Emily Hunter is a Research Assistant and NIHR Pre-Doctoral Fellow at the Innovation Observatory who has built strong relationships with community groups, children and families through her work. We spoke to her to find out more about what she loves about her role.
Describe your role in the team
I am a research assistant within NIHR Innovation Observatory, where I specialise in methodologies to capture public insight and identify areas of unmet health and care need. My research spans across all age groups, but with particular focus on children, young people, and their everyday experiences. Through understanding these experiences effectively, we can discover where health and research innovation is needed.
I also collaborate closely with community groups and partners to better understand their priorities and challenges. Some days, I’m in the office analysing data or designing research methods, while others find me hosting public workshops, or engaging directly with children and families in the community! I like to use innovative, creative or co-designed approaches to uncover what truly matters to them, and implement these insights into our work at the Innovation Observatory.
To accompany my work here, I have also completed an NIHR Pre-Doctoral Fellowship Award, in the methodology stream. This has provided me with comprehensive training and experiences, and I have carried out a mixed methods study evaluating the acceptability and feasibility of wearable technologies in children aged 0-36 months.
How did you get into this career, what led you here?
My health research career stems from my background in Anthropology and Medical Anthropology, disciplines that study how health and care is embedded in human behaviour, culture, and society. This brings a unique take to horizon scanning, as we anticipate how new health technologies, policies, or interventions might be received by different communities and populations.
What do you enjoy most about your role? What are you most proud of?
I love working with people, and I’m proud of the genuine relationships I’ve brokered with community groups, children, and families. I value being able to represent the voices of children and young people in important projects, too. I’m also an advocate for interdisciplinary research, and spend a lot of my time working out effective ways to communicate and collaborate across disciplines and industries, such as co-leading ‘Hacking Child Tech 2024’. Through this work, and related projects, I hope to continue promoting innovation that supports everyday people.
What do you do outside of work?
My favourite times include being outdoors, whether that’s walking in forests, or beaches, or swimming in the ocean and lakes – or, trying to stay above the water on my paddleboard! I’m also an avid foodie, loving to cook for others, create new dishes myself, or try them in restaurants. I also love nature, plants, animals, and art, particularly painting, writing poetry, photography, and recently pottery!
To get to know more of our team, take a look at our news page for more ‘In the Spotlight’ interviews here
