Summer 2026: Public Showcase

Free event at Newcastle Helix on June 11th 2026

We held a public showcase event in June to share the outcomes from digital health research and training initiatives funded through the NortHFutures Hub. The event was free and took place at a fully accessible venue in the centre of Newcastle upon Tyne: The Urban Sciences Building, Newcastle University. We welcomed diverse audiences, including public members and communities in the North East and North Cumbria (NENC) region and beyond. Travel bursaries were made available to those requesting support to attend.

The Public Showcase featured:

Invited Talks, Lightening Talks, Panel and Workshop
Interactive Exhibition of Posters, Tech Demos, Stands
Refreshment Breaks and Lunch provided for free

What was the showcase about?

Connecting with digital health research in the North East & North Cumbria

The free public showcase explored how digital health research is helping to improve health and care across the North East and North Cumbria. This event invited 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, attendees learned 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 also provided a chance for people to network with those involved in digital health innovation, hear about research insights, share views, and help influence future research funding and investment decisions. Presenters welcomed feedback and ideas and rich discussions were held following talks around unmet health and care needs to shape what happens next.

The fully accessible venue had step-free access throughout and the event took place on the ground floor. Accessible and gender-neutral bathrooms and a Changing Places Room were available on the ground floor.

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).

Schedule

Download the Full Schedule Here

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

'Northern teams working together (Spotlight on N8 and NHSA Child of the North addressing health inequity)' - Hannah Davies, NHSA

'Mental health research in NENC - past, present & future opportunities' - Simon Douglas, CNTW

10:30 Morning Lightening Talks: Digital Mental Health Research

'Exploring and Evidencing Food Insecurity and Eating Distress in the North East of England' - Dawn Branley-Bell, Northumbria University

'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

NIHR Health-tech Research Centre Public Engagement

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The interactive exhibition with posters and demos provided the opportunity for members of the public to talk with the teams who have been funded through the hub, and networking across job sectors.

Dawn Branley-Bell and Claire Murphy-Morgan, Northumbria University

12:00 Invited Provocation - On Translating Research

'It's not just about your boat (research); it's about your motion in the ocean (market)' - Liam Cahill, Together Digital

Investor stand spotlight - Gillian Fricker, UMi.

12:30 Lunch and Networking in Exhibition Space

Patient Public Involvement & Engagement Group Representatives for SDE NENC

13:30 Afternoon address by Hub leadership team: 'Building community infrastructure; sharing skills and knowledge'

13:45 Afternoon Lightening Talks: Insights from Training Initiatives

Shirley Sunderland, Skills Development Network

Simon Bromhead, Ways to Wellness

Alice Highet, Newcastle University

14:20 Breakout Sessions

A. 'Introducing the Community Engagement Toolkit' - Beth Reeves, Voluntary Organisations Network North East (VONNE) and Bronia Arnott, Newcastle University

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

'Introducing Innovation in Digital Health and Enterprise Awards (IDEAs) - at our 6 regional universities' - Emma Barron, Teesside University.

In Focus: 'AI Prediction of Surfactant Need in Preterm Babies' - Annalisa Occhipinti, Teesside University

16:00 Closing Plenary

Closing Address and Thanks - Hub Leadership Team

Closing Keynote: 'Building community infrastructure for health improvement' - Dan Jackson, ICB and ICP NENC and North East MSA