Dr Kate Lyle awarded £2500 PERU Grant

CELS researchers have been awarded £2500 by the Public Engagement with Research Unit (PERU) to address the challenges of continuing public engagement in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and explore how appropriate methods of engagement can be developed to reach diverse audiences that move beyond reliance on online methods.

Masses of health data are generated through everyday activities, from accessing health services to using wearable technologies and health tracking apps. Great hopes and expectations about how this might help understand and improve human health run alongside concerns about inappropriate and irresponsible applications. 
 
As the collection and commercialisation of health data accelerates, in both public and private sectors, it is increasingly important to have open discussions about what is possible and desirable to achieve through big data analytics, and it is imperative that this debate includes a diverse range of voices. 
 
The study, led by Dr Kate Lyle, will explore how diverse audiences can be engaged in the current context to understand what they think about how, if, by whom, and for what purposes health data should be used. The findings will inform future engagement activities around health data.