Patient & Public Involvement
At the heart of our research is a commitment to working with patients and the public—not simply conducting research about or for them. Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement (PPIE) ensures that people with lived experience, community representatives, and members of the public are active partners in shaping our research.
We believe in co-creation and collaboration. Our PPIE activities span the full research lifecycle—from idea generation and design to implementation and dissemination. Through our dedicated PPIE Committees, we bring together patients, carers, public contributors, charities, clinicians, students, and researchers to ensure our work is relevant, accessible, and impactful.
A great example of this is our ResearchTogether 2025 event, held in Birmingham. Patients, carers, charities, clinicians and researchers came together to share lived experiences, discuss healthcare priorities, and co-create future research themes.
The event showcased how patient voices can guide scientific innovation and improve communication across disciplines.
We also support ongoing training to build confidence and capacity for meaningful involvement, and we ensure all contributors are fairly reimbursed in line with NIHR guidelines.
Mainstream is a collaboration between three world-class academic institutions and the UK National Health Service.
