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National PPI Festival 2025

National PPI Festival 2025: Celebrating our History, Embracing our Future

The fourth year of this nationwide celebration took place under the theme “Celebrating our History, Embracing our Future.” That year’s festival built on the strong foundations of previous years, honoured the progress made to date, and looked ahead to new and exciting possibilities for Public and Patient Involvement (PPI) in research.

The PPI Ignite Network @ University of Galway was delighted to launch its second National PPI Festival Fund, which offered support to assist University of Galway staff or students, patient & community organisations, and individual PPI contributors to host a National PPI Festival event in October that aligned with the festival’s aims.

We successfully supported 6 events in a variety of ways, including refreshments and catering, design and print, creating accessible information, venue hire, PPI contributor involvement, and equipment hire. That year’s festival reflected our University’s ongoing commitment to excellence in PPI, highlighting how connection, creativity, and collaboration continued to drive progress.

Tuesday, 14th October

Hope ICU Voices: From Bedside to Breakthrough

The PPI contributors and the Research Staff  of Hope ICU Voices event

A special in-person gathering where ICU survivors, family members, carers, researchers, and health care professionals came together to connect, share, and learn from one another. This was an open and supportive space where patients and families could share their ICU experiences, talk about what mattered most to them during their care, and reflect on the journey of recovery. We also wanted to hear their thoughts about ICU research — what they felt was important to study, and their views on new and upcoming projects. This event created a space for connection, conversation, and creativity — where patients, families, and staff came together to transform lived experiences into research that kept patients at the heart of care.

The Critical Care Cluster from the Clinical Research Facility Galway hosted the HOPE ICU Public and Patient Involvement (PPI) event. The session was designed not only to highlight current ICU research initiatives but also to empower participants to share their lived experiences, ensuring that future research priorities and methodologies are informed by those directly affected by critical care.

For more details contact Celia Thomas at: celia.thomas@universityofgalway.ie 

Thursday, 16th October

On the PPI Journey – Lessons from the past, stories from today, aspirations for the future. 

Hybrid - Institute of Lifecourse And Society, University of Galway, H91 C7DK

A photo of most of the people involved in the 'On the PPI Journey' event

PPI was explored through the lens of the PPI contributor and the public, during the day-long event, On the PPI Journey. The event programme was developed by the PPI Ignite Network’s Public Advisory Board (PAB). Powerful opening and closing key-note presentations from two PAB members, contributions from youth researchers, and panel discussions demonstrated how people from many different walks of life are making a real difference in health research and improving healthcare. Attendees were treated to an honest and inspiring conversation on the progress made and the challenges encountered On the PPI Journey, and to a look at the next steps on the road ahead.  

Have a look at their recorded event here

 

If you would like to find out more about this event, please email hello@ppinetwork.ie

Friday, 17th October

From Numbers to Narratives: Understanding Health Research Through Data

Hybrid - The Biomedical Science Seminar Room, BMS-G020, University of Galway

Everyone attending the event

This hybrid workshop, held as part of the National Public and Patient Involvement (PPI) Festival 2025, brought together researchers, clinicians, patients, public members, and digital health innovators to explore how we can bridge the gap between data and meaningful, patient-centred care.
The session featured thought-provoking talks, a powerful product demo, and an energising roundtable discussion that highlighted how meaningful PPI can shape health data projects, strengthen co-design in healthcare, and inspire innovation. Topics included the co-development of digital health dashboards for national care experience surveys and the integration of patient voices in the development of wound-care technologies.
Importantly, the workshop also explored the critical role of statistical methodologies in advancing PPI, including how statisticians and data scientists can help make health data more transparent, trustworthy, and relevant to patients and the public. Through discussions on building trust, designing inclusive digital tools, and improving the communication of uncertainty and findings, participants reflected on how patient involvement can enhance the analysis and interpretation phase of research, making outcomes more meaningful and equitable.
The event was organised by Dr. Nastaran Sharifian, Postdoctoral Researcher in Statistics at the School of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences, University of Galway, with the support of Professor Andrew Simpkin.
Speakers included:
  • Dr. Mona Isazad Mashinchi (University of Galway), who spoke on embedding PPI in national care data projects
  • Dr. Emer Garry, Project Manager at FeelTect, who presented on integrating patient perspectives into innovative wound-care technologies
The roundtable discussion, supported by the PPI Ignite Network team, created space for collaborative thinking across diverse perspectives, including statisticians, technologists, and patients.
If you would like to find out more about this event, please email: Nastaran.sharifian@universityofgalway.ie  
Thursday, 23rd October

Breaking through the Barrier: Insights on Abdominal Pain in IBS and IBD

Human Biology Building, University of Galway

All presenters at the breaking through the pain barrier event

This interactive event brought together patients, gastroenterology healthcare professionals, and pain researchers to explore abdominal pain in IBD and IBS - from the lived experience to the laboratory bench. Speakers on the night included Victoria Spillane (COO Crohn's & Colitis Ireland), Emma Barry (PPI Contributor), Prof Laurence Egan (Consultant Gastroenterologist), Prof David Finn (Pain Neuroscientist and Pharmacologist) and Rebecca Lane (PhD Student researching pain in IBS and IBD). The evening created space to share information and diverse perspectives on pain in IBS and IBD, highlighted research at the University of Galway investigating the body’s own cannabis-like system in relation to abdominal pain, offered the public a first-hand look at the cutting-edge facilities that make this research possible, and facilitated meaningful discussions and collection of 'Audience Insights' that will inform future research.
The event was organised by PhD student Rebecca Lane and Principal Investigator Prof. David Finn (Pharmacology and Therapeutics, School of Pharmacy and Medical Sciences; Centre for Pain Research; Galway Neuroscience Centre, University of Galway), in collaboration with PPI contributors and in partnership with Crohn’s & Colitis Ireland, Chronic Pain Ireland, and colleagues in the Gastroenterology Department at Galway University Hospital.
For more details on ongoing research and future PPI activities in this space, please contact Rebecca at R.Lane2@universityofgalway.ie

 Wednesday 29th October

Voice in Action: Social health supports for people living with young-onset dementia 

Aras Moyola, University of Galway