Researchers from the Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences (NDPCHS) and the Department of Psychiatry came together last week for a collaborative showcase, held at St Hilda’s College.
The aim of the event was to spark new ideas for collaborative research by connecting colleagues from across both departments and identifying areas of shared interest and potential.
The half-day showcase brought together researchers from all levels across both departments, as well as research management colleagues, for structured discussions using a ‘world café’ format. Attendees moved between themed discussion tables on topics including:
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Mental health in primary and community care
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Diagnostics and health technology
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Data and precision medicine
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Novel treatments and models of care
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Health systems and the environment
Facilitators introduced each theme and led brief, structured conversations. These were designed to help colleagues exchange ideas, learn about each other’s work, and explore how combining their expertise might lead to new research proposals.
Professor Apostolos Tsiachristas, Associate Professor of Health Economic in both departments and lead of the showcase, said:
‘There’s so much potential in connecting primary care and mental health research, but we often don’t have the time or space to explore that. This event created a really productive environment for those conversations to happen, and helped surface shared shared interests and opportunities across across disciplines.’
Professor Kam Bhui, Professor of Psychiatry who also led the event, added:
‘This showcase was about more than just networking - it was about recognising that many of the complex problems we work on can’t be solved in isolation. Bringing together our complementary skills and knowledge opens up exciting opportunities to co-create innovative solutions for better patient care, public health, and tackling health inequalities.’
In closing remarks, Professor Sir Aziz Sheikh, Head of Department at NDPCHS, emphasised that this event was the starting point for longer-term collaboration between the departments. ‘We’ve begun to build new relationships and stimulate early-stage ideas,” he said. “Our opportunity now is to think more structurally about how we can support these conversations to grow - for example through early-stage grant support, joint appointments, and follow-on more focused events that build on today’s excellent discussions’
Professor Belinda Lennox, Head of the Department of Psychiatry, who opened the event, agreed that continued cross-departmental engagement would be key to turning early conversations into funded research projects.
With networking drinks on the river lawn and lunch on the rooftop overlooking the Oxford skyline, there was time not only for research discussions, but for new connections to form.
