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The Stroke Prevention and Research Volunteer Advisory Group (SPaRVAG), set up in 2020, has five members who have links to the Stroke Association, are stroke survivors or have lived experience of TIA. The group meets face-to-face three to four monthly with email correspondence in between.

SPaRVAG is led by the Centre for the Prevention of Stroke and Dementia (CPSD) and two members of the CPSD team coordinate meetings and liaise with the group members on behalf of the CPSD Investigators working on various research projects within the department.

The mission for the group is to provide a forum for:

  • communicating experiences of stroke and taking part in research;
  • collaborating with CPSD in identifying potential research topics and questions which reflect the needs and priorities of patients and the public.

For example members of the group have taken part in the James Lind Partnership for priority setting:

a) stroke prevention, diagnosis, pre-hospital and hospital care top 10 priorities 

b) Carotid vascular disease Top 10 priority setting

  • reviewing patient information material and providing feedback for ethics submission, research grant applications and assisting in disseminating results of research.

CPSD also provides training and arranges short presentations by Investigators on current research topics at meetings for the SPaRVAG members to enhance the learning environment.