I am a Reader in Applied Health Policy Research at the University of the West of England, Bristol. I undertake research on partnership, participation and involvement in health, including involvement in research. I am also the Programme Leader for the Masters in Public Health. I became interested in promoting involvement in health in the 1980s when I was a nurse but also discovered I had a long term condition that required frequent interactions as a patient. My experience was that in those days, health professionals generally did not welcome shared decision making. As I became involved in research, my commitment to involvement naturally led me to support involvement in research.