PPI Ignite Network at QUB

Joe is Professor Emeritus of Social Work and Inclusion at QUB. He is deeply committed to PPI and has globally recognised expertise in the field of ‘Involvement’ in research and education. Joe’s pioneering research led to recommendations for user involvement in Health and Social Care in Northern Ireland, which have had an enduring impact. He also led the first postgraduate course on PPI in Health and Social Care in Northern Ireland.

Joe leads the Curriculum Guide on service user involvement in social work education for the United States Council on Social Work Education. When published in 2027 this will apply to over 900 US academic institutions. As Academic Co-Lead, Joe will bring a strategic and positive approach to ensuring that PPI becomes fully embedded across the three Faculties of the University.

Claire is Professor of Childhood-onset Disability at the School of Nursing and Midwifery at QUB. Claire co-leads the Northern Ireland Cerebral Palsy Register, which tested and informed the final agreed UK Standards for Public Involvement. She partners with people with lived experience, including with young children and with people with disabilities, using participatory methods and varied communication approaches to ensure that those who wish to be involved in PPI and/or research are provided with opportunities and options to do so in a manner of their choosing.

As QUB Academic Co-Lead, Claire will champion and contribute to the use of participatory methods and inclusion of individuals who are often excluded from research and advocate for a cross-disciplinary increase in the uptake of PPI in undergraduate and postgraduate education.  

Joanne is a disability activist and social science academic who has contributed to research, education and policy nationally and internationally. Through her involvement in social research, Joanne transitioned “from being researched as a person living with disabilities to achieving the skill set needed to complete a Masters in Social Research Methods”. Joanne has co-authored multiple research papers, reports and review articles including a chapter of The Routledge Handbook of Disability Activism.

She develops and delivers teaching on several social science and education undergraduate and postgraduate courses at QUB, St Mary’s Teaching College, The Open University and Belfast Metropolitan College. As QUB PPI Co-Lead, Joanne is an active part of decision-making on PPI support and advocacy in education and research, whilst also informing approaches across the wider Ignite Network. 

Angela is the QUB Personal and Public Involvement (PPI) Officer and Programme Manager for PPI Ignite Network@QUB. She supports researchers across all faculties of the University to meaningfully involve those with lived and living experience in research and teaching. Angela holds a PhD in Translational Medicine from the University of Liverpool and has previously worked in academic research labs on projects in rheumatology, infectious disease, and cancer.

She has held honorary positions at NHS Trusts in Liverpool where she was embedded in clinical research teams and coordinated PPI activities with clinical staff, patients and carers. Angela is passionate about making involvement practices accessible and respectful, ensuring positive experiences for contributors and researchers. She works in collaboration with partners across the Northern Ireland research ecosystem to encourage and exemplify best practice in PPI.