“It was great to be able to offer the KCHRAG a unique opportunity to see inside the Cyclotron Lab and hear about the latest research. On-going engagement with our group members really does help build trust with those who may not traditionally engage with science.”
Alice Taylor-Gee, Senior Public Engagement Manager, School of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences
24 June 2026
Connecting with community: research advisory group visits St Thomas' Hospital
Members of the King's Community Health and Research Advisory Group (KCHRAG) – a group established to bring together community organisations, residents and health researchers – recently visited King’s College London’s Cyclotron and Radiochemistry Laboratory (CARL) at St Thomas’ Hospital.
Founded in 2022 through activity by the School of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences’ Public Engagement team to help engage research communities traditionally underrepresented in science, the group meets quarterly and provides a valuable space for communities and researchers to work together to improve health outcomes in South London.
The visit to CARL provided a valuable opportunity for the group to learn how radiopharmaceuticals are produced and used to detect and treat cancer. Julia Blower, Strategic Manager of CARL, introduced the group to the facility and helped to break down some of the concerns surrounding radiation by highlighting how radioactivity occurs naturally everywhere, including everyday items such as granite and bananas.
Yinka Fabusuyi, Senior Community Engagement Officer, currently chairs the group and guided them through a conversation about communicating community worker impact including, how to “make the invisible visible” and advocate for research that reflects the lives of people often left out of research discussions.
The group then came together for a discussion around a shared way of describing their work and the difference it makes, before working in small groups to reflect on their own personal involvement in research and its effect on the research process and activity.
KCHRAG member Camelia Muldermans, whose background spans youth and community work, creative health and social justice, described her contribution to an academic research paper:
"I brought a social justice lens to the group, rooted in community knowledge and practice."
Camelia Muldermans, KCHRAG member and Curious Collective Co-founder/Co-director
Find out more about the King’s Community Health and Research Advisory Group and the School of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences’ Public Engagement work.