An engaged audience filled the Canada Room in the Lanyon Building on 24 September 2025 to hear Professor Mark Linden deliver his inaugural professorial lecture at Queen’s University Belfast.

Professor Linden, who has spent more than twenty years researching paediatric disability, currently serves as Director of Research in the School of Nursing and Midwifery. His lecture, titled “Inclusive Research, Unequal Realities: Co-Designing Solutions to Address Health Inequalities for Children and Young People with Disabilities,” marked an important milestone in a career dedicated to improving health and social outcomes for young people.

Attendees included university colleagues, postgraduate students, representatives from health and community organisations, and advocates for children’s services, alongside Professor Linden’s family and friends. The atmosphere was both celebratory and reflective, underscoring the significance of his work and its impact on policy and practice.

In his presentation, Professor Linden examined the persistent disparities faced by children and young people with disabilities—highlighting that around one in ten children in the UK live with a disability, many with complex health needs that too often go unmet. He emphasised the need for genuine collaboration between researchers, families, practitioners, and communities to create meaningful, sustainable change.

Using examples from his own projects, he demonstrated how co-design—working alongside those directly affected rather than studying them from a distance—can reshape the way research is conceived and applied. Through these collaborations, Professor Linden illustrated how inclusive methods can generate new knowledge, empower participants, and deliver practical solutions to entrenched inequalities.

He reflected on his professional path, noting how his experiences have shaped a belief that impactful research must always centre the voices of children and families. His talk challenged traditional boundaries between academic research and lived experience, calling for a future where partnership, respect, and shared expertise guide all aspects of health research.

Following the lecture, guests gathered for a reception in the Canada Room to continue discussions sparked by his insights and to celebrate Professor Linden’s contributions to advancing equality and inclusion in health and social care.