Meet a Public Partner
Fuse has an active and diverse network of over 50 public partners with a rich range of lived experiences combined with an enthusiasm for public health research. Here our Fuse Public Partners talk briefly about themselves, why they are interested in public health, and their involvement with Fuse research.
Holly Patterson
Holly has been a Housing Officer for more than 15 years. She is interested in the link between health and housing, and enjoys working closely with tenants from different backgrounds from across North East England.
Last modified: Wed, 13 Dec 2023 16:50:40 GMT
Cheryl Blake
Cheryl is a proud Geordie mam of three teenagers and an expert by experience around domestic and sexual abuse and mental health. She has been involved with research projects and the community education sector for around 15 years.
Last modified: Fri, 01 Sep 2023 17:06:22 BST
Kamil Sterniczuk
Kamil is originally from Poland and moved to England for work. He is a part-time postie and a self-employed Polish interpreter. Since 2018, he has been a lay contributor to medical research due to his lived experience of chronic conditions.
Last modified: Tue, 27 Jun 2023 14:16:59 BST
Wendy McConnell
Wendy is a Parent and Community Organiser for Citizens UK. Through the Fuse Public Partner Network, she is working with researchers from Newcastle University on poverty-proofing maternity services.
Last modified: Mon, 24 Apr 2023 14:52:28 BST
John O'Shea
John is retired after a career in university administration. He was born and bred in Tyneside, and as a North Tyneside Councillor represents local residents in Whitley Bay. He led in the creation of the Newcastle Elders Council.
Last modified: Fri, 17 Feb 2023 15:53:23 GMT
Victoria Bartle
Victoria grew up in Newcastle and in her free time enjoys going to the cinema, theatre and to see live comedy. She has a particular and personal interest in research on multiple long term conditions.
Last modified: Tue, 06 Dec 2022 15:41:25 GMT
Irene Soulsby
Irene has always lived in the Gateshead area. She left school at 16 and worked as a secretary. After leaving work she joined a focus group about healthy eating & lifestyle and has been involved in Public Involvement & Engagement ever since.
Last modified: Thu, 03 Nov 2022 11:10:55 GMT
Wei Wang
Wei is an international student from China studying for a PhD at Durham University. She is interested in communication resources for encouraging people with disabilities to be more physically active. Wei also enjoys badminton and hiking.
Last modified: Thu, 29 Sep 2022 13:35:58 BST
Hannah Farr
Hannah originally hails from Derbyshire. She currently works as a Support Worker at Gateshead Council but will shortly be starting a new role in Engagement at Healthwatch. A main area of interest is in the social determinants of health.
Last modified: Wed, 31 Aug 2022 13:57:51 BST
Margaret Ogden
Margaret's professional background is in Community Engagement and she worked for Durham County Council Area Action Partnership as a Support Worker. She also enjoys writing poetry and has written a piece for the Fuse blog.
Last modified: Fri, 29 Jul 2022 15:15:39 BST
