Helping ‘Holistic Health’ with communication and conversation

Bringing the latest health and wellbeing insights ‘out of the lab’ and direct to people and communities steps up a pace for one University of Northampton (UON) team.

The Centre for Health Sciences and Services (CHSS) was established in 2017 and is a cross-professional research outlet with 96 members.

A key focus for the team is working with patients and the public to involve them in research, ensuring it is relevant to their needs. Part of this approach is taking the findings of UON research they support out of the University and into communities with Café Scientifique.

Café Scientifique talks are held throughout the year at The Bee Hive on Harborough Road in Northampton. Previous talks have been recorded and can be found here.

Free to join, they are led by a UON researcher or external expert, and are followed by a Q&A. The next talk – about single mothers and the stigma of online dating – will be given by UON PhD student Sarah Ibordor on Thursday 13 November at 5pm.

Associate Professor Dr Tracey Redwood is the Centre’s co-lead. She says: “One of our mission statements in CHSS is to bring good research out of an academic setting and into communities, allowing them to hear the latest in health and wellbeing findings that will benefit them or people they know.

“We’re getting ready for more enlightening and interesting research talks over the next few months, including topics such as autism and mental health environments, and the delivery of exciting new health and social care delivery for the Isles of Scilly, and how this could be applied to other remote or isolated communities. Watch this space for more.”

The Centre also produces the Holistic Health series of podcasts for a deeper dive into topical areas. Recent episodes have covered:

• Men in midwifery: Senior Lecturer Dr John Pendleton and one of his students, Connor Harrison, sat down to talk about their love for midwifery and what men can bring to the profession.
• Women’s experience of using Botox during the perimenopause: UON PhD student Elaine Williams discussed her research, recorded using ipoems.
• Compassionate care and empathy: UON Visiting Professor Sir Al Aynsley-Green movingly describes his personal experience of poor care and what good compassionate care should feel like, for patients and their loved ones.

The University’s second Care and Compassionate Conference is mentioned during Professor Aynsley-Green’s podcast. Organised by the Centre, it will take place all day in March 2026.

Confirmed speakers include Dr Hilda Hayo (Chief Admiral Nurse, CEO Dementia UK), Professor Jayne Browne (VP) and UON’s Emeritus Professor Eunice Lumsdon and Associate Professor Alison Power. Email for more details: fhsbs.administration@northampton.ac.uk

Find out more about the work of the Centre for Health and Sciences and Services on the University’s website.

There’s more about Café Scientifique talks with recorded videos on the University’s Pure research portal.