HDRC Bradford co-hosts annual HDRC national conference

On 26 June, Health Determinants Research Collaboration (HDRC) Bradford jointly hosted the Annual HDRC National Conference, along with HDRCs Doncaster, North Yorkshire and Wakefield, in collaboration with the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) RSS Specialist Centre for Public Health.

Held at the Carriageworks Theatre in Leeds, the conference brought together colleagues from the 30 UK HDRCs for a day of insightful discussion, collaboration, and inspiration.

The conference was chaired by Louise Wallace, Director of Public Health for North Yorkshire Council and Chair of the Yorkshire and Humber Association of Directors of Public Health. Her opening remarks highlighted the importance of regional collaboration and the growing momentum behind local authority-led research. This was followed by two compelling keynote addresses. Greg Fell, President of the Association of Directors of Public Health, offered a thought-provoking perspective on the evolving role of public health leadership. Professor Brian Ferguson, outgoing Director of the NIHR Public Health Research Programme, reflected on his tenure and the progress made in embedding research into public health practice.

Dr Adam Briggs, the incoming Director of the NIHR Public Health Research Programme, shared his vision for the future of the HDRC programmes. Professor Jane West then provided an update on the work of the NIHR Research Support Service Specialist Centre for Public Health, spotlighting the team’s achievements over the past year. A panel session followed, giving attendees the opportunity to pose some important and challenging questions directly to Dr Briggs, Professor Ferguson, and Professor West.

All HDRCs were given the opportunity to display posters on their methodologies, recent projects or highlights of their programmes so far. This session was a highlight, promoting exchange of ideas and building connections that continued throughout the afternoon.

The workshop sessions offered something for everyone, with four parallel sessions exploring key themes: what research looks like within local authorities, community-inclusive research approaches, how we define research in local authority contexts and how to support council colleagues in developing research skills.

We were pleased to welcome those who made a long journey to Leeds the day before and joined us for an evening of food and shuffleboard at the Black Cat Club. A fun evening and a first for many!

We are proud to contribute to fostering connections across the UK HDRCs and to spark conversations that will continue to shape public health research across the region.

For those who wish to find out more about the event and view the morning presentations, the event is available to view online here.