Public Health Research and Me

Written by: Fuse the Centre for Translational Research in Public Health
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  • Summary

  • The Public Health Research and Me podcast is led by the public partners of Fuse - the Centre for Translational Research in Public Health - to bridge the gap between researchers and public audiences. Over the course of the podcast, we will cover a variety of public health topics including substance use, universal credit, smoking, maternal health, food insecurity, mental health, weight management. Fuse values public involvement and engagement as a vital part of our mission to get high quality research into the world to improve people's health. The public voice influences our work in all areas.
    Fuse, the Centre for Translational Research in Public Health
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Hygiene & Healthy Living
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Episodes
  • What is ‘food insecurity’ and why is it such a concern, especially for people with severe mental health?

    What is ‘food insecurity’ and why is it such a concern, especially for people with severe mental health?
    Oct 10 2024
    **Content/trigger warning: mental health; food insecurity; death; suicide** In this episode of the Fuse ‘Public Health Research and Me’ podcast, host and public partner Cheryl Blake speaks with academic Ashley Blacklock and peer researcher Claire Atkins about research to tackle food insecurity and improve access to quality food in the North East. They tell us about working with people living with Severe Mental Illness (SMI) to create a nutritious ready meal. They discuss the fantastic feedback they received from participants who said the group sessions had inspired them to cook more at home, make dietary changes, and try new food. The researchers explore how learning from the project and engaging with community could be used in the future as a way of helping people with SMI to improve nutritional intake, as well as increase skills and knowledge around food and cooking. Claire describes the shame that people sometimes feel when visiting a foodbank or getting food donations, and how toxic shame is in stopping people from asking for the help or support that they might need. Listen to the full episode now to find out more. About our guests Ashley Blacklock is passionate about public health and the impact of food on both body and mind. Ashley nurtured this passion into a career, leading her to become a clinical dietitian. During her academic journey, she had the opportunity to do a placement with a research team at Teesside University. Here, she worked on a project focused on school food contracts and strategies that could support schools create healthier contracts and impact positively on the school food environment. In 2023, Ashley became a Research Associate at Teesside University. She is currently involved in a project focused on improving the nutritional quality of diets of people living with Severe Mental Illness. Claire Atkins is the Peer Lead for Research and the Senior Peer Worker for Durham and Darlington. Claire has worked for Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust for almost 3 years. Since working for the Trust, she has followed her passion for all things Peer Support. Having her own lived experience of Mental Health gives her a very personal perspective of Mental Health Services and the impact that serious mental illness can have on an individual and their lives. Over the last year, Claire has worked closely with the research team for the Food Insecurity and SMI project, sparking a new passion for research and understanding of the impact of SMI in people’s daily lives. About our host ⁠Cheryl Blake⁠ is this episode's host. She is a public partner who has collaborated closely with Fuse and the wider public partner-led podcast planning group in creating the 'Public Health Research and Me' podcast. Cheryl is an expert by experience who has also worked with the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) and Northumbria University. Her interests and specialised subjects are around mental and sexual health, domestic abuse, coercive and violent behaviour, and family court and social workers within that system. She supports survivors of sexual/abuse to find female empowerment through art, poetry and meditation. Resources and further information o Jenny’s Pasta aims to tackle food insecurity⁠ o Research into food insecurity and severe mental illness⁠ o Supporting people with Severe Mental Illness who face food insecurity to access a nourishing meal⁠ o ⁠What came first, food insecurity or severe mental illness?⁠ o ⁠Food insecurity in adults living with Severe Mental Illness⁠ o ⁠Food insecurity in adults with severe mental illness: A systematic review with meta-analysis⁠ o Food insecurity in adults with severe mental illness living in Northern England: A co-produced cross-sectional study⁠ With special thanks to the Fuse podcast group Emma Adams, Victoria Bartle, David Black, Cheryl Blake, Mandy Cheetham, Lesley Haley, Fiona Ling, Cassey Muir, John O’Shea, Laura Ritson, Viola Rook, Cheryl Wiscombe; David Winter and Ben Smith (editing); Shaun O'Boyle (training); and Academic Audio Transcription for transcribing content. Produced by Ella Anderson and Mark Welford. Music: Tuesday (Glitch Soft Hip-hop) by amaksi. If you're a fan of our ‘Public Health Research and Me’ podcast, please subscribe, rate or review, and share with your friends, families, colleagues and networks. Follow us on X: @fuse_online Contact for more information, or a copy of the transcript prepared by Academic Audio Transcription: ⁠⁠info@fuse.ac.uk⁠
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    33 mins
  • Understanding the mental health needs of LGBTQ+ youth

    Understanding the mental health needs of LGBTQ+ youth
    Jun 13 2024

    To coincide with Pride Month in the UK, this episode of “Public Health Research and Me” sees host and public partner Kamil Sterniczuk interview Fuse researcher Liam Spencer about his work on the topic of mental health of LGBTQ+ young people.


    Liam describes his journey from youth worker to public health researcher as ‘a happy accident’ and discusses the challenges and findings of his work, including during the COVID-19 pandemic.


    He emphasises the need for inclusive school policies and staff training to support LGBTQ+ students, as well as the importance of capturing the voices of people with lived experience to refine academic knowledge.


    Liam answers the big question: “If you had one message for our listeners to take away, what would it be?” Listen to the full episode now to find out more.


    LGBTQ+ is an abbreviation for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning. The "+" sign recognises the limitless sexual orientations and gender identities used by members of the community.


    More about our guest

    Liam Spencer is a Fuse Associate and Research Assistant based at Newcastle University, and a Mental Health Research Fellow for the NIHR Applied Research Collaboration (ARC) North East and North Cumbria (NENC). Liam's work focuses on building capacity for children and young people’s mental health research in the region, through collaboration with practice partners and academic colleagues. He is currently undertaking a PhD by published works. Striving to establish himself as a trailblazer in this field of research, Liam plans to lead school-based work in the region, with a focus on developing inclusive school environments for marginalised youth.


    About our host

    Kamil is a Fuse public partner and is this episode's host. Kamil is originally from Poland and moved to England for work. He is a part-time student of software engineering and a self-employed Polish interpreter. Since 2018, he has been a lay contributor to medical research due to his lived experience of chronic conditions.


    Resources and information

    Fuse website

    Liam's Fuse blog

    NIHR School for Public Health Research (SPHR) public mental health programme

    NIHR Applied Research Collaboration (ARC) North East and North Cumbria

    Paper: Reducing LGBTQ+ adolescent mental health inequalities: a realist review of school-based interventions

    Paper: Understanding How School-Based Interventions Can Tackle LGBTQ+ Youth Mental Health Inequality: A Realist Approach


    With special thanks to the Fuse podcast group Emma Adams, Victoria Bartle, David Black, Cheryl Blake, Mandy Cheetham, Lesley Haley, Fiona Ling, Cassey Muir, John O’Shea, Laura Ritson, Viola Rook, Cheryl Wiscombe; David Winter and Ben Smith (editing); Shaun O'Boyle (training); and Academic Audio Transcription for transcribing content. Produced by Ella Anderson and Mark Welford. Music: Tuesday (Glitch Soft Hip-hop) by amaksi.


    If you're a fan of our ‘Public Health Research and Me’ podcast, please subscribe, rate or review, and share with your friends, families, colleagues and networks.


    Follow us on X: @fuse_online

    Contact for more information: ⁠info@fuse.ac.uk ⁠

    For a copy of the transcript prepared by Academic Audio Transcription: ⁠⁠info@fuse.ac.uk⁠⁠
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    16 mins
  • Reflecting on 10 years with Fuse: collaborations, risks, joys and friendships

    Reflecting on 10 years with Fuse: collaborations, risks, joys and friendships
    Apr 25 2024

    In a special episode of the Fuse podcast, host and public partner Victoria Bartle speaks with former Fuse Director Ashley Adamson, Professor of Public Health Nutrition at Newcastle University.


    Recently stepping down as Fuse Director after 10 years, Ashley tells us about her proudest achievements as well as what she wished she could have done in her time as Fuse Centre lead.


    Ashley tells us about her background in nutrition and dietetics, about moving into Public Health after frustrations in spending time ‘mopping up the floor’ when ‘no one’s turning off the tap’, and 30 years at Newcastle University.


    She shares her pride in working with the Hairy Bikers to write a healthy diet recipe book that knocked ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’ off the top of the book charts, and pays tribute to Dave Myers who passed away earlier this year.


    Victoria and Ashley discuss how Public Involvement and Engagement helps research and researchers to relate to people’s lives, make a difference, and keep feet on the ground. And of course the role of serendipity in research making an impact.


    Finally, Ashley passes on some words of wisdom to new Fuse Director Professor Sheena Ramsay, and answers the big question: "If you had one message for our listeners to take away, what would it be?" Listen now to find out.


    More about the guest

    After graduation in 1987, Ashley worked as a dietitian in the NHS before moving to Newcastle University as a Research Associate to work on the Northumberland cross-sectional cohort studies. She was awarded her PhD (a study of the changes in the diets of adolescents 1980-1990) from Faculty of Medicine Newcastle University in 1993. In 1992, Ashley moved back into clinical practice and worked in a number of community dietetic posts and in primary care in London. She returned to Newcastle University in 1995 to take up a post as Lecturer in the newly created Human Nutrition Research Centre to develop a research programme in Public Health Nutrition.


    She was awarded a personal chair in 2010, Fellowship of Faculty of Public Health in 2011, and a NIHR Research Professorship in 2012. She was appointed NIHR Senior Investigator in 2017. She was appointed Director of Fuse in 2014 and National Director of NIHR School for Public Health Research (SPHR) in 2017.


    Professor Adamson is now the Director of the NIHR Research Support Service Specialist Centre for Public Health.


    About the host

    Victoria Bartle is this episode's host. She is a public partner who has collaborated closely with Fuse and the wider public partner-led podcast planning group in creating the 'Public Health Research & Me' podcast. Victoria has been involved with research from a patient and public perspective since she had to stop working in 2016 due to multiple long-term health conditions. Victoria is passionate about health and social care research, and feels that the input from every public partner makes research more focused and beneficial to all.


    Resources and further information

    Fuse welcomes new director

    NIHR School for Public Health Research

    Working with the Hairy Bikers

    NIHR Research Support Service Specialist Centre for Public Health


    With special thanks to the Fuse podcast group Emma Adams, Victoria Bartle, David Black, Cheryl Blake, Mandy Cheetham, Lesley Haley, Fiona Ling, Cassey Muir, John O’Shea, Laura Ritson, Viola Rook, Cheryl Wiscombe; David Winter and Ben Smith (editing); Shaun O'Boyle (training); and Academic Audio Transcription for transcribing content. Produced by Ella Anderson and Mark Welford. Music: Tuesday (Glitch Soft Hip-hop) by amaksi.


    If you're a fan of our ‘Public Health Research and Me’ podcast, please subscribe, rate or review, and share with your friends, families, colleagues and networks.


    Follow us on X: @fuse_online

    Contact for more information: ⁠info@fuse.ac.uk⁠

    For a copy of the transcript prepared by Academic Audio Transcription: ⁠⁠info@fuse.ac.uk⁠⁠
    Show more Show less
    30 mins

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