4D

The research team are exploring how babies’ brains, minds, and immune systems develop and whether early signs might inform our understanding of anxiety later in childhood. The work is led by Professor Duncan Astle.

We are looking for 10-14 adults with recent lived or living experience of anxiety, or who are caring for someone with anxiety, to help guide our research.

You would be part of a Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement (PPIE) group at the University of Cambridge. The sessions will involve conversations with researchers and other group members. You will be asked for your thoughts and ideas about study-related documents. Towards the end of the study, the group will help advise on how to best to share the results of our research with the public.

This opportunity is ideal for those willing to draw on their experiences of anxiety to help shape research.

The group will meet in person three times a year for a half-day workshop, with lunch included. These meetings will take place in Cambridge (click for location).

There will be support available during the sessions and opportunities to debrief for participants.

To participate, you must:

• Be over 18

• Have internet access

• Live within Cambridgeshire

• Be able to attend three in person meetings per year

• Have personal experience of anxiety, either as a parent/carer or yourself (e.g. panic attacks, phobias, fear or physiological anxiety responses)

The study will run for five years, and we are seeking people who anticipate they will be able to contribute throughout. We welcome people from all backgrounds, including different cultures, religions, ethnicities, and members of the LGBTQ+ community. Previous research or PPIE experience is helpful but not essential.

You will be paid £125 for each half day workshop that you attend. This includes brief preparation time.

It is your responsibility to check that this payment will not affect any benefits or state support you may be receiving. If you are unsure of this, please obtain specialist information and welfare rights advice before taking on this role. TaxAid and the NIHR have more information.

We are committed to protecting your privacy. Any personal information you share as part of this PPIE panel will be kept confidential and stored securely in line with data protection regulations. We will only collect information that is necessary for your involvement, and it will be accessible only to the research team.

Your contributions will be anonymised in any reports or publications unless you give explicit permission to be identified. You can choose what you share during discussions and may withdraw from the panel at any time. If you have any questions about how your data is used, please contact the research team.

If you are keen to join our PPIE group, please complete the Application Form and tell us a bit more about yourself, including whether you have any research experience. You are welcome to contact the research team for an informal discussion about the research prior to committing.