following programmes within Born in Bradford Study at Bradford institute for Health Research.

• Trailblazer Childhood Obesity Programme
• Qualitative Longitudinal Research for Born in Bradford Birth Cohort
• Active Faith Settings: Delivery of Physical Activities Using/Involving Religious Settings
• Community Research for Preventing Violence among Young People