Committee staff

I am the Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement (PPIE) Manager at the NIHR Research Support Service Hub delivered by Newcastle University and Partners. In this role, I coordinate the Hub’s programme of patient, public, carer and community engagement, including chairing its public advisory group (Consumer Panel), managing recruitment, training and support for public partners, and working closely with a range of voluntary and community sector organisations to ensure that health and care research is shaped from the outset by public voices and priorities. I provide advice and support for researchers on PPIE and Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) in research design, development and delivery.

I have experience leading community engagement initiatives and events, research involvement projects with children and young people, and partnership work with a range of stakeholders (local authorities, community groups, schools, healthcare professionals, and more). I am passionate about involving under-served communities in research - particularly linguistically and culturally diverse groups.

Previous roles include:

Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement Manager, NIHR Research Design Service North East and North Cumbria - Newcastle University

Public Engagement Manager, Multilingual Manchester research unit - The University of Manchester

Project Lead, English conversation sessions to support refugees and asylum seekers in Moss Side, Manchester - The University of Manchester

Project Manager, MigRom (The immigration of Romanian Roma to Western Europe: Causes, effects and future engagement strategies) research project - The University of Manchester

Research Assistant (Study on home languages of school pupils across Manchester), Multilingual Manchester research unit - The University of Manchester

(NB: née Robertson)

My interests include: sensitive and sustainable public involvement and engagement; creative and innovative methods; involvement of under-served communities in research, particularly linguistically diverse populations; exploring and celebrating language diversity in research teams.

I am currently the Patient and Public Involvement Lead on the following studies:

• '‘ROBust INterims for adaptive designs (ROBIN): developing best practice for high-quality and speedy interim analyses in Phase II-IV trials’, a study funded by the NIHR Clinical Trials Unit (CTU) Support Funding Scheme, to support developments in the design and delivery of efficient and innovative research.
• ‘Extracorporeal Photophoresis in the treatment of Chronic Lung Allograft Dysfunction: a randomised controlled trial (E-CLAD UK)’, a clinical trial funded by the NIHR and MRC’s Efficacy and Mechanism Evaluation programme, aiming to improve treatment for chronic rejection after a lung transplant.

• Articles

  • Matras,Y, Robertson, A. Urban Multilingualism and the Civic University: A Dynamic, Non-Linear Model of Participatory Research. Social Inclusion 2017, 5(4), 5-13.
  • Matras, Y, Robertson, A, Jones, C. Using the school setting to map community languages: a pilot study in Manchester, England. International Journal of Multilingualism 2016, 13(3), 353-366.
  • Matras, Y, Robertson, A. Multilingualism in a post-industrial city: policy and practice in Manchester. Current Issues in Language Planning 2015, 16(3), 296-314.

• Book Chapter

  • Matras, Y, Robertson, A. Mehrsprachigkeit in Manchester (England): Eine Fallstudie zu urbaner Superdiversität. In: Tschernokoshewa, E.; Keller, I.; Jacobs, F, ed. Einheit in Verschiedenheit. Kulturelle Diversität und gesellschaftliche Teilhabe von Minderheiten auf dem Prüfstand. Münster: Waxmann, 2015, pp.15-32.

• Online Publication

  • Bevin-Nicholls A, Tshuma B, Close H. "What’s going on, I feel a bit wobbly?!”: Crafting power dynamics at a public involvement event. London: NIHR Research Design Service, 2023. Available at: https://www.rdsblog.org.uk/what-s-going-on-i-feel-a-bit-wobbly-crafting-power-dynamics-at-a-public-involvement-event.

• Reports

  • Vasey, H, Tipton, R, Stanton, H, Robertson, A, Mosser, EM, Matras, Y, Boddington, K. ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) at Manchester Adult Education Service (MAES): Experiences of Entry 3 and Level 1 Learners. The University of Manchester, 2018.
  • Robertson, A. Valuing Community Languages: Policy impact of research into urban multilingualism. The University of Manchester, 2014.
  • Robertson, A, Gopal, D, Wright, M, Matras, Y, Jones, C. Mapping Community Language Skills: The School Language Survey in Manchester. The University of Manchester, 2024.
  • Robertson, A, Wright, M, Gopal, D, Percival, L, Matras, Y. Multilingual Manchester: A Digest. The University of Manchester, 2013.