My recent period of recovery has reminded me that lived experience is not something we leave behind. It continues to shape us, teach us and influence the way we see the world. For me, it has strengthened my commitment to ensuring that the voices of people with lived experience are heard, respected and embedded throughout mental health research.
Because lived experience is not an optional extra. It is evidence. It is expertise. And it is one of the most powerful tools we have for making research more compassionate, more relevant and more impactful.
Every conversation I have with someone willing to share their story reminds me why this work matters.
Their experiences deserve to shape the future of mental health research.
Just as mine continues to shape me.
As both PPIEP Lead for the MH-TRC Mission and PPIE Strategic Lead at MQ Mental Health Research, I am fortunate to work with an extraordinary community of researchers, clinicians, charities and, most importantly, people with relevant lived experience. Across both roles, my focus is the same: to share good practice, advocate for meaningful involvement, build partnerships and create opportunities for lived experience experts to influence research from the very beginning. Whether supporting a national research collaboration or working through a mental health research charity, my aim is to ensure that lived experience is recognised as expertise and embedded throughout the research process, not added as an afterthought.