Changing Lives through Research photography exhibition

1 December 2023 to Spring 2024

The Changing Lives through Research photography exhibition captures images of research from across the South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust. It includes portraits of Research Champions, colleagues from across the Joint Research and Development (R&D) Office for the Trust and the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN), staff from the NIHR Maudsley BRC, and representation across the workforce – clinical, academic, corporate and beyond.

It also features short stories of what research at the Trust means to these people– from making patients comfortable when taking part in studies, to how research skills can be a powerful tool in everyday practice.

The exhibition will be on display in the Maudsley Hospital ground floor corridor between the main reception and Eileen Skellern House, open from 8am - 6pm, from Friday 1 December. There will be a small satellite exhibition at the Bethlem Community Centre from Monday 4 December. All photographs and full-length interviews will also be published as an online exhibition on our website at the link below:

See the online exhibition

Carrie-Ann Black, Head of Nursing for Research and Quality, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, was inspired by the Trust’s photography exhibition of staff during the pandemic, and had the idea to do something similar regarding the Trust’s research activity. She said:

I hope our Changing Lives Through Research exhibition will resonate with the audience across the Trust, the IoPPN and beyond, as we wanted to demonstrate the impact of research at a local level. It is an opportunity to show the people behind the research studies, and what research looks like on a daily basis, beyond the abstract concept it can seem to be for many people.

Tanya Shlovogt, Director of Research Quality, Head of Joint R&D Office of SLaM and IoPPN, said:

This exhibition celebrates the incredibly hard-working staff involved in research at all levels across the Trust and wider partners, who make it possible to grow and innovate our research opportunities and impact. As part of the Trust's ‘Aiming High; Changing Lives’ strategy, we envisage all service users being offered the chance to take part in research, to ensure they are shaping the future of mental health treatment.

David Bradley, Chief Executive of South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, said:

Research is at the heart of our mission to transform mental health care and patient experience. But we will only truly have impact when we successfully translate our evidence-based approaches into practice. I’d encourage everyone to visit this exhibition and see what we are doing to change people’s lives on the ground and find out how you can get involved.

What research means to those involved

The exhibition features quotes from staff on what research means to them. You can also read their full interviews in the online exhibition, linked above.

Tamara Whittle, Nurse Associate and Research Champion, South London and Maudsley, said: “I would say that without research, you can’t progress, develop or learn. You need research to improve so many things. Without research we wouldn’t have got this far with everything we offer in the Trust. I’m glad I found out about the Research Champion role.”

Saskia Evans Perks, Lived Experience Research Ambassador, South London and Maudsley: “I hope that my role will encourage more service users to get involved in research and increase inclusion of underserved groups in research at the Trust. It is vital that all service users have their voices heard in every stage of the research process.”

Abnash Chauhan, Senior R&D Governance Facilitator, R&D Joint Office of the Trust and IoPPN:“What does research mean to me? A hopeful tomorrow.”

Trust leading the way in mental health research

The Trust believes research is at the heart of better clinical care and are proud to be leading the way in developing treatments and improving people’s mental health. In 2022/23, they were the top mental health Trust in England for research participants - more than 6,750 people took part across 82 studies (read more here), with 96% of respondents saying they would take part again. Earlier this year, they launched the Take Part in Research site, where service users can search through dozens of opportunities to participate in local studies.

The Trust believes all staff, patients and their carers should have the opportunity to take part in research and feel ownership of research in the Trust. This exhibition reveals some of the ways in which they are having an impact on the lives of people now, and in the future.  

Thank you to all participants and the Bethlem Gallery

Thank you to all those who offered their time to be photographed and capture what research means at the Trust; and thanks to the Bethlem Gallery for their support with curating the exhibition.

Photographer Ben McDade took all the photographs in February 2023.