Health and wellbeing research becomes most interesting when it refuses to stay in one lane. The WolfsonECRConf2026 was a great reminder of that. Across the day, we heard from early career researchers within Durham University working across mental health, social systems, medical imaging, ageing, chronic illness, technology, biology, culture and many other areas connected to health and wellbeing.
What stood out most was the breadth of the community. The work presented showed that health is not only about clinics or treatments, but also about people, bodies, environments, institutions, technologies and lived experience.
The conference abstract booklet is available to view here - ECR Abstract Booklet.
A big thank you to the Wolfson ECR Committee, Suzi Boyd, Charlotte Clarke, Mark Stoutenberg and all the wonderful attendees for supporting such a thoughtful and genuinely interdisciplinary event.
It was a real pleasure to see so many ECRs contributing to the Wolfson Research Institute for Health and Wellbeing community at Durham University.
The presentations were truly inspiring, showcasing not only the breadth of research taking place but also the creativity, passion, and ambition of our ECR community. It was fantastic to see so many innovative ideas and engaging discussions throughout the event. We are so privileged to cover every faculty of Durham University and encourage interdisciplinarity at all career stages.
Events like this really highlight the strength of our research community—and if this conference is anything to go by, the future is incredibly bright.
Our winners!!
Talk - Kate Marks and Team - Moving Social Work: Co-producing Physical Activity, Wellbeing, and Social Work Practice Innovation across interdisciplinary: an interdisciplinary research project
Flash Talk - Melody Bishop - Mapping transition to University for students with long term physical health conditions
Poster - Fazlina Narasid - Development of the Malaysian Cultural and Creative Art (MYCAT) Module in studying the relationship between creativity and mental health among undergraduate students in Malaysia and the United Kingdom.
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