Transforming communities for active and healthy lifestyle: co-design of community outreach for the prevention of type 2 diabetes

Would you like to describe the project in short?

"This PhD project proposes to co-design a community outreach component in order to promote active and healthy living for the prevention of type 2 diabetes in Region Uppsala."

What are the cross-disciplinary aspects of this project?

"This PhD project focuses on co-design to develop a complementary community outreach component for a tele-health coaching intervention. Co-design itself brings together relevant stakeholders through shared priorities and participatory action facilitated by an interdisciplinary team with experience in building ownership and diverse voices within complex health interventions."

How was the project and collaboration born?

"This PhD project falls within the greater PREVENT research project which includes an interdisciplinary consortium comprising of Uppsala University, Karolinska Institutet, Region Uppsala, and the Swedish Industrial Design Foundation (SVID). PREVENT builds on the work done during SMART2D, an EU financed project (PI: MD). UDC was definitely key to building the PREVENT consortium. Apart from two of us from SMART2D (myself and Hell Alvesson, KI) and a colleague from my previous department of Food Studies, Nutrition and Dietetics (Margaretha Nydahl); new connections with three investigators were facilitated through UDC workshops and meetings (Steve Mckeever, Tove Fall & Mats Martinell). In addition, we also have a social innovations enterprise, SVID (Pia McAleenan), which specializes in co-design labs"

How can UDC be of help in your research?

"The funding received from the UDC will enable the doctoral student to develop and evaluate co-design for the community outreach component, including its process evaluation and gender analysis, in the prevention of type 2 diabetes. This will fit in well with the activities of PREVENT and support its trial and intervention component and ensure better and context-relevant implementation."

What can UDC do to make the PhD students feel like they belong to the centre?

"UDC can provide the network and platform for professional engagement between peers, teachers and researchers working within cell to society aspects of type 2-diabetes. The introductory course and the seminar series will certainly provide ample opportunities for students to understand the interdisciplinary nature of this field. Invitations to both professional networking events that expose the doctoral student to the professional network, and social networking events that allow the new PhD applicants a chance to less formally discuss their work and bond over mutual experiences, will be a definite plus."

Which UDC activities will be meaningful for this project?

"The UDC seminar series and the introductory doctoral course will be very relevant for the doctoral students. Invited guest speakers to UDC events will definitely give students an insight into cutting-edge research in this field around the globe. An exposure to research and researchers in this field in UU and SLU would also help them to see future possibilities and opportunities for internships or post-doctoral training."