Bridging Program II investigates how public engagement can transform early disease detection and prevention. Our research examines the mechanisms, outcomes, and conditions that enable meaningful collaboration between researchers, clinicians, policymakers, patients, and the public.
Our research focuses on the following core questions:
How do different stakeholders develop the skills and confidence needed for productive dialogue? We study how researchers enhance their public engagement and communication abilities, how clinicians adopt new engagement practices in their work, and how patients and community members deepen their understanding of health research and early disease stages. We examine what enables non-academic stakeholders to participate actively and meaningfully in research discussions.
How can research design benefit from public input and lived experience? We investigate the processes through which researchers incorporate patient perspectives and societal concerns into their work—from initial question formation through methodology and interpretation. Our research explores how clinicians integrate patient and societal feedback into clinical practice, and how these integration processes affect research quality, relevance, and innovation.
What conditions allow engagement evidence to influence policy and practice? We examine how policymakers access and use evidence summaries from engagement activities, how trust and collaboration between stakeholders and academia develop over time, and what factors enable the translation of engagement insights into policy decisions and clinical practices.
Bridging Program II takes a longitudinal view, tracking changes across immediate, medium-term, and long-term horizons. We document how participation in engagement activities affects stakeholder behavior, relationships, and attitudes. We analyze how public engagement methods can be innovatively applied in health research contexts. We assess how networks and collaborations expand across traditional sector boundaries, and we evaluate the sustainability of engagement frameworks over time.
Through systematic documentation and analysis of engagement processes and outcomes, we’re building the evidence base needed to advance public engagement from aspiration to standard practice in health research and policy.