Herriot-Watt University joins the Voice Collaboration Network

We are pleased to announce that Heriot-Watt University, through our Global Research Institute in Health and Care Technologies, has joined the Voice Collaboration Network. This marks an important milestone in our mission to accelerate health and care innovation by working in genuine partnership with the people and communities our research is designed to support.

At Heriot-Watt University, we bring a uniquely interdisciplinary approach to global health challenges. Our researchers combine strengths in engineering, digital technology, data science, psychology and design to address pressing issues including cancer, mental health, chronic disease management, healthy ageing and planetary health. Central to this work is a commitment to Patient and Public Involvement, ensuring that research is shaped by lived experience from the outset.

Joining the Voice Collaboration Network significantly expands our ability to engage diverse communities in this process.

“As a university, access to Voice removes one of the major barriers to meaningful involvement – finding the right people,” explains Dr Steven Karlsson-Brown, Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement Specialist. “The network provides unprecedented access to individuals with a wide range of lived experiences across the UK. It feels like the beginning of a new chapter in maximising the impact and relevance of our research.”

Our teams already work closely with patients and the public to co-design transformative solutions – whether AI-driven diagnostics, rehabilitation robotics or digital technologies that monitor and predict changes in health. These innovations are developed not only to advance scientific and technical excellence but to improve everyday lives and support people to live independently for longer.

Becoming part of Voice strengthens this commitment. It enables us to involve members directly in shaping research in areas such as healthy longevity, diagnostics and chronic illness care. Their insight will help ensure that our innovations are inclusive, practical and grounded in real needs.

Professor Lynne Corner, Director of Voice, welcomes this collaboration:

“Heriot-Watt University brings world-leading expertise in technology and engineering applied to health and care. By connecting their researchers with the lived experience of our members, we can transform what innovation in healthy ageing looks like. Together, we can help shape a global conversation on longevity that values diverse voices and translates ideas into meaningful change.”

This partnership represents a significant step in strengthening how we co-create impactful research. By working alongside Voice members, we look forward to advancing health and care solutions that truly make a difference.

To find out more about our commitment to putting patients at the heart of our research, please visit the website.