- Breakthrough Cancer Research is committed to incorporating the patient voice at the centre of our research activities. The goal of Public Patient Involvement and Engagement (PPIE) is to improve the quality, relevance and appropriateness of research and to ensure that it meets the needs and expectations of those affected by cancer to the greatest extent possible. In cancer research, the aim of PPIE is that research that is done 'with' or 'by' the public, not 'to', 'for' or 'about' them.
- PPIE involvement is important in research. Our PPIE panel take on many roles in Breakthrough as an organisation, including:
- Raising awareness of cancer signs and symptoms to the public
- Raising awareness of cancer research to the public
- Reviewing grant applications and interviewing researchers
- Sharing research findings with the public
- Becoming collaborators and co-applicants on research applications as Experts by Experience.
- Training early and mid-career researchers in scientific communication to the public
- Co-developing research strategy and research priorities
- Breakthrough Cancer Research want to fund the best cancer research. When we receive research applications, they go through an international scientific review process with experts in the field to identify the best scientific proposals. Applications also undergo a PPI review, to get the perspective of patients and the public – those who are likely to be impacted by the research. By asking patients and members of the public for their opinion, research can and is improved.
- To date more than 100 people have responded to our request to take part in our PPI panel. To enable and empower patients and the public to participate fully in this review process, we have run two interactive workshops for the PPI panellists to date. Within these workshops, PPI panellists have learned about the research process, and researchers have learned about some important patient-related issues. For example; Mandy Quirke, a cancer survivors and PPIE representatives recorded publicly available interviews with Prof. Walter Kolch about their research on the role of bacteria in cancer and also the aims of Precision Oncology Ireland, respectively. “What I have learned has helped with my fear of recurrence.” Mandy Quirke PPIE panellist https://youtu.be/p4TvXYYh6Y0
“It was a pleasure to attend Mondays Workshop, meet lovely people and got an insight into what's going on behind the scenes.…happy to say what I learned was invaluable and it makes sense to start at the nitty gritty of basics to get the true & accurate picture of what's involved and an understanding of the amazing work our Scientists put in.”
We will be hosting further training sessions. The aim is to involve patients and the public in the research we support. If you would like to be involved in our Public Patient Initiative, please contact Frances at 021 4226655, or email her at [email protected]
If you would like to take part, please complete this form. There are no right and no wrong answers.
Join In
CANCER
CONVERSATIONS
Helen McGonagle and Mandy Quirke, cancer survivors and PPIE representatives recorded publicly available interviews with Prof. Mark Tangney and Prof. Walter Kolch about their research on the role of bacteria in cancer and also the aims of Precision Oncology Ireland, respectively.
“What I have learned has helped with my fear of recurrence.” Mandy Quirke PPIE panellist
Helen McGonagle’s cancer diagnosis came out of the blue, picked up in a mammogram having never had any symptoms. Helen joined Breakthrough’s Public Patient Initiative because she liked the idea that she was, in a small way, paying back the cancer research community for the excellent treatment she received as a result of their work in the past. “I think PPI creates a type of partnership between cancer researchers, funding bodies, and those affected by cancer and helps support connections. I think that input from patients and others affected by cancer can help – it takes the research from the theoretical to the practical. I hope I can help in that way”
Here, Pamela Deasy, a survivor of pancreatic cancer, met with Dr. Stephen Maher and David Hackett PhD student of Trinity College Dublin’s Translational Medicine Institute to discuss Pancreatic Cancer and the research that is being carried out.
MEET OUR PUBLIC AND
PATIENT INVOLVEMENT
AND ENGAGEMENT PANEL
Nuala Ní Bhriain talks about why she joined the Breakthrough Cancer Research Public and Patient Involvement Panel.
Mandy Quirke talks about why she joined the Breakthrough Cancer Research Public and Patient Involvement Panel.
Kay Curtin talks about why she joined the Breakthrough Cancer Research Public and Patient Involvement Panel.
Helen McGonagle talks about why she joined the Breakthrough Cancer Research Public and Patient Involvement Panel
TRAINING RESEARCHERS IN
SCIENTIFIC COMMUNICATION
Members of Breakthrough’s PPIE panel help to train and also assess the research communication skills of Breakthrough-funded researchers. For example, some of our PPIE panel assessed and determined the best lay presentation by the Breakthrough Summer Scholars following the completion of their research, in September 2021 (pictured).
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