Our workshop leads

Nadia Bashir - workshop 2

Nadia is a Senior Research Fellow in the Centre for Regional Economic and Social Research, at Sheffield Hallam University. She has extensive experience of co-production with groups / communities ‘seldom heard and involved’ in research and evaluation. Over the past twelve years, Nadia has worked closely with community partners to design and deliver bespoke Community Researcher Training for numerous cohorts of different abilities and diverse communities. By building their qualitative research skills, her training has helped people to be involved in researching the very issues that affect them and their communities.

Lauren Batty - workshop 2

Lauren is CEO of OutLOUD, with over 17 years’ experience in community work, she brings a deep understanding and broad insight into the needs and strengths of diverse communities. She holds a degree in Performing Arts, along with qualifications in Youth Work, Education and Training, and Trauma-Informed Therapeutic Practice. Her work blends creativity with education and research, using the arts as a powerful tool for engagement, expression, and healing Lauren has always been passionate about connecting with communities through creative approaches particularly those often viewed as ‘hard to reach’ by traditional services. She firmly believes there is always a creative method that can engage every community. Lauren believes wholeheartedly in the potential of every individual, and that communities often hold the answers to their own challenges. She is deeply committed to ensuring community voices are heard, respected, and considered by mainstream services. Her approach to research is rooted in amplifying these voices, making sure that community-led insight shapes future support and solutions.

Andrew Booth - workshop 3

Andrew is Professor in Evidence Synthesis at SCHARR, University of Sheffield, and an embedded researcher with HDRC Doncaster for whom he leads a work package on evidence identification and production.

Andrew is also co-director for two NIHR evidence synthesis teams to a value of almost £5million producing rapid syntheses in support of health services, practice and policy. In 2025 he received an NIHR Senior Investigator award.   

Laura Brown - workshop 3

Laura Brown is a Research Programme Manager at the NIHR RSS Specialist Centre for Public Health (SCPH) at Newcastle University.  She has over 15 years’ experience in a range of administration and research management roles in the NHS and university sector.

Laura joined the SCPH in April 2024 and is working on research governance and research ethics mapping and scoping.

Dr Louise Hayes - workshop 3

Louise has a research background in epidemiology and public health and is based at Newcastle University where she leads the research design team for the NIHR Specialist Centre for Public Health (SCPH). She has a particular interest in the social determinants of health and the prevention and management of obesity and chronic disease.  Along with her role in the SCPH, she also works as a methodologist adviser for the NIHR Research Support Service Hub delivered by Newcastle University and Partners and teaches epidemiology and research methods at undergraduate and postgraduate level.

Shahid Islam - workshop 2

Shahid is a Principal Research Fellow at the Bradford Institute for Health Research (NHS) and Honorary Fellow at the University of Bradford with a special interest in community inclusive approaches. His research and community activism have achieved many awards. In 2015, Shahid was the winner of Bradford’s Community Star Award for outstanding services to the voluntary sector and in 2021 he won the Chief Scientific Officer's Excellence in Healthcare Science Research and Innovation Award.

He has authored award winning papers and has over 30 publications in many high impact scientific journals.  His work has attracted wide-scale media and policy attention and has featured in WHO reports. 

Shahid is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (FRSA).

Dr Kieran Lee - workshop 4

Kieran is based in the NIHR Academy Integrated Pathways and Predoctoral Support Team and is responsible for the Predoctoral Award. He has previously been responsible for the Integrated Academic Training Programme for medicine and dentistry ACF and CL awards.

Dr Geoff Middleton - workshop 1

Geoff is Project Coordinator for HDRC Doncaster. He has an interest in multicomponent programmes of work which are used in addressing health inequalities. He is passionate about developing projects that focus on healthy eating and physical activity in the community settings.

Previously, Geoff has been involved in evaluation, research and health promotion programming for over 18 years and has worked on collaborative projects involving various stakeholders in private, public and voluntary sectors. His current work blends the excitement of project design as well as understanding and communicating the HDRC’s capacity and value within and outside the City of Doncaster Council.

Rachel Murphy - workshop 4

Rachel is a qualified social worker with an extensive employment background within various criminal justice and social care settings.  Rachel has worked for North Yorkshire Council since 2016, as a Mental Health Social Worker, Team Manager and Service Manager, before becoming part of the Health & Adult Services Research Team, leading on research developments in Adult Social Care.  In 2021, Rachel was awarded an NIHR Pre-Doctoral Local Authority Fellowship, in which she developed skills and knowledge in social care research.  In 2023, Rachel was awarded an NIHR Doctoral Local Authority Fellowship, and is completing a PhD alongside remaining involved in Council research development work.

Rachel’s individual area of research interest is in how mental health services can best support non-offending adults with a sexual attraction towards children, to reduce the risk of offending and the risk of suicide.

Alfred Sandy - workshop 2

Alfred Sandy is a Senior Health and Wellbeing Worker at Darnall Well Being (DWB) - a community health organisation. He has vast knowledge of community engagement and collaboration. Alfred is a newly trained community researcher who has been at the forefront of the exciting partnership between DWB and Sheffield Hallam University. At DWB Alfred leads a range of group and one-to-one activities, empowering attendees to lead healthy lifestyles. He values multi-disciplinary partnerships and has worked closely with services and VCSE groups to tackle health inequalities. Alfred has a strong understanding of the social determinants of health and implements evidence-based interventions to promote sustainable health and behaviour change.

Nicola Sheen - workshop 4

Nicola Sheen is the Training and Development Manager, leading this strand of the SCPH offer. She has over 25 years’ experience in education, local authority and private sector organisations, where she held roles in human resources, training, governance, infrastructure building and policy development.

Nicola joined the Centre in August 2024 from an NIHR Health Determinants Research Collaboration (HDRC) and is currently scoping and mapping training needs for both the HDRC and LARP programmes

Joanne Smithson - workshop 4

Joanne Smithson is the Senior Manager for HDRC North Yorkshire. She is an experienced leader and researcher known for effective delivery, a strong collaborative style, and a focus on 'what works'.  Before joining HDRC North Yorkshire in July 2024, Joanne worked as Head of Implementation & Learning at the What Works Centre for Wellbeing, the UK's national body for wellbeing evidence, policy & practice.  Joanne led a range of work programmes including advising local government, health organisations and communities to maximise the wellbeing reach of policies and programmes and evaluate their impact.  She also led the Centre’s activity on workplace wellbeing and wellbeing at the end of life.

Joanne is a registered Public Health Practitioner, a Fellow of the Institute of Leadership, and holds Masters level qualifications in Public Health and Business Administration. 

Sue Symonds - workshop 1

Sue Symonds is a Public Health Manager at North Yorkshire Council.  She is a co-applicant on the HDRC North Yorkshire project and co-lead for the Capacity and Capability and Learning and Evaluation Work Packages.  Sue is a registered Midwife with the Nursing and Midwifery Council, is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and an Assessor for the UK Public Health Practitioner programme.  

Before joining North Yorkshire Council, Sue worked as a Senior Lecturer at Teesside University, for 6 years, supporting the use and application of evidence informed practice.  Sue has extensive experience and skills in supporting the development of research capacity and capability of individuals and organisations, and is committed and passionate about research activity that improves health outcomes and reduces inequalities in health.

Dr Maureen Twiddy - workshop 1

Dr Maureen Twiddy is a Reader in Mixed Methods at the University of Hull, is a co-applicant on the HDRC North Yorkshire project and co-lead for Capacity and Capability. Maureen started her working life at Cumbria County Council (as was) and worked for the County Library Service for nearly 20 years before relocating to Yorkshire. Her research encompasses a wide range of health and social care areas, largely around the evaluation of new interventions and care pathways, including within adult social care. Maureen served on the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), Research for Patient Benefit funding advisory panel from 2019-2022 and currently serves on the NIHR Pre-Doctoral Panel.