Research, Collaboration, and Impact: Inside Youth Connection 2026

On 15 July, young people, researchers, clinicians and industry leaders came together for GM.Digital’s very first in-person Youth Connection Conference in Manchester. The day was built around the idea that young people should be at the heart of the research that affects them. 

The day opened with Olivia Gorvett, who shared how her time with Youth Connection helped shape her path into Clinical Psychology. Now an Assistant Psychologist in an NHS forensic hospital and about to begin her Clinical Psychology Doctorate, Olivia has worked across community, physical health, inpatient and neurodevelopmental services with both children and adults. Her career pathway resonated with the audience, many of whom are beginning their own journeys into university or careers.  

Next up was Lincoln Olawele, who drew on his own experience as a participant in research. Lincoln spoke about how researchers can make studies feel more welcoming, so the people taking part feel genuinely valued and heard, not just studied. This was Lincoln’s first-time public speaking, and his confidence was inspiring to see. 

We then welcomed Nathan Giles to the stage, an Expert by Experience living with cerebral palsy. Nathan has used the social care system himself and now supports health research, including GM.Digital's EN-CAMHS 2 project. His talk on accessibility in research was both engaging and though-provoking, and he opened the floor to a wider conversation about disability in research, one that allowed young people to feel comfortable asking difficult questions. 

The morning wrapped up with three interactive workshops, each offering a different lens on digital mental health:  

Lauren Munro, BfB Labs 

Founded in 2016, BfB Labs builds evidence-based, non-stigmatising digital therapeutic games that help young people build lifelong mental health self-management skills, all while gathering real-time engagement and outcomes data. Attendees got hands-on time with their technology and learned about the new innovations BfB Labs are working on. 

Dr Laura Calder, University of Manchester 

A qualitative researcher and digital health innovator, Laura is developing Virtual Reality training for health and social care staff in care home settings. She demonstrated the VR training live, giving young people a first-hand look at how immersive tech can support the care workforce. 

Miriam Ejim, Caribbean and African Health Network (CAHN) 

Established in 2017 to tackle health inequalities faced by people of Black Caribbean and African heritage, CAHN works alongside communities to build resilience and drive equity. Miriam led an interactive discussion on how young people and researchers can get more involved in that vision. 

 After lunch, Dr Vaibhav Narayan, Chief Industry, Data Science and Digital Health Officer for the UK Mental Health Goals Programme, joined Pauline Whelan (COO, CareLoop) and Kathryn Abel (Director, GM.Digital and Co-Chair UK Mental Health Goals Programme) to talk about pharmaceutical research and development. With over 20 years' experience spanning Johnson & Johnson, Eli Lilly, Celera Genomics and even the groundbreaking Human Genome Project, Dr Narayan shared some fascinating insights with the audience, offering nuance and depth to an often complex and misunderstood topic. In return, young people brought sharp, thoughtful questions about how AI and digital innovation can be used responsibly to improve healthcare. 

Young people then split into groups for a fast-paced "speed research" session, hearing directly from academics about their work, including Charlie Stockton-Powdrell and Thomas Price from the Mental Health Digital Innovation Digital Navigator programme, Morwenna Senior, who studies how we can get early treatment to those who need it, Emma Shiel, who spoke about connecting participants and researchers through the VoiceIn app, and Emily Weaver-Holding, who spoke about engaging young people in research through We Are Vocal. 

The day closed with a panel discussion facilitated by Paul Wicks, with Nathan Giles, Ashgan Mayhoub, Kathryn Abel and Lauren Munro to reflect on the day's themes and remind young people just how valuable their presence and perspective are in shaping research. 

Bringing together past and present Youth Connection members alongside young people from across Greater Manchester and the UK, the conference was an important demonstration of what's possible when co-production sits at the centre of digital health research. The energy in the room was infectious, with young people actively participating, sharing ideas and building new connections.  

As one attendee put it: "I really enjoyed the conference, and it provided so many valuable networking opportunities. I made the most of my time by speaking with lots of people and learning about their work. It was a fantastic experience." 

Thank You 

A huge thank you to everyone who made the day possible: our facilitator Paul Wicks; workshop hosts Miriam Ejim (CAHN), Lauren Munro (BFB Labs) and Dr Laura Calder (University of Manchester); panellists Dr Vaibhav Narayan, Pauline Whelan, Kathryn Abel and Ashgan M.; our speed research hosts Matthias Pierce, Morwenna Senior, Emma Victoria Shiel and Emily Weaver-Holding; our lived experience contributors Olivia Gorvett, Nathan Giles and Lincoln Olawale; Open Kitchen for the delicious food; the whole Greater Manchester Digital Research Unit team; and, most of all, every young person who came along and made the day what it was. 

Get Involved 

Are you a young person interested in shaping the future of mental health research? We'd love you to join our next Youth Connection programme. Learn more and sign up here. 

Are you a researcher, industry partner or organisation working with young people? We'd love to hear from you. You can get in touch at gm.digital@gmmh.nhs.uk.