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  7. Patient and Public Involvement (PPI)
Infection and Immunity

Patient and Public Involvement (PPI)

Our mission is to ensure that the research we conduct is shaped by the voices, experiences, and needs of the communities we serve.

What is Patient and Public Involvement (PPI)?

Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) is an approach that actively involves members of the public in the design, development, and delivery of research. People are invited to work alongside researchers, sharing their experiences and perspectives to help shape research.

PPI helps ensure that research addresses real-world needs, priorities, and outcomes that matter most to patients and communities. This improves the relevance, quality, and overall impact of research.

Why Get Involved in PPI?

  • Make a difference: Help shape research priorities and decision-making so they reflect real community needs
  • Be a voice in your community: Act as a PPI champion and support the sharing of clear, accurate information to communities
  • Build your experience: Gain meaningful involvement you can include on your CV, such as PPI group participation
  • Connect with others: Meet like-minded people and build valuable networks

Why is PPI important to our research?

Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) helps ensure our research is relevant, inclusive, and impactful. By working with patients and communities, we can:

  • Gain valuable insights into community perspectives and lived experiences
  • Improve inclusivity by reaching diverse and underrepresented populations
  • Strengthen study design and delivery through public-informed input
  • Develop resources to target under-representation
  • Build trust and long-term relationships that support participation and research impact

What could PPI involve?

PPI can include a range of activities. Here are some examples of how you could get involved:

  • Taking part in focus groups to share views on barriers to research and how to overcome them
  • Looking over study materials to check they are suitable and easy to understand for participants
  • Helping researchers find ways to reach and involve participants
  • Working with researchers as collaborators on study proposals
  • Taking part in community events to raise awareness of research

Who can get involved?

At CNPI, we have two active Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) groups that play an important role in shaping and improving our research.

The groups meet quarterly through a mixture of online and in-person meetings, with additional opportunities to take part in community workshops. All members will be reimbursed for their time and contributions.

BE-CARE PPI Group

For adults and young people from minority ethnic background.

BE-CARE brings together adults and young people from ethnic communities to share perspectives on taking part in research. Members discuss experiences, explore barriers to participation, and help develop practical resources and solutions to improve representation in research.

FRIEND PPI Group

For pregnant people, parents/caregivers, children and young people.

FRIEND focuses on health research in pregnancy and childhood. Members work with researchers to review studies and provide feedback to help improve research design and relevance for families.

How do I express interest?

You can join our Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) database to hear about opportunities to get involved. The form below takes less than two minutes to complete and collects some basic information.

  • FRIEND PPI Group: Sign up here
  • BE-CARE PPI Group: Sign up here

Any questions?

Feel free to contact the team by:

  • Email: PPI_CNPI@sgul.ac.uk
  • Phone: 0208 8725 5382