The 2024 conference theme was “Making the invisible, visible: addressing unequal access to clinical research”, which highlighted healthcare disparities and illuminated the invisible barriers that hinder diverse participation in clinical research. Challenging disparities in reaching underrepresented communities and explore innovative strategies for inclusivity.

We had a strong line up of national and international speakers who lead the discussions around our contributions to and development of experimental medicine research, including:

• Professor Ivan Browne (pictured below), Professor of Public Health, and Social Determinants of Health, De Montfort University Leicester
• Professor Kamlesh Khunti, Professor of Primary Care Diabetes and Vascular Medicine and Directs the University of Leicester’s Real-World Evidence Unit and Centre for Ethnic Health Research
• Dr Alice Mortlock, Deputy Director, Research Capacity & Growth, Department of Health, and Social Care
• Professor Ruth Endacott (pictured below), NIHR Director of Nursing and Midwifery
• Dr Roxanne Crosby-Nwaobi, Lead Nurse for Research at Moorfields Eye Hospital.

We had a fascinating eray of summer school topics this year, including:

• Level up! Harnessing the potential of games to enhance education in clinical research
• Making sampling simpler: A unified approach and guidance on NCVR costing for trial laboratories.
• The business of ATIMPs: Making the most of your infrastructure.
• Public and Involvement Impact
• International nursing showcase
• Research Advanced Clinical Practitioners and increasing clinical based ACP’s engagement with research
• Moving forward together: Inclusive Research in a CRF setting
• Clinical Research Practitioners: Evolving roles in CRFs