Patient engagement event - The Power of Patient Partnerships

Join us for an inspiring morning of talks showcasing meaningful patient partnerships in research and innovation.
About this Event

Hosted by the Transforming cancer OUtcomes through Research (TOUR) team at King’s College London, this event brings together professionals in academia, Patient and Public Involvement/Engagement, and patient advocacy to showcase the impact of patient partnerships in driving better research and outcomes.

Through a series of short talks and discussion, our speakers will share real-world examples of how patients are helping to shape research priorities, influence healthcare decision-making, improve inclusion and diversity, and co-create solutions that deliver meaningful impact.

Hear from:

• Prof Mieke Van Hemelrijck, Academic Partnerships Lead for the School of Cancer and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Head of TOUR, King’s College London, on PPIE within academic partnerships and the broader importance of multidisciplinary collaboration in advancing patient-centered healthcare research.
• Saran Green, PPIE Manager of TOUR, King’s College London and founder of Diverse PPI, on tangible outcomes through effective patient partnerships.
• Dr Bethlehem (Betsy) Arefaine, Senior Outreach Manager, PharosAI, on building meaningful patient partnerships within AI-driven health innovation.
• Ananda Plate, Executive Director, Patvocates and leading European patient advocate, on insights, key learnings, and outcomes on patient involvement and engagement across Europe.

All are welcome to attend, whether you are a researcher, clinician, patient advocate, public engagement professional, student, public contributor or other. This event offers valuable insights into the power of collaboration and the essential role of patients as partners in research nationally and across Europe.

Location: Lecture Theatre 1, New Hunt’s House, King’s College London Guy’s Campus, SE1 1UL.

Please note, this event is in-person only and will be followed by networking over tea and coffee.

About the speakers

Ananda Plate is Executive Director of Patvocates and also leads their NGO and research units. Her main area of work is enabling effective and meaningful patient engagement by all relevant actors in healthcare. She is also co-founder of the Workgroup of European Cancer Patient Advocacy Networks (WECAN) where she acted as chair in 2019-2020. Her main field of interest is cross border healthcare within the European Union, health data protection, patient involvement in R&D and evidence-based patient advocacy.

Dr Bethlehem (Betsy) Arefaine is the Senior Outreach Manager for the King’s Health Partners Cancer Biobank and the PharosAI Project at King’s College London. She leads public engagement and communications to enhance understanding of both initiatives and strengthen connections between communities and researchers. Her work focuses on improving communication strategies and ensuring research is shared in clear, accessible, and inclusive ways, building trust and transparency.

Saran Green is an award-winning Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement (PPIE) Manager within the Transforming cancer OUtcomes through Research (TOUR) team, led by Prof Mieke Van Hemelrijck. She leads and advises on PPIE strategy across multiple research projects across Guy’s Cancer and KCL. She is also the Lead for the PPIE portfolio of the Guy’s Cancer Real World Evidence Programme. Saran founded and coordinates the PPI Cancer Research Group for Diverse Backgrounds (Diverse PPI), championing the inclusion of underrepresented communities in cancer research. In 2025, she received a King’s SHINE Award (Community Connector) in recognition of her outstanding contribution to collaboration, inclusion, and community engagement.

Prof Mieke Van Hemelrijck is the Academic Partnerships Lead for the School of Cancer and Pharmaceutical Sciences and leads the TOUR (Transforming cancer OUtcomes through Research) Team at King's College London. She is also the Academic Lead for the Guy’s Cancer Real World Evidence Programme.

Please contact [email protected] if you have any questions or specific participatory requirements.

Agenda

🕑: 10:30 AM - 10:35 AM
Welcome
🕑: 10:35 AM - 10:45 AM
Embedding PPIE in Academic Partnerships: From Principle to Practice
Host: Prof Mieke Van Hemelrijck
🕑: 10:45 AM - 10:55 AM
The Power of Partnerships in Delivering Tangible PPIE Outcomes
Host: Saran Green
🕑: 10:55 AM - 11:05 AM
PIVOT in Practice: Building Meaningful Patient Partnerships in PharosAI
Host: Dr Bethlehem (Betsy) Arefaine
🕑: 11:05 AM - 11:20 AM
PPIE Activities and Outcomes in Europe
Host: Ananda Plate
🕑: 11:20 AM - 11:30 AM
Q & A
🕑: 11:30 AM - 11:35 AM
Thank you
🕑: 11:35 AM - 12:00 PM
Networking