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Young people shaping critical-care research
- Libby Scarlet WatkinsCommunity Partner at Imperial College London
Key points
- Involvement in patient and public involvement and engagement can turn a negative experience of PICU into something positive that helps others.
- Taking part has built skills and confidence, including reviewing analyses, and has brought contact with other people along the way.
- Young people should be involved in research so that they can share their views and experiences, and more young people should be able to take part.
Libby Scarlet Watkins, Community Partner at Imperial College London, discusses why young people should have a voice in critical-care research. Drawing on her experience as a former paediatric intensive-care patient, she explains how involvement in research has offered a positive way to contribute and connect with others. The interview explores the skills and confidence that participation can develop, including considering research ideas and sharing personal perspectives. Libby highlights the value of meeting peers with related experiences and encourages research teams to create opportunities for more young people to take part.
This interview took place at the PCCS Annual Scientific Meeting 2026 in London.
Read the transcript
Automatic transcript, lightly edited for readability. It may contain errors, so check it against the video before quoting.
Hi, I'm Libby. I was in PICU seven years ago when I was 14. I'm now 21. I've been involved with PPIE, patient and public involvement engagement, for about a year now. I previously did research before, helping researchers reviewing their projects before getting involved with this. I found it really rewarding. It's all about turning a negative experience into something positive that can help others.
I've also found that it's really helped me. I've learned a lot of skills, so confidence and being able to like review analyses as well, which has been really helpful. I've met a lot of really amazing people along the way. I think it's really important that young people are involved in research so that they can have a view and to share their experiences and help others. It'd be really great if we can get more young people involved.
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Cite this video
Libby Scarlet Watkins. “Young people shaping critical-care research.” The Paediatric Video Journal, 7 November 2026. https://paediatricvj.com/videos/young-people-shaping-critical-care-research-watkins/
This interview is educational content intended for healthcare professionals and is not medical advice. Views expressed are those of the speaker. © The Paediatric Video Journal. All rights reserved.