Edge Hill interns showcase health research in Parliament
Medical students, taking part in National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR)-funded internship, have proudly presented their health research projects at a prestigious event in Parliament.
Posters in Parliament takes place annually in the heart of UK Government and brings together a remarkable collection of the best undergraduate research from across the country in an academic poster exhibition.
Bringing together 60 students from higher education institutions nationwide, the event showcased an inspiring breadth of research across disciplines.
Judi Kayali’s research explored how community-based approaches can enhance support for children’s mental health, emphasising the need for sustainable and accessible interventions beyond traditional clinical settings.
Mawara Mazhar’s project examined global variations in GP consultation length and considered the implications for World Health Organisation tracer indicator development. In an exceptionally competitive field, Mawara was shortlisted for the overall ‘Best Communication of Research’ prize.
Greg Irving, Professor of Primary and Integrated Care, who also attended the event, said:
“Both projects exemplify the growing strength of clinical academic undergraduate research at Edge Hill University and demonstrate the meaningful contribution our students are making to national and international policy conversations, from primary care systems to children’s mental health and beyond.”
Edge Hill education lecturer awarded grant by International Olympic Committee
Dr Barnaby Sargent Megicks, lecturer in physical education and youth sport, was awarded the grant by the organisation’s Olympic Studies Centre as part of its PhD Students and Early Career Academics Research Grant Programme.
His work was one of six research projects selected for the international award and he was the only United Kingdom-based recipient.
Dr Sargent Megicks’ project, titled ‘Development and initial validation of the holistic talent development environment questionnaire’, builds on his previous research relating to youth sport performance.
He said: “The project aims to develop an applied tool to examine the culture of youth sport performance environments in relation to how they support health, education and life skill development.
“While it is an early career researcher grant, so awarded to individuals, I am collaborating with colleagues at Edge Hill University, Nottingham Trent University, Leeds Beckett University and Loughborough University.”
Education academics contribute chapter to cutting-edge book on disability in physical education
Clare Woolhouse, Leon Fraser and Simon Dougherty, from Edge Hill University’s Secondary and Further Education department have contributed to the Routledge Handbook of Qualitative Methods for Researching Disability in Physical Education.
The handbook, written by leading researchers from around the world, addresses how visual methods of research are being applied to disability and physical education for the first time.
The Edge Hill team discuss their use of photographs as a visual stimulus during research with children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). They focus on themes of inclusion and the importance of children’s voices in guiding how educational engagement in schools can be transformed.
Dr Clare Woolhouse said of the publication: “We really enjoyed being part of this publication. We hadn’t written together in this way before, but it was great to find ways in which our various pieces of research complemented each other.
“We were all utilising different forms of visual methods in order to better support SEND children’s engagement with physical education and it has been wonderful to learn from each other and share our experiences through the process of writing.”
Clare, Leon and Simon provide case studies to show how their methods can contribute to a greater understanding of the physical education experiences of pupils with disabilities to inform how teaching and learning for all children can be designed and implemented more effectively.
March 13, 2026
