Christian Newman and Clare Halpenny at the Health in Social Science Postgraduate Conference

The 2026 Health in Social Science (HiSS) Postgraduate Research Conference brought together researchers from across the school for a day of presentations on a large variety of topics. Organised by the PGR reps, the conference offered a supportive space for researchers at all stages of their doctoral journey to practise presenting and getting feedback. ACRC Academy student Christian Newman shares his views on the day.

Conference Themes

Across the day, presentations focused on specific contemporary health and social science research themes, including:

  • Promoting health through intervention and education
  • Working at the intersection of culture and wellbeing
  • Integrating care into communities
  • Identity, image, and mental health


These themes highlighted the diverse ways PGRs are addressing health inequalities, community engagement, and the social dimensions of care.

Panel Discussion: Making Research Count

One of the highlights of the day was a panel discussion chaired by Isabella Webster, exploring the question: "How do we make research count?" The panel brought together Prof. Jo Williams, Dr. Andrew Williams, and Dr. Katy Warran — three researchers from varied disciplinary backgrounds — to reflect on what research impact means in practice.  The panellists reflected on how their different disciplinary backgrounds shape the way they conceptualise and measure impact, highlighting the ways in which impact can look different depending on the field, the community, and the context in which research takes place.

They shared examples of how they have translated their research into real-world change. And discussed some of the practical things they did to be adaptive and develop meaningful relationships with stakeholders, to help make sure impact remains authentic rather than performative. And the panel discussed the importance of considering impact from the earliest stages of a research project, rather than as an afterthought.

The panel at the HiSS conference
PhD student Isabella Webster chairs the panel of Dr Katey Warran, Dr Andrew Williams and Professor Joanne WIlliams
Christian presents at the Conference
Christian presents at the Conference

Two ACRC Academy PGRs presented their research projects. Clare Halpenny presented her research exploring residents' experiences of care home transitions and the implications for inclusive research design. Christian Newman presented his work on the feasibility of delivering a community-based intervention for people experiencing homelessness who self-discharge from hospital.

The conference reaffirmed the strength of the HiSS PGR community and its commitment to collaborative, socially engaged research. By providing a platform for developing ideas, refining methods, and sharing early findings, the event continues to support researchers in producing work that is both academically rigorous and grounded in real‑world impact.

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