Earlier this month, we were delighted to welcome the five EPSRC Research & Partnership Hubs for Health Technologies, representatives from our funder (Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, EPSRC), and our Steering Board to Edinburgh for the first All-Hub Meeting.
The two-day event brought together colleagues from across the UK, providing a valuable opportunity to learn more about each Hub’s research, share ideas, and explore where our work could connect.
Bringing the Hubs together
A key aim of the meeting was to get everyone in the same place and create space to understand the breadth of research taking place across the Hubs. Each Hub shared an overview of its research, priorities and plans, giving us the opportunity to see the different approaches being taken and the areas where there are natural points of connection.
Alongside the Hub overviews, the programme included opportunities for discussion, networking and collaboration. We were also joined by Sara Shinton, Professor of Practice of Research and Innovation Leadership at the University of Bath, who facilitated a dedicated collaboration session. This gave colleagues the opportunity to explore potential areas of crossover between the Hubs and consider how we could build on the expertise and capabilities across the programme.
We have come away from the meeting with a number of potential collaboration ideas that we are keen to explore further. The discussions highlighted opportunities to share expertise, connect researchers and develop new collaborations across the Hubs, and we look forward to seeing where these conversations lead.
Celebrating our researchers
One of the highlights of the meeting was our Researcher Flash Talks session, chaired by Dr Beth Mills from the MicroTex Hub, which showcased the breadth and variety of research being carried out by early career researchers across the Hubs.
The short presentations gave researchers the chance to introduce their research to a new audience and highlighted the innovative work taking place across the programme. They also provided a great starting point for conversations and connections throughout the rest of the meeting.
A huge congratulations to our Flash Talk winners:
Winner
- Marisa Sargent – VIVO Hub
Runners up
- Ajmal Roshan – VIVO Hub
- Abdulwahhab Khedr – HALo Hub
MicroTex postdoctoral researcher Tomas Deingruber took to the stage during the event to showcase his Provocateurs show, Molecular Matchmaking, which he performed at this year’s Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Combining science and performance, Tomas explored the world of molecular interactions in a unique and entertaining way, giving delegates a chance to experience research communication from a different perspective.
Looking ahead
The All-Hub Meeting was a great opportunity to bring the five Hubs together, strengthen connections across the programme and start conversations that can continue beyond the event.
Most importantly, we left with new ideas, new connections, and several potential areas for collaboration that we want to take forward. We are looking forward to continuing these discussions and working together to explore how the expertise across the Hubs can contribute to the development and translation of new health technologies.
Thank you to everyone who contributed to the meeting, shared their research and took the time to connect with colleagues from across the Hubs. We look forward to seeing what comes next and to our next meeting hosted by the OASIS Hub next year.
