Celebrating the Past, Transforming the Future

Keynote Speaker 

Dr Katey Warran 

Dr Katey Warran is Head of the PATHS (Public Health, Arts, Theory, Sociology) Research Group, based in the School of Health in Social Science at the University of Edinburgh, and the recipient of a Leverhulme-funded fellowship exploring how to co-construct a Sociology of Arts and Health. She is also Honorary Fellow in the Social Biobehavioural Research Group at University College London, where she was previously Deputy Director of the World Health Organization (WHO) Collaborating Centre for Arts and Health, and Global Healing Arts Advisor for the Jameel Arts & Health Lab. Katey’s research explores the complex relationship between the arts and health, and she is currently co-authoring a book with Professor Norma Daykin on the Sociology of Arts and Health (Routledge, forthcoming).

Katey sits on a range of committees (e.g., Vice Chair for Arts Culture Health and Wellbeing Scotland (ACHWS), Scottish Ballet Research Committee, Tonic Arts Advisory at NHS Lothian Charity), has worked on a range of policy activities and outputs (e.g., for the DCMS, Arts Council England, Scottish Government), and is Co-Director of the Arts Play Health Community. She has designed and collaborated on a diverse range of innovative research projects, including receiving funding from UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC), Royal Society of Edinburgh, Medical Research Council, and the British Academy. Her PhD, funded by the AHRC, was a partnership of the University of Edinburgh, Queen Margaret University, and the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society.

Speakers

Dr Sanna Rimpiläinen

Dr Sanna Rimpiläinen, Head of Research and Skills at the Digital Health and Care Innovation Centre (DHI) in Glasgow, leads on one of DHI’s key strategic areas, the Skills and Future Workforce Development agenda. This work stimulates a future pipeline of talent to support the digital transformation of health and care services in Scotland through collaboration with key stakeholders in academia, industry, and the civic sectors. With over 25 years of experience in research, she manages the DHI’s Research and Knowledge Management team, who provide an internal research service to inform DHI’s work and administer the Scottish digital health and care master’s funding. Sanna is a member of several national boards and advisory, steering and reference groups related to workforce development and skills.
Sanna has a PhD in Education. Her work focuses on the softer side of digital innovation.

Sofia Khan 

Sofia is a QMU graduate and a Lay Member of the Court for Queen Margaret University. She has operated in a variety of roles within the further and higher education space, from Lecturer at Glasgow Clyde College, Widening Participation Tutor at the University of Glasgow and Access and Participation Coordinator at Strathclyde Student Union. She has been awarded the Herald Higher Education Award, NUS Scotland Education Award and Strathclyde Medal for her work developing projects to improve widening access and participation in higher education. In her current position as Scholarship Development Officer at The Robertson Trust, Sofia works with a small team to research and develop financial and non-financial support packages for undergraduate students from non-traditional background, with the aim of reducing poverty and poverty related trauma through the tool of tertiary education. 
 
In her presentation, Sofia will present insights into barriers affecting mature learners accessing higher education and offer recommendations universities and others can implement to make degree level study more accessible for this cohort.

MD Rezaur Rahman

MD Rezaur Rahman, known as MD, originally from Bangladesh, has called Scotland home since 2009. He considers himself a Global Citizen dedicated to building an inclusive society where future generations have equitable access to resources, well-being, and opportunities.
 
MD completed his master’s degree in 2022 and is currently a PhD candidate at Queen Margaret University in Edinburgh. His research, funded by Police Scotland, examines the impact of social mixing activities on fostering connectedness and social cohesion among diverse ethnic groups in West Lothian, Scotland. 
 
With a strong commitment to community engagement and policy impact, MD currently serves as a Community Relationship Specialist with Police Scotland, working to strengthen trust and collaboration between the police and minoritised communities through meaningful partnerships and service improvements.

Details of further speakers to be confirmed, please check back here for updates.

Celebrating the Past, Transforming the Future

Thursday, 19th June 2025 

Your preferred session must be booked in advance via Eventbrite 

Live and Culture - Room 3105 

Living, Health and Wellbeing - Room 3106

Live and Education - Room 3091 

Workshops I & II - Room 3162

Workshops II & III - Room 3163 & 2156

Workshop IV and V  - Room 3164

Workshop VI and VII - Room 3165

Workshop VIII - Room 3091

Your preferred session must be booked in advance via Eventbrite 

Creative space I - Room 3162 

Creative space II - Room 3163 

Creative Space III - Room 3164

Creative Space IV - Room 3165 

Creative Space V -  Outdoor Space 

We invite research students and staff to capture an element of their research in a single A3 image

Interestingly, Succinctly, Meaningfully, Beautifully

and to explain / express how your image is relevant to your research in up to 150 words (including an image title if you wish).

Your entry could convey a concept, some data, your methods, a result.

It could express the rationale for your work, or its impact.

A group of staff and doctoral students will curate the entries, aiming to display as many as possible at the QMU150 Conference (19 June 2025). We expect to have some prizes for particularly impressive entries!

Submit your entries by Friday 30 May to RKE_competition@qmu.ac.uk