Internship Highlight: Christabel Gono
25 March 2026
Christabel Gono
BScMedical Pharmacology student
About the internship
My internship involved working on designing and delivering inclusive outreach activities aimed at building public trust in how clinical trial data is used. This opportunity meant a lot to me—not just as a Medical Pharmacology student, but as someone passionate about making science accessible, ethical, and people-centred.
From working in the Centre for Trials Research to evaluating the real-world impact of outreach events, it was exciting to learn, grow, and contribute to a project that sits right at the intersection of healthcare, communication, and trust.
Opportunities
I had the chance to attend the Festival of Digital Health as part of my internship — and it was such a valuable experience!
Hosted by the LEAP Digital Health Hub and Health Data Research UK (HDR UK), the day brought together people working across research, policy, and tech to talk about how we can make health data and digital innovation more inclusive, impactful, and patient-centred.
As someone working on a public engagement project exploring how routine maternity data is used, it was inspiring to hear from others tackling similar challenges around equity, trust, and transparency in health research.
The most defining experience of my internship with the Centre for Trials Research was running a public engagement stall at the Healthy Lives event in Cardiff West Community High School!
As part of my project on inclusive and diverse engagement around routine maternity health data, I created a range of interactive activities designed to spark curiosity and conversation about how routine health data is used in clinical trials and why representation, trust, and accessibility matter at every stage.
Activities included:
A giant jigsaw puzzle to explore the journey of routine data
A “Myth vs Fact” flip wall to challenge assumptions about health data use
“Data Detective” scenarios where participants matched data to different routine data types.
A bilingual language wall to reflect on key terms in both English and Welsh
Evaluation token jars to capture feedback in a visual and accessible way
Through my internship, I learned to be intentional about representation in every aspect of public engagement. Whether it was choosing inclusive and diverse imagery for my puzzles, or designing different formats, from a kid-friendly jigsaw to a more detailed adult version, I aimed to create meaningful entry points for a range of audiences. This helped expand the level and type of conversations we could have, ensuring the activities were both accessible and thought-provoking for everyone who took part.
It was such a rewarding experience seeing families, young people, and community members engage with topics like trust, consent, inclusion, and data diversity in a creative and meaningful way. This event really brought home the importance of making research feel relevant, human, and welcoming to all communities – and fun, too!
This was without a doubt the most rewarding experience of the eight-week journey, something I had been working towards and looking forward to from the very beginning. Seeing it come to life, and witnessing the impact it had in real time, has been incredibly fulfilling.
Poster Exhibition
I had the chance to present my summer internship project titled Public Engagement in Health Data Science: Designing Outreach for Impact and Inclusivity at the On-campus Internship Poster Exhibition with the Centre for Trials Research. It was such a rewarding experience.
Presenting this work at the exhibition gave me the space to reflect on how meaningful and inclusive engagement can empower communities and strengthen public confidence in health research. It was also inspiring to see the range of impressive projects showcased by other students.
The Impact
Through this internship I also had the chance to learn more about the role of routine maternity health data and how it can highlight gaps and disparities in care. Engaging with this work has inspired me to explore postgraduate options in public health and to consider how I can integrate this area into my future pathway. I am especially motivated to contribute to improving maternity outcomes for Black mothers and other global majority groups, where clear inequalities still exist and meaningful change is urgently needed.
A huge thank you to my supervisors, Kim Munnery and Fiona Lugg-Widger, for their support throughout the project, and to Linda Adara for her help during the public engagement event.