George Hudson, Registered Clinical Research Practitioner at Leicester Hospital and the Leicester BioResource Centre was joined by Hannah Stark, Operations Lead at the NIHR BioResource on stage at the Festival of Genomics to talk about the importance of speaking directly to children about health research.
D-CYPHR (the DNA, Children + Young People’s Health Resource) with more than 12,000 young people registered so far, involves children in decisions affecting every stage of the outreach and sign-up process, always in an age appropriate way.
They also delved into our work with community partners, Black Health Initiative, Caribbean and African Health Network, South Asian Health Action and Inclusive North, and explained how we are working closely with specific communities to help reduce health inequalities and ensure participation reflects the whole of the UK’s diverse population.
George Hudson, Registered Clinical Research Practitioner at Leicester Hospital and the Leicester BioResource Centre, said:
"It’s been a fantastic opportunity to support recruitment to D-CYPHR and the wider NIHR BioResource in Leicester. By working closely with community partners, families, and our research teams, we’ve brought D-CYPHR directly into local communities, from creative activities at the Leicester Gita Festival to interviews on EAVA FM and conversations at Leicester Children’s Hospital.
"Children’s health research has never been more vital. Children and young people deserve not only a healthy childhood, but a healthy life. By involving them in research today, we can better understand how diseases develop, intervene earlier, and create better treatments for every child’s future."
Leicester Hospital and Leicester BioResource Centre are one of our many NHS sites that started recruiting for D-CYPHR in October 2024 and have made fantastic progress in getting families involved in the programme. The team recruit in clinic and have attended various events to spread the word about children's health research.
How can you support health research?
Families with children across the UK can help researchers understand more about how our genetics and our environment impact our health. Without learning more, we can't find out why people get sick and what may help.
D-CYPHR, part of the NIHR BioResource and in partnership with the NHS, encourages families with children aged 0-15 of all ethnicities, with or without health conditions, to sign up. Researchers need to find out more about what’s hiding in our DNA so they can pioneer new treatments and create better care for the future generation of children.
All it takes is a health and lifestyle questionnaire and some saliva in a tube. Make a difference today and join D-CYPHR.