Health and Care Research Wales conference 2025 – celebrating a decade of research discovery and impact

With just two months to go until the tenth Health and Care Research Wales conference on 16 October, we are excited to reveal our conference programme and speaker line-up for what promises to be a truly special event. 

Our 2025 theme, Today’s research; tomorrow’s care: celebrating 10 years of impact, marks a decade of transformative research that has helped shape the future of health and social care. 

This year, we’re not just coming together to share knowledge - we’re celebrating 10 years of impact and progress, while also taking time to reflect and look ahead to the next chapter of research in Wales.

The day will bring together leading voices from across health and social care, including Jeremy Miles MS, Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care and Professor Isabel Oliver, Chief Medical Officer for Wales.

Leading Welsh researcher Professor Iain Whitaker, Health and Care Research Wales Specialty Lead for Surgery, has been confirmed as a keynote speaker. He will be joined by Ifor Thomas, a Welsh poet from Llanishen who will share his personal journey of living with prostate cancer.

Hosted by Andrea Byrne, news presenter at ITV Cymru, the day will include a dynamic mix of plenary and parallel sessions, sharing and celebration. 

The programme includes two plenary sessions, each focusing on a key area. The first plenary will explore: How can social care research impact policy and practice? The second will look at: Research impact in healthcare – what difference is research making to healthcare delivery and patient care?

Delegates can also take part in four parallel sessions, each offering a deep dive into timely and thought-provoking topics. These include the role of AI and data in research, how the Voluntary Scheme for Branded Medicines Pricing and Access (VPAG) is reshaping commercial research delivery in Wales, what innovation looks like in a research context, and how inclusivity can help tackle health inequalities and under-representation in research.

These sessions will be chaired by Professor Reyer Zwiggelaar, Senior Research Leader, Health and Care Research Wales; Joanna Jenkinson, Director of Research and Development Policy at the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) and Carys Thomas, Head of Policy, Science, Research and Evidence, Welsh Government.

Marking the conference’s tenth anniversary, a series of five TED-style talks will offer personal reflections on the theme failing forwards, along with the advice speakers would give to themselves 10 years ago.

The day will recognise outstanding contributions across four award categories: Health and Social Care Impact Award, Rising Research Star Award, Public Involvement Award and Embedding Research in Practice. Enter the Health and Care Research Wales Awards 2025 by 09:00 on 8 September 2025.

Last but not least, there will be exhibits showcasing the work of research teams, with a prize for the most engaging stand, also plenty of opportunities to network with colleagues from across Wales.

Places are going fast, register now to join us in-person or online.

Deadline: 2 October 2025