Time: 13.30 – 14.45 GMT

Creating a culture of public engagement is essential for ensuring that data research and statistics remains relevant, inclusive and impactful. But what does this mean in practice?

In our last webinar of 2025, PEDRI Strategic Lead Doreen Tembo will be joined by a panel of speakers – reflecting senior leader, data researcher, public engagement professional and public perspectives – to explore how data research might embody a culture of public engagement at all levels.

Whether you’re starting out on your public engagement in data research journey, or a seasoned professional, have a supporting role or leadership position, this session will help you to consider how your work can be part of a bigger culture shift.

This session is part of a series of webinars exploring how you can use the PEDRI Good Practice Standards for public engagement in data research.

If you have any questions or concerns, contact us at contact@pedri.org.uk

Speaker Information

Doreen Tembo

Doreen Tembo leads PEDRI’s strategic direction and serves as Head of Public Involvement and Engagement at Health Data Research UK (HDR UK). She previously led work through the UK Health Data Research Alliance, fostering collaboration across organisations to enhance the efficient, ethical, and responsible use of health data for research, innovation, and public good.

Her career spans NGOs, research institutions, and international development agencies, with a focus on advancing health equity and improving health and development outcomes in resource-limited settings. A former senior leader at the UK National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), Doreen now leads national and international collaborations that strengthen ethical governance, build public trust, and promote evidence-based, inclusive, and transparent research in health data science.

Jan Speechly

Jan is a PEDRI Public Partner and Co-Chair of the PEDRI Public Advisory Group. She has worked with PEDRI and HDR UK since 2022 and enjoys a wide range of PPIE roles across many different organisations. Jan is passionate and committed to elevating the public role in data research and empowering patients and the public to understand and engage with it and see the difference they have made. She has taken part in webinars and blogs to promote PIE and spoken at and chaired panels at conferences.

Jo Lam

Dr Jo Lam is a research fellow at UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, and data science officer at NHS England Data Linkage Hub. Jo co-chairs the Improving Transparency Around Linkage Outputs (ITALO) community group and working group. Jo is the project PI for the Annual Household Income subdivided in Quintiles (AHIQ) project within the HDR UK Social and Environmental Determinants of Health Driver Program. Jo currently co-leads/has led multiple public engagement projects on the topics of data linkage, financial and health data, use of ethnicity data in refugees and asylum seeking young people, health and educational outcomes of childhood cancer survivors, adolescent mental health and data equity. Jo is a member of the Health Research Authority Research Ethics Committee since 2023. Jo has a PhD in Health Data Science and Statistics, and a MSc in Clinical Mental Health Science.

Simon Denegri

Sense About Science

Shayda Kashef

Administrative Data Research UK (ADR UK)

Helen Craig

Co-Production Collective