Newcastle Helix, June 11th 2026, 9:00-16:30
We are holding a public showcase event to share digital health research and training initiatives that have been funded through the NortHFutures Hub. We welcome diverse audiences, including public members and communities in the North East and North Cumbria (NENC) region and beyond. The venue is fully accessible and the event is free and fully catered for. Look forward to meeting up soon!
- Abi Durrant, Hub Director.
Featuring
- Invited Talks, Lightening Talks, Panel and Workshop - Events Space and Cafe
- Interactive Exhibition of Posters, Tech Demos, Stands - Atrium
- Refreshment Breaks and Lunch are provided for free.
Venue
Urban Sciences Building, 1 Science Square, Newcastle Helix, Newcastle upon Tyne NE4 5TG
Date and Time
Thursday 11th June 2026, 9am to 4:30pm
To book a place
The event is free to all and the venue is fully accessible. However registering via Eventbrite is essential as places are limited.
Travel bursaries for public members
Up to 20 bursaries of up to £60 are available to support members of the public attending the NortHFutures Public Showcase. Bursaries are intended to cover reasonable regional travel costs to and from the event and are subject to attendance and submission of travel receipts. For more information about how to apply, please email learn@hdruk.ac.uk.
What is the showcase about?
Connecting with digital health research in the North East & North Cumbria
Join us for a free public showcase exploring how digital health research is helping to improve health and care across the North East and North Cumbria. This event invites members of the public, community groups, health and care providers, researchers and innovators to discover and discuss new ideas, technologies and collaborative approaches to supporting people in the places where they live and work, whilst shaping the future of healthcare.
Through a mix of invited talks and an interactive exhibition, you will be able to hear about research and training initiatives funded by NortHFutures over the past two years. These projects bring together universities, health and care providers, industry and voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) organisations, with a strong focus on community‑centred approaches, and tackling regional health inequalities.
The showcase is also a chance to network with people involved in digital health innovation, hear about research insights, share your views, and help influence future research funding and investment decisions. Your feedback and ideas will help highlight unmet health and care needs and shape what happens next.
The event takes place on 11 June at the fully accessible Urban Sciences Building on Newcastle Helix, in the centre of Newcastle upon Tyne. Everyone is welcome, including members of the public, and food and refreshments are provided.
The venue has step-free access throughout and the event will take place on the ground floor. There are accessible and gender-neutral bathrooms on the ground floor. There is a Changing Places Room, accessible by radar key. Access info will be requested at booking so we can make adjustments.
Confirmed Invited Speakers
Hannah Davies, CEO at Northern Health Science Alliance (NHSA); Simon Douglas, Director of Research, Innovation and Clinical Effectiveness at Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne & Wear NHS Foundation Trust (CNTW), NIHR Applied Research Collaboration (ARC) North East and North Cumbria (NENC); Liam Cahill at Together Digital; Chris Kennelly, Digital Health Consultant and Investor; Dan Jackson, Director of Policy, Public and Stakeholder Affairs, North East and North Cumbria NHS (Integrated Care Board (NENC ICB), Integrated Care Partnership (NENC ICP)), and Assistant Director of Public Service Reform, Health and Prevention at North East Mayoral Strategic Authority (NE MSA).
Showcase Schedule
Timings of Talks and Sessions
Full schedule
9:00 Arrival and Registration
9:30 Opening Plenary - Welcome from the NortHFutures leadership team and introduction to Meetr - a novel networking tool
9:45 Opening Keynotes from our Hub Partners
'Mental health research in NENC - past, present & future opportunities' - Simon Douglas, CNTW
10:30 Morning Lightening Talks: Digital Mental Health Research
'Digital Influence and Masculinity: The Impacts of Digital Environments on Vulnerable Young Men's Wellbeing and Empowerment' - Cristina Costa, Durham University
'What Matters to You: Commissioner-defined Versus Person-centred Approaches to Mental Health Intervention Outcomes' - Chris Bull, Newcastle University
11:15 Refreshment Break and Exhibition Spotlight: Stands, Posters, Demos
12:00 Invited Provocation - On Translating Research
Investor stand spotlight - Gillian Fricker, UMi.
12:30 Lunch and Networking in Exhibition Space
13:30 Afternoon address by Hub leadership team: 'Building community infrastructure; sharing skills and knowledge'
13:45 Afternoon Lightening Talks: Insights from Training Initiatives
Simon Bromhead, Ways to Wellness
Alice Highet, Newcastle University
14:20 Breakout Sessions
B. Panel on AI, Digital and Data Literacies - with David Kirk (Chair), Adam Parnaby and Paul Hubbard at Newcastle University, Cristina Costa at Durham University, and Rachel Thornton at Health Data Research (HDR) UK).
C. Investor stand, Gillian Fricker at UMi
15:00 Refreshments and Networking in Exhibition Space
15:30 IDEAs Projects - Digital Health Case Studies for the 6 NENC universities
In Focus: 'AI Prediction of Surfactant Need in Preterm Babies' - Annalisa Occhipinti, Teesside University
16:00 Closing Plenary
Closing Keynote: 'Building community infrastructure for health improvement' - Dan Jackson, ICB and ICP NENC and North East MSA
Try out Meetr
This event is using Meetr to help you find new people to meet and network with. Meetr is a prototype tool being developed by the NortHFutures digital health hub exploring how people network and engage with events.
Sign up to join the event
Registration for this event is now closed.
Any questions?
Please email Katie and Ruth, NortHFutures Hub Managers, on northfutures.admin@newcastle.ac.uk if you have any questions or would like to find out more about this event.