Caroline's developing research interests focus on the methods, practice and impact of patient and public involvement and engagement (PPIE). She is particularly interested in creative approaches to involvement, evaluating PPIE impact, and understanding barriers and facilitators to meaningful participation in research.
Her research contribution is primarily as a methodological and PPIE collaborator within multidisciplinary teams, alongside developing her own research programme. Her collaborative interests span endocrinology, women's health, epilepsy and environmental science as it relates to health.
Women's health and endocrinology
A significant strand of Caroline's collaborative work has focused on polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome (PMOS), formerly polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Since 2020, she has worked with Professor Wiebke Arlt and colleagues through the Wellcome Trust-funded DAISy-PCOS research programme, including associated public engagement enrichment funding.
Her work has included leading patient and public advisory groups, including the DAISy-PCOS Leaders, a cohort of diverse women with PMOS who undertook training and contributed to public engagement activities raising awareness of PMOS and related research. She has also led the AMIGO group and The Hildas, a diverse women's PPIE group contributing to women's health research.
Caroline was a member of the James Lind Alliance Priority Setting Partnership Steering Committee on PMOS (2024–2025), led by Cardiff University and Verity, which supported the prioritisation of the Top 10 Research Priorities for PMOS published in 2025. She has also contributed to the Global Name Change Consortium coordinated by research leads at Monash University.
She also contributes PPIE leadership to the NIHR I4I ACCelerate project (2026–present) on refinement and implementation of novel adrenal tumour diagnostics, the Midlands Patient Safety Research Collaboration. (PSRC) Maternity Theme and the Birmingham Biomedical Research Centre (BRC) Women's Metabolic Health Theme.
Epilepsy and community-based research
Caroline previously worked with the Centre for Systems Modelling and Quantitative Biomedicine through an EPSRC ICT Public Engagement Champions grant (2023–2025). She continues to collaborate with Professor John Terry at the University of Plymouth on the EPSRC-funded Developing Community-based EEG Solutions for Diagnosis and Management of People with Suspected Seizures (2026–present).
PPIE, public engagement and creative methods
Caroline's academic work also explores how creative and participatory approaches can contribute to research and interdisciplinary collaboration. Since 2020, she has led a five-year Artist-in-Residence programme, embedding artists within multidisciplinary research teams.
The programme has supported new perspectives and creative thinking, introduced research to audiences who may not otherwise engage with traditional research outputs, and developed networks between researchers and artists. It has resulted in three exhibitions: Lore + (Dis)order (2022), Encoded Realities (2024) and Frames of Discovery (2025). Several participating artists have subsequently secured further funding and continued collaborations arising from the programme.
Caroline has led or co-led applications securing more than £500,000 in dedicated public engagement and patient and public involvement funding from NIHR, NERC, Wellcome, EPSRC, STFC and the Society for Endocrinology. She has also contributed PPIE and engagement expertise to collaborative research applications led by other investigators, helping to leverage several million pounds of wider research funding.
Most recently she has also supported Public Involvement Hub colleagues in the co-development of the Birmingham Health Partners Institutional Strategy for Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement (2026).