Angela Polanco NIHR
Angela is the National Head of Public Partnerships at The National Institute of Health and Care
Research (Research Delivery Network) Coordinating Centre. She qualified as a midwife in 2008, working in a large teaching hospital in the Midlands. She then moved into research delivery, responsible for a large portfolio of reproductive health and recurrent miscarriage studies. She completed the NIHR/HEE Masters by Research award and a subsequent PhD exploring communication of risk for adult childhood cancer survivors during pregnancy and birth. She then left the NHS to take up the role of PPIE Lead for Our Future Health in 2021 before moving to the NIHR.
Angela is the founder and CEO of Bethany’s Wish (a children’s cancer charity) and leads a number of international survivor and parent public advocacy groups. She remains a national and international PPIE representative for childhood cancer research, working closely with national policy makers, European Governments and charities. She is passionate about building meaningful, lasting relationships with the public and patients and affecting positive change with impact through co-production.