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SHAPE Research Cluster Bus Stop Chats

8 Jun 2026

The 'Bus Stop Chats' series highlights the range of research being led by ISS21 SHAPE Research Custer members across societal, health equity and political economic concerns.

The ISS21 â€¯(Society, Health Equity and Political Economy) research cluster hosted a series of online Bus Stop Chats, from December 2025 to April 2026. Each of these more informal and conversational lunch-time events involved a member of the SHAPE cluster presenting and discussing an area of their research to an interested and largely non-expert audience. The idea was to imagine the presenter is speaking with an interested person at a bus stop, which does happen on occasion to us researchers! Many thanks to Brian Turner, Gertrude Cotter and Martha Phelan for the idea of the Bus Stop Chat, which inspired this SHAPE series.  

The series included talks focussing on societal and health equity considerations in assessing health technologies, cancer treatment costs, inclusion health practice and health promotion with regard to obesity-centred research and practice. This was the first series of Bus Stop Chats hosted within ISS21. The Bus Stop Chats were a highly interactive and engaging series, providing space for conversations amongst attendees through a deliberative discussion after the presentations.  

In total there were four Bus Stop Chats, and our thanks to the four researchers who volunteered to present.  

Dr Brian Turner started the series off in December 2025 with his talk ‘Considering Indirect Costs of Health technology Advancements,’ whereby Brian presented some exploratory research ideas around the potentially indirect costs associated with health technology assessments and economic evaluations that examine costs and effectiveness of new medical technologies.  

Dr Angela Flynn followed up with the next Bus Stop Chat with her talk in January 2026 â€˜Understanding Inclusion Health- why it is everyone’s business.’ Angela is the lead in UCC for the first Inclusion Health Research Group (IHRG), which brings researchers in the university together on embedding and developing praxis in Inclusion Health, as well as policy translation. Angela’s talk was centred on understanding Inclusion Health, and how it seeks to prevent and address the health and social inequalities experienced by groups of people due to poverty, social exclusion and multi-morbidity. Angela’s discussion was thought-provoking in the way we conceptualise health inequities and the need for Inclusion Health for societal benefit.  

Next up was Dr Margaret Steele, whose talk in February 2026 â€˜Obesity and Health Promotion in the Ozempic Era (or What I have learned from talking about my research in real life)’ reflected on health promotion’s focus on the structural determinants of health, and how this focus is not possible in the case of obesity. Margaret argued that if researchers want to convince policymakers and the wider public of the need for changes to food environments and food systems, the best strategy is to focus as little as possible on obesity. Margaret also wove her own personal experience into the presentation and across her research interests, which made for a powerful and evocative presentation.  

Dr Paul Hanly, a relatively new member of UCC staff in the Department of Economics, presented on a stimulating and provocative topic with his talk entitled ‘Lost Lives, Lost Livelihoods: The Hidden Economic Cost of Cancer - How disease silently shapes our economies, workplaces, and families’ in April 2026. Paul also integrated his own personal experience with cancer across his presentation on the often-invisible costs of cancer for societies, families and workplaces. Using global data and economic modelling, Paul’s work estimates how these impacts translate into billions in lost productivity and substantial social costs across countries. The work that Paul is leading on allows us to better understand these hidden costs, which could in turn help inform policies that strengthen cancer prevention, support patients and carers, and protect economic wellbeing. 

In conclusion, the Bus Stop Chat series was an opportunity to both highlight the range of research being led by cluster members across societal, health equity and political economic concerns, and also provide space for conversations and connections. Keep your eyes peeled for future events hosted by the cluster in the next academic year!  

Many thanks to Dr Margaret Scanlon, Ashling O’Sullivan, Professor Maggie O’Neill, Dr Siobhan O’Sullivan and Dr Gema Kloppe-Santamarí²¹ for supporting the work of the cluster.  

Written by Dr Monica O’Mullane, ISS12 SHAPE Cluster Convenor, 8.6.2026

For more on this story contact:

Dr Monica O' Mullane, SHAPE (Society, Health Equity and Political Economy) Research Cluster Convenor. Email: m.omullane@ucc.ie