LARP alumni

Gary Bellamy

Lead Public Health Research Nurse, Hammersmith and Fulham Council 

Initially I worked within the Public Health Team as a PHLARP to stimulate research awareness. My tentacles have just about reached every department in the organisation in some way, shape or form now.  

Working on a blank canvas has its advantages and disadvantages. The knowledge, skills and experiences of working in the PHLARP role served ample opportunity to be a supportive function to others. This was the most enjoyable part and continues in my role today.  

Jack Brazier 

Research Culture and Capacity Building Service Manager, NIHR Health Determinants Research Collaboration Somerset

In my role, we look to support Council services and VCFSE organisations with the increased and improved use of research, evaluation, and evidence. We hope to support colleagues in collecting and using the best, and most pragmatic, data available for decision making in Somerset.  

My role as a PHLARP within Somerset Council provided me invaluable knowledge and understanding of how research and evaluation can be carried out, and applied, in local authority settings. In addition to an understanding of local authority ways of working, commissioning processes, decision-making procedures. 

Dr Pascal Navelle 

Public Health Research Practitioner, NIHR Health Determinants Research Collaboration Lambeth 

I lead the research culture workstream and am responsible for developing research infrastructure, promoting learning and development, and supporting evaluation design and delivery across the council.  

In my former PHLARP role with Middlesbrough Council, I provided extensive experience in cross-sector collaboration, working with academic institutions, charities, and government agencies to influence public health policy and practice. 

Priyanka Vasantavada 

Research Officer, NIHR Health Determinants Research Collaboration Sandwell

As a Public Health Research Practitioner in Oxfordshire, I learned how to embed research into council priorities, work with communities, and turn evidence into action. That experience now shapes my role as a Project Officer with NIHR HDRC Sandwell, where I focus on developing strategies for public involvement in research, research training and governance.  

Tara Cahill-Powell

Community Researcher, NIHR Health Determinants Research Collaboration Surrey

I have very recently joined the Surrey HDRC team as a Community Researcher, working within the Public Involvement and Capacity Building workstreams at the HDRC. In addition to carrying out community research projects and developing infrastructure for public involvement in research, a key aspect of my role also involves building capacity for research at a local level, throughout my secondment at a local Borough council.  

My former role as a LARP at Brighton & Hove City Council grounded my understanding of the ways of working in a local authority, and provided me with invaluable experience of working with communities, VCSEs and academics, to build research capacity both within the local authority and across sectors. 

Rob Shore

Data Manager, NIHR Health Determinants Research Collaboration Bradford

I was hosted by the Council’s Policy, Performance and Research service, working closely with its central Data Intelligence team. My role served as a key bridge facilitating the exchange of best practices, research findings, and collaborative opportunities. I also led efforts to improve the sharing and linkage of routine data between the local authority and the NHS. 

I acted as a liaison between stakeholders for the NIHR-funded Local Authority Research System (LARS) study, which assessed the Council’s research readiness. This study laid the groundwork for councils’ successful application to become one of the first ten HDRCs, for which I was a co-applicant. I now serve as the programme’s Data Manager, continuing to strengthen data integration across Bradford’s system. 

Dr Alessia Rose

Knowledge Translation and Behaviour

In my PHLARP role, I was based in Devon Council Council. I built research infrastructure, capacity and capability. I founded and chaired the Public Health Local Authority Research Practitioner network (PHLARP); a national community of practice.  

This invaluable work experience, coupled with my PhD and current Masters in Public Health studies, naturally lead to my LARP role, and to my current role as Wakefield HDRC’s Knowledge Translation and Behaviour Change Lead.  

It has been a great pleasure to see the development of the RSS, LARPs, PHELs, and HDRCs; the RSS is an invaluable resource to the LARP community. It has also been aspiring to see the career development of the PHLARP alumni into related progressive roles. 

My key takeaway is the power of collaboration.