Professor Anne MacFarlane, Professor of Primary Healthcare Research at the School of Medicine, and Co-Director of the Participatory Health Research Unit, has been Highly Commended in the Impact Award category at the 2024 Researcher of the Year (IRC Legacy) Awards. This recognition celebrates her outstanding contributions to advancing patient and public involvement (PPI) in primary healthcare and general practice research, particularly in the underserved populations of refugees and migrants. Professor MacFarlane is a core member of the PPI Ignite Network @ UL.
Professor MacFarlane is a world-renowned academic whose research focuses on the crucial role of patient and public involvement in the design and delivery of healthcare services. Her work has been particularly impactful in the field of migrant health, an area where patient engagement is often underrepresented or inconsistent across countries. Professor MacFarlane’s research aims to bridge these gaps by ensuring that the voices of migrants and refugees are heard, recognized, and integrated into healthcare research and policy development.
As Director of the University of Limerick’s World Health Organisation (WHO) Collaborating Centre for Participatory Health Research with Refugees and Migrants, Professor MacFarlane plays a leading role in shaping global healthcare initiatives. Her research aligns with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 3: Good Health and Wellbeing and SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities, underscoring her commitment to improving health outcomes for vulnerable populations.
Professor MacFarlane’s research adopts a participatory approach, working in partnership with patients, the public, healthcare professionals, policymakers, and fellow researchers to generate evidence that can inform and improve healthcare practices.
In her acceptance of the Highly Commended Impact Award, Professor MacFarlane emphasized the critical importance of including patients and the public in research. “If we do not hear the expertise of patients and the public, we are missing vital information to design services that truly improve people’s health,” she said. Her work exemplifies the power of inclusive research in driving meaningful, long-term change in healthcare systems worldwide.
The recognition of Professor MacFarlane in the IRC Legacy Awards highlights the collaborative nature of her research and the significant impact it has on improving healthcare for underserved populations. Her work is a shining example of how academic research, when done in partnership with patients and the public, can lead to transformative improvements in health services, particularly in the context of migration and refugee care.
Congratulations to Professor Anne MacFarlane on this well-deserved recognition. Her commitment to improving health equity and ensuring that diverse voices are heard in healthcare research continues to inspire researchers, healthcare professionals, and policymakers around the world.