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Public and Patient Involvement (PPI) in PhD Research Symposium 2025 (October 15th, 2025)
Laura Jane McCarthy, as part of the organisation team for the UCC PPI PhD Symposium, shares her reflections on the annual event.
Since starting my PhD in 2023 and beginning my PPI journey, I have been fortunate to attend this symposium for the past two years. This year was a bit different, though; I was not just attending, I was part of the organising team! I am grateful for the opportunity to work alongside colleagues from the School of Public Health and those across the wider UCC community and beyond. Being involved behind the scenes gave me real insight into what goes into planning and running an event like this, from the early preparation stages to the logistics on the day. It was a brilliant learning experience that I will carry forward.
The symposium programme offered something for everyone. We heard from PhD students, PhD supervisors, and PPI contributors, each of whom shared their experiences and reflections. What struck me most this year was the number of PPI contributors who attended the symposium. The panel session led by Sarah Barnes Aabø and four very experienced PPI contributors was a real highlight: open, honest, and full of insight. Hearing directly from the contributors about their experiences was incredibly valuable. I found the talk “Too Many Cooks? Supervisors' Perspectives of PPI” by Dr Sinéad Hynes, University of Galway, was particularly insightful. Her honesty about the emotional and practical challenges her students face in embedding PPI resonated with me and offered reassurance. The symposium also provided me with the opportunity to connect with fellow PhD students. These informal chats helped build a sense of community and support, which is important during the PhD journey.
Overall, the event reinforced my commitment to embedding meaningful PPI in my research, and it was lovely to be part of the team that made it happen.
Below are some graphics by Hazel Hurley that beautifully and comprehensively captured the day!
