We are committed to engaging the public with our research and its potential impact on society and healthcare. Our long-term research projects have ambitious goals which raise many valid questions on what the future of clinical practice might look like - what decisions would AI algorithms be responsible for? Will robots one day be delivering treatment? What are cellular therapies and when would they be used?
We want to ensure we have open, two-way dialogues with the public from the national level right the way through to local focus groups. This will help to inform our research from the earliest stages of the project and involve the public with how funds are being spent.
We have dedicated specialists to help build strategic and meaningful engagement into our funding applications and coordinate an annual calendar of activities.
Public Engagement
From students through to senior leadership our researchers participating in public engagement activities throughout the year. We have showcased our research at events such as the Royal Society Summer Science Exhibition, Pint of Science, Green Man Festival and many more. Our experienced team of specialists coordinate and deliver training covering presentation skills and help to develop content and demos which ensures our research is accessible to a range of audiences.
Patient and Public Involvement
We organise and participate in many PPI groups with a range of specialist focus areas. This helps us manage meaningful, long-term conversations with patients on the care they are receiving or might receive one day and allow them to feedback on how research funding is being used. We also coordinate surveys at the national level to help inform our research and measure public opinion on certain topics.
Public Engagement Committee
The Public Engagement Committee is a group of staff and postgraduate research students who help to shape the Schools public engagement strategy, activities, training, grant scheme and annual events programme. As ambassadors, they champion patient and public involvement within their department and share best practice to help embed a culture of engagement within our school.
Public Engagement Ambassadors
The Public Engagement Ambassadors are a group of enthusiastic PhD researchers who champion meaningful engagement across the School. Working collaboratively, our ambassadors exchange ideas, support projects, and help shape how the Public Engagement team can bring public and patient involvement and engagement opportunities and training to our PhD students.
King's Community Health and Research Advisory Group
The King’s Community Research and Health Advisory Group (KCHRAG) was established in 2022 to bring together local community organisations, community members, and health researchers. It grew from the relationship‑building work led by Alice Taylor-Gee and her Public Engagement team who spent time listening to community groups and building trust with those who are often underrepresented in health research.
The work that Community Engagement Officer Deanne Naula started has been continued by Yinka Fabusuyi, who now Chairs the advisory group.
The group meets quarterly and provides a space where communities and researchers can learn from each other, identify shared priorities, and work collaboratively to improve health outcomes in Southwark, Lambeth, and beyond.
Impact
Since 2022, the group has contributed insight, challenge and lived experience to a range of research initiatives, including:
- EPSRC Hub application, providing input to a large, multidisciplinary funding proposal aimed at supporting healthier lives and preventing ill health. The proposal was shortlisted for full application.
- A co‑creation project on community attitudes to radioactive therapies to prevent cancer, offering substantial feedback that shaped the final grant proposal.
- Supporting research teams working on epilepsy neurosurgery navigation tools, neurosurgery planning software, and MRI epilepsy lesion detection, helping shape approaches that better consider community needs and perspectives.
- Co-design of a community grant scheme project where the advisory group took an active role in the whole process from designing the application form, marking criteria, application review and sharing widely. The advisory group shaped the grant scheme so that underrepresented groups were authentically included.
The group’s influence has also been recognised through institutional awards. Deanne Naula, the founding Chair, won the Outstanding Individual – Professional Services King’s Engaged Research Award for her exceptional work in reaching communities that traditionally have limited engagement with science. The group itself was shortlisted for a King’s Engaged Research Award (2026) for its meaningful contributions to research across the School.
Advisory group members
Leila is the Fundraising Lead for a social enterprise, Coin Street. You can usually find her writing grant applications and reports for projects that benefit people living in Waterloo and North Southwark. If Leila is not behind her computer, she is having a coffee with one of Coin Street’s lovely funders and partners, arranging experiences for corporate volunteers, or liaising with challenge event participants. Leila is a community member of the board.
Polly is the COO of award-winning social enterprise We Rise and has 8 years of experience of designing and delivering youth engagement projects. Polly liaises closely with schools, We Rise's many partner organisations, clients and importantly the We Rise alumni. She also manages We Rise’s day to day operations, finance, team and administration. A long time South London resident, Polly is a collaborator and team player who is passionate about creating opportunities for the underprivileged young people in her community to get the step up they deserve. Polly is a community member of the board.
Rachel is a Lecturer in Surgical and Interventional Engineering in the School of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences. The primary focus of her research is on developing computer assisted planning and image-guided navigation techniques to increase accuracy of medical diagnosis and improve safety during surgical interventions.This work involves building patient-specific models to provide quantitative measures of risk and efficacy related to surgical interventions, including the placement of tools, removal or treatment of tissue. Ongoing work is focused on using deep learning to improve diagnosis and prognosis in movement disorders, with a focus on epilepsy. Rachel Sparks is a research member of the board.
Rashmi is carer for a family member with long term multiple health conditions including CVD, COPD and Diabetes. He has lived experience of physical and psychological challenges patients and families face every day, and how with little support their physical and emotional health wellbeing can be significantly improved. Rashmi has supported some research and clinical trials programme on development and involvement of inclusive and diverse PPI participation.
He works with and support’s voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) organisations, and is a Trustee of large network of Patients and Public Participation Groups (PPGs), engaging and working with GP Practices, health and care service teams, community support group in Primary Care Networks (PCNs), and several Integrated Care Boards (ICBs). Rashmi is a community member of the board.
Samantha is a dedicated and dynamic leader in the charity sector. With 20 years of experience supporting vulnerable individuals, she has built a career focused on ensuring services are effective, empowering and truly centred on the people who rely on them. Her work spans hands-on programme delivery, event management and the development of impactful partnerships with commercial and philanthropic organisations.
As Chief Executive of ECHO, Samantha is driven by a clear purpose: to amplify the voices of families affected by congenital heart disease and to ensure they receive high-quality information, care and emotional support. As a patient of cardiac services herself, she brings a deeply personal understanding of the challenges families face, strengthening her commitment to advocacy, empathy and asking difficult but necessary questions. Samantha is a community partner board member.
Samantha is a Reader in Radiobiology at King's College London. She started her team at King’s College London in 2015, having in the past worked at the Radboud UMC, the Netherlands, the University of Oxford, and the University of St Andrews as a PhD student. Her team’s research focusses on determining how radiation and radioactivity used for therapy in cancer affect either the cells they are targeting or off-target cells and determine their radiation dose-biological effect relationship.
Also explored are combination therapies. This information is then used to determine the best use of radionuclides and radiopharmaceuticals in the clinic. Research is mostly in vitro (cells), in silico, and preclinical.
Shantel is a dedicated parent member of the Lambeth and Southwark branch of Parent Power; a vibrant parent and carer-led community organisation committed to educational equity. Shantel served on the Parent Power board for several years, playing an active role in empowering families to navigate the education system and advocate for their children’s success.
Passionate about creating opportunities for underrepresented families, she continues to champion parent voice, ensuring that parents and carers are informed, confident, and supported in accessing higher education pathways for their children. Shantel is a community member of the Board.
Smarajit is a seasoned operations and finance specialist with a passion for scientific research and innovation. Over the years, he has combined leadership experience in financial services and bioenergy with independent research on major health issues, including diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. As the longest-serving Patient and Public Member of the NIHR, he regularly reviews NHS-led research projects and collaborates with leading UK institutions. A published author of three health-related books, including Secrets of Medical Cannabis, Dr. Roy brings a unique blend of business acumen, scientific insight, and commitment to advancing healthcare.
Vita is a passionate advocate for equity and inclusion in health research. As co-founder of Maternity Voices Matter, she has been instrumental in co-production projects that amplify maternity care experiences. She currently co-chairs the NIHR ARC South London Public Research Panel and serves on the Involvement Advisory Group, helping shape strategic decisions on public engagement.
Vita's work spans key research themes, including maternity and perinatal mental health. She collaborates as a Peer Researcher on projects such as the NIHR RIVA study, which evaluates models of maternity violence advisor provision, and is a public member and co-producer on the NIHR Challenge: Maternity Disparities Consortium. As Project Coordinator and Peer Researcher for the MORE Project (Maternity Opportunities for Research Engagement), she champions participatory research approaches. The project was shortlisted for a King’s Engaged Researcher Network Award and featured in the Science Gallery London exhibition Experts by Experience: Who Knows Best?
Since 2022, Vita has also been an active member of the King’s Health Imaging Research Community Board.
Yinka is the Senior Community Engagement Officer at the School of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences (BMEIS) and Chairs the Kings Community Health and Research Advisory Group. Yinka’s role focuses on building and maintaining new and established relationships with a range of community organisations in Lambeth and Southwark, to work with people and communities who may not typically engage with science or research. She is also responsible for delivering new and existing projects based on mutually beneficial activities between communities and BMEIS.
Yinka has a background in healthcare and adult education and is also an experienced yoga teacher. As well as her work at Kings, she works part time in osteopathic practice, is a member of the professional conduct committee for the osteopathic regulator and can be found at her allotment when not at work.
Other members include:
- Camelia Muldermans - Community Partner Member
- Sophie Johnson-St vie - Community Partner Member
- Vashti MacDonald - Community Partner member