Celebrating 20 years of health and care research across the South West Peninsula

Researchers, health and care professionals and public contributors came together at Sandy Park in Exeter on 7 October to celebrate 20 years of the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), reflecting on the impact of research and exploring what the next 20 years could bring.

The all-day, in-person event brought together colleagues from across the South West Peninsula to celebrate research achievements, showcase innovations improving lives today and discuss the opportunities and challenges facing the future of health and care research.

The programme was organised around three themes: celebrating the past, showcasing the present and shaping the future, highlighting the progress made over two decades and the importance of continued collaboration between researchers, healthcare professionals, patients and the public.

Celebrating the past

The day opened with introductions from Jo Davis, Professor Helen Quinn and Nicola Murray, who welcomed attendees and set the scene for a day celebrating two decades of health and care research through the NIHR.

The first theme reflected on the achievements and milestones of the past 20 years, recognising how research has developed and the difference it has made to patients, communities and health and care services. Professor Michael Gibbons, Mike Visick and Professor Martin James contributed to discussions reflecting on progress and the importance of continuing to build a strong research culture.

The session also later featured the Exeter Biomedical Research Centre (BRC) panel, ‘Living the impact of research: research through a patient’s eyes (Story of Hope)’, with Bernie and Sally Kielty, patient and public partners with lived experience of stroke, Justin Stahley chairing, and Hatem Lazem and Professor Helen Dawes who worked on the project.

Their inspiring, moving and impactful contributions brought the realities of living with stroke into the conversation, highlighting why the patient perspective is so important to research. By sharing their experiences, Bernie and Sally demonstrated how people with lived experience can help shape research and ensure it remains connected to the needs and priorities of those it aims to benefit.

Their contributions were a powerful reminder that research is ultimately about people, their lives and the difference that better health and care can make.

Showcasing the present

The second theme highlighted the research and innovation taking place today, showcasing how discoveries and new approaches are helping to improve health and care across the South West Peninsula.

Presentations included Professor Emma Baple on genomic research and the journey from discovery to diagnosis, Professor Maggie Shepherd on research transforming diabetes care, and Dr Harriet Aughey on research helping babies go home sooner.

Together, these examples demonstrated the breadth of research taking place across the region and its potential to improve diagnosis, treatment and outcomes for patients and families.

The presentations also highlighted the importance of translating research into practice, ensuring that new knowledge and innovation lead to tangible benefits for people and the health and care services supporting them.

Shaping the future

The final theme looked ahead to the next generation of health and care research, exploring the opportunities, challenges and priorities that will shape the coming years.

Contributors included Professor Andrew Hattersley FRS, Professor Phil Evans, Professor Adrian Harris, Dr Nick Kennedy, Dr David Tucker, Professor Sheena Asthana and Professor Daniel Martin OBE.

Discussions explored the future of research across areas including primary care and prevention, health technology, commercial research, digital innovation and public involvement. The sessions highlighted the importance of building strong partnerships, developing research capacity and ensuring that research opportunities are accessible to diverse communities.

A key message was the need to build on the NIHR’s achievements while continuing to involve patients and the public as partners in shaping research priorities and delivering meaningful improvements in health and care.

As research continues to evolve, collaboration between universities, healthcare organisations, researchers and communities will remain essential to addressing future challenges and ensuring innovation benefits the people who need it most.

Looking ahead to the next 20 years

The NIHR20 event provided an opportunity to celebrate two decades of progress while recognising the people, partnerships and public contributions that make health and care research possible across the South West Peninsula.

From advances in diagnosis and treatment to the powerful perspectives shared by people with lived experience, the day demonstrated why research matters and how it can improve lives.

As the NIHR looks towards its next 20 years, continued collaboration, meaningful public involvement and a commitment to turning research into real-world benefits will be essential to building on these achievements.

Thank you to everyone who contributed to the day and helped celebrate 20 years of health and care research across the South West Peninsula.