Helena Wythe

Dr. Helena Wythe is a Researcher at the School of Health and Social Work specializing in patient and public involvement (PPI) with intellectual disability populations, particularly through co-produced resources for pandemic response and public health. Her work bridges academic research and community impact via NHS partnerships and charity collaborations.

Education:

• PhD in Food Hygiene Health Promotion from University of the West of England, Bristol (2016) with thesis 'Meeting Food Hygiene Challenges in Older People: Mobilising Health Assets for Health Promotion'

Wythe's research focuses on democratizing health research through co-production methodologies. She leads initiatives like the CAREVIS Project developing visual tools for COVID-19 vaccine uptake among people with learning disabilities, and investigates Long-COVID communication needs. Her fingerprint analysis confirms deep expertise in Patient Participation (97% match), Public Involvement (100%), and UK-focused Action Research (25%).

Analysis of her 16 publications reveals consistent themes: adapting research methods for vulnerable populations (evident in 2023 CAREVIS adaptations paper), developing accessible health resources (2024 wordless book study), and institutionalizing PPI practices (2021 GRIPP2 checklist implementation). Her work increasingly integrates intellectual disability perspectives into mainstream health research frameworks.

Wythe secures competitive funding from sources including NIHR CLAHRC, Royal College of Nursing Foundation, and Hertfordshire Partnership NHS Trust. Key projects include CLAN Creative Learning Abilities Partnerships (2023-2024), CAREVIS visual resource development, and 'Completing the Feedback Cycle' PPI implementation studies.

She collaborates extensively with lived-experience co-researchers through partnerships with Books Beyond Words charity and NHS trusts, maintaining multidisciplinary teams that include clinicians, disability advocates, and academic specialists to ensure research responsiveness to community needs.