https://alisonthomson.uk/home daily 1.0 2026-02-22 https://alisonthomson.uk/publications daily 0.75 2026-03-04 https://alisonthomson.uk/biography daily 0.75 2025-09-21 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/627a3038d47bda4258b2da24/33265bbb-f607-4bac-8504-8565d28f399f/A-Thomson-headshot.jpg Biography Alison Thomson is a Reader in Design at Queen Mary University of London (QMUL). Her practice-based research is situated at the intersections of PPI, PES, Science and Technology Studies (STS) and Design Research. With this research, she aims to articulate how design-led methods can study the notion of ‘patient experience’ within both healthcare and medical research settings, leading to the design of more inventive health interactions. She is also Honorary Associate Professor at UCL. Alison studied Design Interactions at the Royal College of Art (2008 – 2010), before embarking on a long-term collaboration with the Barts MS research team at QMUL. Here she designed interactions between people with MS and researchers studying the condition. Her designs investigate how patient experiences of people with MS might be improved by way of speculative design, design-research and design-led interventions. This work is documented in her PhD based at Goldsmiths, University of London where she was supervised by Professor Bill Gaver and Professor Alex Wilkie. Her PhD thesis, Re-doing patient experience for people with MS through design-led research (2019) explores how design-led research can improve the patient experience by using a methodological approach informed by STS to address the performativity of method and the multiple enactments of patient experience. Alison is based in the Centre for Preventive Neurology, within the Wolfson Institute of Population Health at QMUL where she co-leads a cross institute theme on public participation. She is also a member of the Design Societies Research Unit at Goldsmiths which combines and cultivates expertise in STS and design to engage technoscientific and environmental matters of care and concern. Alison's latest project, explores the patient experience of people with MS from ethnically minoritised backgrounds. This uses a participatory research approach, working with 5 people living with MS as ‘peer researchers’. She is also co-leading a research team to develop a Participatory Research program supported by Research England, with the goal of expanding participatory research activities at QMUL. Alison has recently been awarded funding from the NIHR to develop inclusive co-design tools for health-related co-design in partnership with minority ethnic communities. Alison peer-reviews for various scientific journals, conferences, and funding organisations, including The MS Journal, BMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making, MS and Related Disorders, Evidence and Policy, ESRC, The Wellcome Trust, NIHR, ECTRIMS, and the Design Research Society. https://alisonthomson.uk/teaching daily 0.75 2024-08-14 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/627a3038d47bda4258b2da24/9353c979-8846-494f-8931-3da85512decb/content-image-by-ben-harris.jpg Teaching - Teaching responsibilities As an educator, I bring expertise in practice-based research, design methodologies, participatory research approaches, reflective practice, and working with patient experience. My teaching is informed by my own practice-based research in design, providing a unique and practical perspective for students. I am responsible for mentoring and overseeing students at all levels. I deliver lectures and provide supervision for undergraduate and postgraduate students. I supervise a number of undergraduate students in their final year public engagement and neuroscience projects. I co-lead an award winning 30-credit undergraduate module "Engaging the Public in Science," providing practical experience through public engagement projects with QMUL academics. I currently supervise three PhD students and mentor one international PhD student. I am collaborating on a MS Society ECR fellowship award and supervise practice-led aspects of prestigious international ECTRIMS fellow research projects. I lead the Centre for Preventive Neurology PhD Seminar Series which invites external speakers to engage students in a variety of research career pathways. I also engage with national and international healthcare professional audiences through events such as the Neurology Academy, MS Preceptorships, The MS Nurse network, and ECTRIMS teaching sessions, further disseminating my research and expertise. I am one of the co-founders of PhD By Design alongside Maria Portugal and Bianca Elzenbaumer. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/627a3038d47bda4258b2da24/dbdf25ab-da74-4f17-80de-fbcc99ea0499/PNU_A3_POSTER_2023.jpg Teaching - Workshops and seminars: Invited Speaker: Many of these are invitations to discuss my innovations in methods and outputs, and include knowledge exchange with a range of stakeholders in health, social science and design. July 2024 MS Frontiers, Liverpool, UK. “How do we get the communication and engagement right,” as part of the MS Society Prevention Taskforce. April 2024 Inspiring the Future of Participatory Research event. Lancaster University, UK. “Mapping practices of participation across a medical faculty.” Feb 2024 Qualitative Health Research Network Conference, UCL, “Navigating the tensions of researching patient experience in participatory healthcare design.” April 2023 MS for Primary Care Conference, Glasgow, UK, “Learnings from a remote upper limb rehabilitation study for people with MS.” July 2022 Medical Adherence and Digital Health Consortium, Cambridge UK, “Digital interventions to improve adherence to Multiple Sclerosis therapies.” Feb 2021 Roche Satellite Symposium, MS Trust conference, “Owning MS beyond COVID: what can we learn from the Patients' Perspective Study?” Nov 2020 OpenMinds: MS digital innovation summit organized by Novartis, “Self-monitoring and management: What could the future look like for patients.” Nov 2017 MS Trust conference, Merck Symposium, “ThinkHand” Dec 2017 AHRC Next Generation Design Research event, Central St Martins, “Re-doing patient experience through design-led research.” Nov 2016 Centre for Neurorehabilitation symposium, UCL, “Patient and Public Engagement.” Jan 2015 V&A Design Salon – Evening talks, V&A London, “Re-doing patient experience through design-led research.” Sept 2014 Design in Health Network, Royal College of Art Sept 2014 London MS Nurse Novartis Symposium, “Patient and Public Engagement.” Seminars and workshops: Sept 2024 German Society for Social Medicine and Prevention conference workshop, Deutsches Hygiene-Museum, “Participatory Research and Co-Creation in Health Research.’ Feb 2022 UCL Social Research Institute, “Evidence of experience.” Feb 2022 PNU research seminar, “Engaging the public through research.” Dec 2017 UCL Institute of Education Symposium, “Design and Health.” Nov 2017 University of Southampton Seminar, “How design-led research can re-do the patient experience.” July 2014 Intellectual Summer School, University of Lancaster. May 2014 University of Dundee, “Designing patient experiences.” https://alisonthomson.uk/projects daily 0.75 2024-04-11 https://alisonthomson.uk/projects/under-and-over monthly 0.5 2023-03-15 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/627a3038d47bda4258b2da24/d2d3b787-52df-47de-903c-f0f82273c9be/blank.png Projects - Under and Over https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/627a3038d47bda4258b2da24/78517d4b-5117-4ff1-bb0f-366377066a8e/Screenshot+2022-05-11+at+13.36.59.png Projects - Under and Over Through making the patterns, the participants are performing their patient experience. These patterns are not pre-existing and are dependent on external factors, so are created in response to the changing MS ensemble which fluctuates and changes daily. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/627a3038d47bda4258b2da24/0143e5b1-e815-425e-b6b5-85d4b34fc195/DSCF3865.jpg Projects - Under and Over The tool is flexible enough that people can create their own patterns or complete pre-designed patterns in any way they like, and conduct the activity where and when they like. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/627a3038d47bda4258b2da24/96fb0f12-f435-4821-ac80-1dac363ae249/Picture1.png Projects - Under and Over This project seeks to explore and take seriously external factors, paying close attention to how people with MS manage to complete a standard activity in different conditions. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/627a3038d47bda4258b2da24/4ce00c3d-4b9f-4336-9ea3-fc089e734ab2/Picture1.png Projects - Under and Over We worked with The Agency of Design to develop an activity that was both engaging but also usable for people with MS. https://alisonthomson.uk/projects/phd-by-design monthly 0.5 2022-05-11 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/627a3038d47bda4258b2da24/a48a8ade-0770-4d4c-ac7e-d0c030404eda/Screenshot+2022-05-11+at+13.38.05.png Projects - PhD By Design https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/627a3038d47bda4258b2da24/59db8a7a-46c2-4817-addd-ff60d91bb0a0/Screenshot+2022-05-11+at+13.38.11.png Projects - PhD By Design https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/627a3038d47bda4258b2da24/b617f6bd-0087-44db-b4c9-df78e58d6c27/Screenshot+2022-05-11+at+13.38.26.png Projects - PhD By Design https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/627a3038d47bda4258b2da24/8c94f01d-7626-4e0c-88d9-ed01d910bc78/Screenshot+2022-05-11+at+13.38.40.png Projects - PhD By Design https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/627a3038d47bda4258b2da24/489da5a5-e9fc-4693-a417-fa50fa4a9b5c/Screenshot+2022-05-11+at+13.38.56.png Projects - PhD By Design https://alisonthomson.uk/projects/measurement-on-our-terms monthly 0.5 2022-05-11 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/627a3038d47bda4258b2da24/4dd3a183-143d-4d7f-9755-78fe43622d83/Screenshot+2022-05-11+at+13.33.48.png Projects - Measurement on our terms Within the workshops, participants discussed the upper limb activities that people with MS find difficult due to their MS, as captured through an online survey. This was aided by an object to represent each activity. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/627a3038d47bda4258b2da24/1652272553078-K0QU034LXL0AIHFY7G7Z/Screenshot%2B2022-05-11%2Bat%2B13.33.39.jpg Projects - Measurement on our terms The physical objects became props in the discussions amongst participants https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/627a3038d47bda4258b2da24/442291f4-f20f-4bf1-af04-5408d46f0cfe/Screenshot+2022-05-11+at+13.33.58.png Projects - Measurement on our terms The physical objects became props in the discussions amongst participants as they demonstrated their ability https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/627a3038d47bda4258b2da24/d5070852-9ba6-4ac3-9bc1-c18e06edc679/Screen+Shot+2023-03-27+at+15.29.25.png Projects - Measurement on our terms A list of external factors were generated which affect how people completed these activities. These were categorised for the most impactful. https://alisonthomson.uk/projects/digesting-science monthly 0.5 2023-03-15 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/627a3038d47bda4258b2da24/e8112068-18de-403a-8457-a28afd1ed9f3/Screenshot+2022-05-10+at+11.00.02.png Projects - Digesting Science The Digesting Science kit comprises a series of activities that cover various topics, such as the effects of MS on eyesight, bladder function, walking ability, and treatment options. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/627a3038d47bda4258b2da24/8c615c02-f4fa-416e-b90b-d9ceed049bc2/Screenshot+2022-05-10+at+11.00.07.png Projects - Digesting Science Abstract objects are used to address sensitive topics like the impact of MS on bladder function, to facilitate conversations on nerve signals and bladder control. This made scientific concepts more accessible and reduced any anxiety in discussing potentially sensitive topics. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/627a3038d47bda4258b2da24/fa76d2f4-9646-457d-b133-501bccf54eae/Screenshot+2022-05-10+at+11.00.11.png Projects - Digesting Science By using craft based activities and drama techniques, the project seeks to engage children and their families in the learning process and facilitate the uptake of health information. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/627a3038d47bda4258b2da24/ac757316-1440-4f92-b319-6a6b6c0b6512/Screenshot+2022-05-10+at+11.00.15.png Projects - Digesting Science To alleviate the burden on healthcare services, Digesting Science is a self-contained project that can be implemented by non-clinical professionals. This design feature ensures that the project is accessible to a wider range of stakeholders, enabling greater reach and impact, while also reducing the burden on healthcare services. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/627a3038d47bda4258b2da24/44da87ec-4510-4fdd-8f5f-9e0bb20a60c7/Picture1.png Projects - Digesting Science Having the Digesting Science content translated into different languages is crucial for connecting with local audiences and engaging them in the project. https://alisonthomson.uk/projects/ms-outpatient-future-groups monthly 0.5 2024-04-11 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/627a3038d47bda4258b2da24/747e7dbf-a970-4708-a7b0-56a2c85fd834/Figure6.jpg Projects - MS Outpatient Future Groups A prop pack designed to support health care staff and patients participants to contribute to creating an ideal patient journey for the future. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/627a3038d47bda4258b2da24/754744d9-2e1d-4cc1-a2ab-38334448fa04/Figure5.jpg Projects - MS Outpatient Future Groups Participants selected and arranged contours on the map of the future journey to convey and document their reflections on reality https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/627a3038d47bda4258b2da24/14762089-9f48-4642-8e6b-cea87c6d6f08/Figure2.jpg Projects - MS Outpatient Future Groups A highly emotive map of reflections from current practices within the outpatient journey https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/627a3038d47bda4258b2da24/2d9abb2c-d9ee-4911-a9d1-01c19716e789/3.1.JPG Projects - MS Outpatient Future Groups The outpatient department at the Royal London Hospital (2013). https://alisonthomson.uk/projects/ms-peer-research monthly 0.5 2024-04-11 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/627a3038d47bda4258b2da24/1712850045407-SKWPMZ6TPSRL10LL5FXU/IMG_6896.jpg Projects - MS Peer Research In March 2024 we started working with our group of peer researchers to develop the study process and research materials https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/627a3038d47bda4258b2da24/1712850326418-DAHQP69CA7BI190Z3JGQ/IMG_0498.jpg Projects - MS Peer Research We collaboratively engaged in activities that delved into our intersectional identities, examining how these might influence the peer research process