Research Champions

Advocating for research has been part of my career for the last 10 years, around the same length of time that I've been living with Ulcerative Colitis (UC). I'm really excited for these two parts of my life to intersect, and to champion research to further the understanding of UC. It's taken me a long time to accept this disease and I'm still learning to live with it; each day can present a new challenge, but I'm hopeful that through this role we can develop knowledge, insight, and awareness.

 

I became a Research Champion because having Ulcerative Colitis has made me acutely aware of how vital Inflammatory Bowel Disease Research is. There is still so much to discover about IBD in order to continue to develop effective treatments. For the last few years I have been a co-applicant and provided public patient involvement on an IBD Study and I hope through the Research Champion role to be able to raise awareness of more IBD Research and the fantastic work that Crohns & Colitis UK does. It means so much to me to be able to contribute in this way to exciting new research that will ultimately improve the lives of those of us living with IBD.

I became a research champion to provide a voice for patients as well as for healthcare professionals.  I have had Ulcerative Colitis for 5 years now and the experience is teaching me so much about myself, the impact on the people around me and how health is perceived in the world.  I hope to break down barriers to care through my unique position to drive research that really puts the patient at the centre of care.  Research serves as the blueprint for how healthcare is conducted and through this, we can influence positive change to grow and share insights into people’s experiences and build greater awareness of IBD.