I would like to thank RENKEI, the British Council Japan and Keio University for the opportunity to present at the Researcher Workshop: Developing Japan-UK research collaboration in Health, December 2024.
My lecture topic was Best Practices for Community-Based Medical Research
In my presentation I focus on how we can advance health research through inclusivity, interdisciplinary methods, and complexity thinking. I define community health as more than the absence of disease—it’s about physical, mental, and social well-being—and I emphasize the importance of working collaboratively with local stakeholders to address pressing health issues.
I highlight the role of participatory research, where co-creation, respect for local knowledge, and shared decision-making are at the forefront. Through transdisciplinary methods, I aim to break down silos, tackle multifaceted health challenges, and create sustainable solutions. I also explore the complexities of place, recognizing how interconnected systems, social determinants, and geographic disparities shape health outcomes.
Acknowledging barriers such as power imbalances and limited funding, I point to success levers like trust-building, training in complexity science, and the development of flexible, adaptive research frameworks. My goal is to inspire a shift toward participatory approaches and the use of complexity thinking to better address the dynamic challenges faced by communities today.
HERE IS A LINK to my PowerPoint
CLICK HERE to visit InSPIRE Consortium
CLICK HERE for a link the THE ATLAS OF SOCIAL COMPLEXITY
CLICK HERE for a link to COMPLEX-IT.
CLICK HERE for a link to the dataset we explored. NOTE: The dataset is a CSV (comma separated) file, created in EXCEL. It is just a sample to function as an example. It contains several public health indicators (e.g., access to health services, fuel poverty, crime, teen pregnancies, etc) for 100 authority districts in England, UK.
CLICK HERE to visit
CECAN (Centre for the Evaluation of Complexity Across the Nexus)
CLICK HERE to visit the MAP OF COMPLEXITY SCIENCES
