Our ‘Exchanges: Inspiring Parkinson's Conversations’ project won the Brian Cox Award for Excellence in Public Engagement with Research (Best Project 2023) at the School of Life Sciences Review of the Year event on Wednesday 24th January.
The award recognises that our Exchanges project connects with the public to allow the creation and sharing of knowledge and meets the needs of those we interact with. The judging panel commented that the project “introduces Parkinson’s research to patients, relatives and carers, and also enables researchers to get closer to the lived experience of Parkinson's with the ultimate goal of helping people with the disease. The panel was very impressed by the depth of engagement and the measurable positive outcomes.”
This is the second public engagement award the project has won, with the team also winning the 2024 Stephen Fry Public Engagement Project of the Year Award earlier in the month.
Exchanges is an interpretive art card activity designed to inspire deeper, more meaningful conversations about Parkinson’s and Parkinson’s research. The project was led by Professor Miratul Muqit and Engagement Consultant, Sarah Patrick, in collaboration with artist Daksha Patel and people with lived experience of Parkinson's.
Professor Miratul Muqit, the team’s lead researcher and Consultant Neurologist, said, “On behalf of the patients, researchers, and the whole team, we are thrilled to receive this recognition and hope the work we have done will benefit the wider Parkinson’s community.”
Sarah Patrick, our Public & Patient Involvement & Engagement Consultant, added, “We’re delighted that the judging panel recognises the depth of engagement and impact of our Exchanges project with this award. We’ll continue to collaborate with external partners and people with lived experience of Parkinson’s to inspire more meaningful conversations about Parkinson’s and Parkinson’s research at a global level.”
More information on our Exchanges project: www.ppu.mrc.ac.uk/parkinsons-exchanges
