**Content/trigger warning: mental health; substance use**

Meaningfully embedding people’s experiences within health research is vital. But what does a research project start to look like when people who have lived the experience (or Experts by Experience) shape its direction? And what is the personal impact of this involvement on both the Experts by Experience and the researcher? In this fourth episode, host and Fuse Public Partner Cheryl Blake speaks with Emma Adams, NIHR Mental Health Research Fellow about her research exploring mental health, substance use, and trauma for people experiencing homelessness.

Emma talks with Cheryl about how her research journey began, what keeps her motivated and the key moments early on where she realised ‘going it alone’ simply wouldn’t be an option – that the input from people with lived experience would form a critical and incredibly valuable part of the research. Emma shares some recommendations and advice, drawing on personal experiences and examples from her own research.

Areas for further research are discussed and Emma answers the big question: "If you had one message for our listeners to take away, what would it be?" Listen now to find out.

Emma Adams is a National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Doctoral Research Fellow, based at Newcastle University. Emma’s research focuses on homelessness, mental health (including public mental health) and substance use. Emma has previously held a Pre-doctoral Fellowship in the NIHR School for Public Health Research through Fuse, the Centre for Translational Research in Public Health. She was also a Mental Health Research Fellow in the NIHR Applied Research Collaboration North East and North Cumbria. Emma won the Fuse Rising Star Award in 2023.

Cheryl Blake is this episode's host. She is a public partner who has collaborated closely with Fuse and the wider public partner-led podcast planning group in creating the 'Public Health Research & Me' podcast. Cheryl is an expert by experience who has also worked with the NIHR and Northumbria University. Her interests and specialised subjects are around mental and sexual health, domestic abuse, coercive and violent behaviour, and family court and social workers within that system. She supports survivors of sexual/abuse to find female empowerment through art, poetry and meditation.

Resources and further information

Fuse

NIHR School for Public Health Research

⁠NIHR Applied Research Collaboration North East and North Cumbria

Shelter –The housing and homelessness charity

Crisis – Homelessness charity

With special thanks to the Fuse podcast group (Emma Adams, Victoria Bartle, David Black, Cheryl Blake, Mandy Cheetham, Lesley Haley, Fiona Ling, Cassey Muir, John O’Shea, Laura Ritson, Viola Rook, Cheryl Wiscombe), David Winter (editing) and Shaun O'Boyle (training). Produced by Ella Anderson and Mark Welford. Music: Tuesday (Glitch Soft Hip-hop) by amaksi.

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Contact for more information: ⁠info@fuse.ac.uk⁠

For a copy of the transcript: ⁠⁠info@fuse.ac.uk⁠⁠