The Global Health Research Network hosts quarterly lunchtime meetings based around a loose theme, with speakers from across the University of Birmingham delivering insights into their latest Global projects. Details of our past meetings are detailed below, with the titles of presentations delivered. If you are interested in one of the topics, please contact us and we will endeavour to send a copy of the slides to you (permission will be sought from the presenter before slides are sent).
May 2019 Meeting: Cross-college conversation
Jointly hosted with The Institute for Global Innovation, our May meeting welcomed Dr Joshua Larsen, Senior Lecturer in the School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, and Professor Willem van Schaik of the Institute of Microbiology and Infection. Dr Larsen presented his multi-disciplinary work looking at The impact of climate, water resources, and socio-economic feedbacks on Schistosomiasis transmission; Professor van Schaik gave a talk on The spread of antimicrobial resistance in low- and middle-income countries and presented findings from the AQUA-AMR project in Bangladesh that he returned from just a week ago.
The remainder of the meeting was devoted to another pitch-to-peers session, where colleagues from the across the University are given opportunity to develop their Global Health Research ideas and projects with members of the Network.
January 2019 Meeting: Developing your Global Health Projects
We welcomed newly-appointed Professor of Global Health, Professor Justine Davies, to the meeting and the Network. Prof Davies gave an insightful talk about "Access to care for trauma in LMICs – what we don’t know". The second half of the meeting was devoted to a second round of Pitch-to-Peer session: three of our researchers were given opportunity to work with the academics present to development their ideas further.
October 2018 Meeting: Patient and Public Involvement in Low- and Middle-Income Countries
Our October meeting was joint-hosted with The Institute for Global Innovation. We welcomed Gary Hickey, from INVOLVE, and Professor Sophie Staniszewska, from INVOLVE and Warwick Medical School, to talk about the increasing importance Patient and Public Involvement has in research. Dr Anna Lavis of the University's Institute of Application Health Research shared her reflections on including public involvement at the centre of recent MRC bid developed with LMIC partners.
July 2018 Meeting: Pitch to Peers session
July's meeting, hosted with The Institute for Global Innovation, was opened by Prof David Adams. The meeting focussed on developing Global Health Research ideas. Members of the Network were invited to bring their research ideas to round-table discussions, to develop ideas further with peers from across the University. To shape conversation, Professor Neil Thomas shared insights and best-practice from a recent study on the Health Consequences of Air Pollution in LMICs, and Dr Malcolm Price outlined a proposed study on Consequences of Breastfeeding and Interventions to Promote it in LMICs and invited feedback.
April 2018 Meeting
Our second meeting included a talk by Professor Paul Moss, Director of Research and Knowledge Transfer in the Medical School, and former Chair of the MRC's Infection and Immunity Board, about What Makes a Good Global Health Application, and Insights from Global Health Funding Panels. The meeting showcased recent global and collaborative successes within the University of Birmingham, including a presentation from Professor Adam Cunningham, Co-Director of the BactiVac Network, on The Bacterial Vaccines Network (BactiVac): transforming UoB research through global health funding, and a presentation by Dr Paul Lynch, Insights from across disciplines — Early childhood development, education and disability in Malawi.
January 2018 Meeting
The first meeting of the Global Health Research Network was opened by Professor David Adams, Head of College of Medical and Dental Sciences, and included an introduction to the Network from Dr Rachel Jordan, Academic Lead for Global Health. Professor Hisham Mehanna gave an overview of The Institute for Global Innovation and Dr Georgina Drury detailed Global Health funding opportunities that are available.