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On 13 February 2026, Health Research from Home welcomed researchers, industry leaders, policymakers, technology innovators and public contributors to Google HQ, London for our annual HRfH Connect event.<\/p>\n
The day showcased the latest developments in health research using smartphones and wearables, while creating opportunities for collaboration across academia, industry, and the public.<\/p>\n
A particular highlight was hearing from public contributors Margaret Parkinson<\/strong> and Leila Hamrang<\/strong>, who shared powerful reflections on living with long-term health conditions and their experiences of working alongside researchers to shape health research. Their contributions highlighted the importance of involving patients and the public throughout the research process, ensuring research remains relevant, accessible and centred on the people it aims to benefit.<\/p>\n Delegates also heard from internationally recognised experts, including Josh Denny<\/strong>, CEO of the NIH All of Us Research Program, and Fiona Bull<\/strong> from the World Health Organization, who explored how large-scale wearable datasets and digital technologies are transforming population health research. Will Warburton<\/strong>, Director of Life Sciences Policy at NHS England, provided an update on the NHS 10 Year Plan and the growing role of digital innovation in healthcare and research.<\/p>\n The programme featured a technology showcase with speakers from Google<\/strong>, Cambridge Cognition<\/strong> and the University of Glasgow<\/strong>, highlighting emerging approaches to health sensing, digital biomarkers and smartphone-enabled research.<\/p>\n Interactive networking sessions, including the popular Invisible Posters session, gave delegates the opportunity to make new connections and share ideas across sectors.<\/p>\n The Ken Rothman Award Research Showcase<\/strong> provided a platform for researchers to present innovative projects using smartphones and wearable technologies in health research. The session highlighted the breadth of activity taking place across the field and sparked lively discussion about future opportunities, collaborations and real-world applications of digital health research.<\/p>\n HRfH Connect 2026 demonstrated the strength of the Health Research from Home community and the growing potential of smartphones and wearables to make health research more accessible, inclusive and impactful. We would like to thank all our speakers, delegates, public contributors and partners for helping make the event such a success.<\/p>\nHighlights gallery<\/h2>\n\n\t\t