The Hildas is a patient and public involvement and engagement (PPIE) group made up of diverse women, men and young people from the West Midlands region who all share a common interest in improving women’s health outcomes at every life stage.
Members shape and support research through providing their ideas, perspectives and suggestions on projects focused on women’s health. Examples of activities include (but are not limited to):
- Supporting researchers to prioritise future areas of research focus
- Advising on the suitability of research design and delivery plans
- Helping to improve the language and clarity of presentations and written materials
- Aiding interpretation of findings and helping share these with wider audiences
- Sharing examples of good practice in involvement and engagement
- Championing community spirit to foster sustainability and celebrate collective achievements
Often group members will have direct lived experience relevant to the research. For example, they may have experience of a health condition specific to women, such as pregnancy. Sometimes they may have experience of other conditions which affect more women than men, such as migraine. However, we also think it is important to hear from young people and support networks too. For example, miscarriage can have an impact on both the woman and her partner, so we do not want to exclude these other perspectives. Equally, young people will face their own unique health experiences related to their age group. They will also inherit many of the same health challenges that we face today. As such, we feel it is important for young people’s voices to also be represented and involved in shaping the research of the future. We have a ‘Young Hildas’ subgroup for young people aged 13-17 interested in women’s health.
Why is the group called The Hildas?
You may wonder where the name of our group comes from. The Hildas is named in recognition of Dame Hilda Lloyd, who graduated in Medicine from University of Birmingham in 1916. Dame Hilda Lloyd pioneered medical efforts to save the lives of countless women in poverty within urban areas of the West Midlands during the 1930-40s. She also later went on to be the first woman elected as president of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG). Her drive to make a difference to women’s health inspires and captures the purpose of the Hildas.
Equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI)
Equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) is very important to us. We want to hear from a wide range of voices who represent different backgrounds and experiences – different ages, ethnicities, genders, sexual orientations, cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds etc. We respect each other’s unique differences and seek members willing to do the same. Even if members do not always agree with each other on an issue, they can still engage in polite dialogue to reach a better understanding of different views when compared to having no conversation at all.
Beginning in 2024, all of members of The Hildas will be offered and encouraged to take up EDI training. Furthermore, we will also be making increased efforts to monitor the EDI characteristics of The Hildas group. We feel this is important for evaluation and reporting impact. Where opportunities for involvement may be limited (for example because of funding), we may take affirmative action to prioritise the involvement of particular underrepresented groups.
Current active research projects in women’s health:
The Hildas (and Young Hildas) activities are now coordinated by staff based in the Department of Metabolism and Systems Science at the College of Medicine and Health, University of Birmingham.
Most of our active women’s health research projects are related to metabolic health, including topics such as: PolyCystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS); Type 2 Diabetes (T2D); Premature adrenarche; Mild Autonomous Cortisol Secretion (MACS); Pregnancy complications of metabolic origin.
These research areas will change over time as some projects wrap up and as new projects start. Generally speaking, we welcome engagement with other researchers working in women’s health research whether you are at University of Birmingham or beyond. You can find out more in our case studies page.