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Ripples of Research:

Shaping Care Locally, Nationally and Internationally 

 

A research showcase by Helen & Douglas House

Thursday 15th October, 6-8.30pm

Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford

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Please RSVP by 25th September

Celebrate the power of research in paediatric palliative care.

Join Helen & Douglas House for an inspiring evening exploring how research in paediatric palliative care is creating ripples of change that extend far beyond the hospice, influencing care, policy and practice across the UK and around the world.

This special showcase will celebrate the pioneering research being conducted by Helen & Douglas House and our partners, highlighting how evidence-led innovation is improving the lives of children, young people and families facing life-limiting conditions.

Whether you are a healthcare professional, researcher, supporter or advocate, this event offers a unique opportunity to connect with experts, discover groundbreaking research and see how today's innovations are helping to shape tomorrow's care.

For any queries about the event, please contact [email protected]  

Event Timings

18:00 – Drinks and canapés served  

18:30 – Into the Auditorium for the panel discussion 

20:00 – Drinks and the chance to meet our panel 

Lady Margaret Hall. A grand redbrick building with a green lawn in front of it.
What will happen on the night?

The evening begins with a drinks and canapé reception, where guests will have the opportunity to meet members of our care team and discover how research is embedded throughout the hospice. Through a guided poster tour, you'll explore a range of research projects and hear directly from the people behind them about their findings, challenges and impact.

Guests will then join us in the auditorium for a panel discussion hosted by Dr Emily Harrop, Medical Director at Helen & Douglas House. Bringing together leading voices from local, national and international research communities, the panel will explore how research is shaping the future of paediatric palliative care and driving meaningful change across the sector.

The discussion will examine:

  • The impact of research on care delivery within hospices and healthcare services
  • How evidence informs policy and best practice nationally
  • Global advances in paediatric palliative care and what we can learn from international collaboration
  • The essential role of children, families and practitioners in shaping future research

Last year's event

In September 2025, Helen & Douglas House hosted its first Symposium and Research Showcase event – From Bedside to Breakthrough. The evening was all about showcasing our groundbreaking research and how it is improving the quality of care for children and their families, both at Helen & Douglas House and beyond.

“It was an excellent way to bring us up to the present methods with which palliative care is being provided and evolving for the future.”- Ian Richens

 "I thought  the panel was incredible"- Ruth Bevington

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A panel of 3 women and a mad sat at a table on stage while a woman presents at a podium
4 women discussing a research poster
A crowd of people chatting in small groups
Two women looking at a research poster
A woman pointing at a research poster
Three women at a table of canapes
Two men chatting next to a research poster

Meet our expert panel

Dr Emily Harrop

Host: Dr Emily Harrop, MBBS BSc DCH FRCPCH PhD Dip Pal Med

Emily has been a Consultant in Paediatric Palliative Care at Helen & Douglas House Hospices since 2010, and the Medical Director since 2019. She is also an Honorary Consultant at Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust. 

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She is active in research in the field of pain & symptom management and mentors postgraduate research students in the field of palliative medicine.

Emily undertook her specialist palliative care training at Great Ormond Street Hospital (including a postgraduate, diploma in Palliative Medicine); before this she completed a PhD in Neuroscience (Neonatal Pain) as well as some postgraduate training in Paediatric Clinical Pharmacology. Her other roles include Research Lead of the Association of Paediatric Palliative Medicine (APPM), and clinical leadership roles for the local Integrated Care Board (BOB) and Strategic Clinical Network (NHS SE England).

Emily has acted as the Co-chair of the WHO Guidelines on the management of chronic pain in children and the Deputy Chair of the NICE Clinical Guideline Development Group for End-of-Life care in Babies, Children & Young People (NG61).

Emily was made an Honorary Senior Clinical Lecturer at the University of Oxford in 2024.  
She also has a keen interest in supporting international children’s palliative care and is a member of the European Association of Palliative Care (EAPC) children and young people’s taskforce.  

Professor Julia Downing PhD RGN 

Professor Downing (left) is an experienced palliative care nurse, advocate, educationalist and researcher. She is the Chief Executive of the International Children’s Palliative Care Network (ICPCN) and has honorary and visiting appointments at universities in Africa, Serbia and the UK.

She has extensive experience in Global children’s palliative care, research and education, particularly in LMICs. She has worked within palliative care for over 30 years, with 25 of those working internationally in Uganda, Africa, Eastern Europe, UK and globally. She has many publications and is experienced at presenting at conferences.   

David is smiling in the garden.

Professor Christina Liossi 

Christina Liossi holds a Chair in Paediatric Psychology at the University of Southampton and is an Honorary Consultant Paediatric Psychologist at Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children.

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She is an internationally recognised expert in paediatric pain management, specialising in the psychological care of children and young people with acute and chronic pain, including those with life-limiting and life-threatening conditions.

Her research has advanced multidisciplinary approaches to pain management, symptom control, psychological wellbeing, and family-centred care, contributing to improved outcomes for children with serious illness and their families. She has contributed to national and international clinical guidelines and published extensively in paediatric pain and palliative care.

Professor Liossi is committed to translating research into clinical practice and currently serves as Editor-in-Chief of the British Journal of Pain, where she provides multidisciplinary leadership and promotes high-quality, clinically relevant research.

Dr Helen Bennett

Helen is the Clinical Research Practitioner at Helen & Douglas House, and has been working in palliative care for over 30 years, including as Director of Care at Alexander Devine Children’s Hospice. She completed her PhD at the University of Southampton, and is paving the way for a culture of research within Helen & Douglas House.

 

Emily Tammam 

Emily Tammam is the Parent Co-Lead of the PPI Advisory Group at the Cicely Saunders Institute, supporting Children and Young People's Palliative Care research. She brings both personal and professional experience to the role, having cared for her daughter Neve until her death in 2023, from brain cancer. 

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Neve received extensive paediatric palliative care support over several years, much of it from the team at Helen & Douglas House. 

Emily began contributing to paediatric palliative care research in 2021, initially as a Parent and then as a Bereaved Parent.

Among other roles, she is the Parent Co-Lead of the CYP PEoLC NHSE PPI Advisory group. Since January 2024, Emily has been working professionally within the Core PPIE team at the Oxford Health Biomedical Research Centre, in an administrative role.

Her background is in clinical lactation support and group facilitation.  

With opening and closing speeches from:

David is smiling in the garden.

David Whittingham

David is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Helen & Douglas House and has worked for the last 15 years in not-for-profit leadership roles in both a professional and voluntary capacity.

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David has worked across the higher education, the armed forces, amateur and community sport and the homelessness prevention sectors.

David has deep experience of leading and developing organisations to deliver positive and sustained impact for beneficiaries. He is passionate about the empowerment of individuals and communities, with a leadership style that is characterised by collaboration and co-creation as foundations for success.

David has a postgraduate degree in Voluntary Sector Management, and gained his undergraduate degree from Oxford Brookes University.