I am a carer, my late mother suffered depression and paranoia and developed vascular dementia. Family I care for have autism and learning disabilities, stroke, heart conditions, head injury, graves’ disease and polymyalgia rheumatica, giving me a wide experience of health and social care. I gained an MA in Medical Sociology in 2002. In 2004 I joined Patient and Public involvement in research (PPIRes), a volunteer panel of service users and carers in partnership with NHS Norfolk and the University of East Anglia. I was lay member of the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital Research Governance committee for five years. I sit on the University of East Anglia Faculty of Medicine and Heath sciences Ethics committee. I have commented on numerous study designs, have been involved in creating training for our volunteers, and have been on several management and steering groups. I worked for two years with a group called the Dialogue Trust in Norwich prison, a discussion group for prisoners, its aim to help re-integrate prisoners into society.