Glasgow Changing Futures

The annual People & Excellence Awards celebrate people and projects across knowledge exchange, impact, and innovation. Successful projects are recognised during the ceremony, which showcases the breadth and depth of activity that transforms research into meaningful societal, economic, and community impacts across the University of Glasgow. 

Submitted nominations were judged in seven categories, including the Glasgow Changing Futures category, which invites projects embodying the GCF ethos. The award in this category recognises collaborative teams (cross-disciplinary and cross-sectoral) that have made meaningful contributions with impact in areas of sustainability and net zero, societal and health inequalities, or other global and societal challenges.

Shortlisted projects

Pathways of Hope

Pathways of Hope is a public information comic created through a partnership between the University of Glasgow, Humanising Healthcare, and people in the recovery community. Launched in September 2025, it shares honest, real stories about drug and alcohol dependence and recovery. 

The comic grew out of Conversation Cafés — small, informal discussions where medical students meet and talk with people who have lived experience of addiction. These cafés, run by Humanising Healthcare in four Scottish medical schools, offer students an opportunity to hear directly from people in recovery in a way they normally wouldn’t during their training. 

During these sessions, researcher and artist Nic Dickson created visual notes that became the backbone of the comic. GP academics helped shape the story, and further workshops with people in recovery, students, and clinicians ensured the final comic felt authentic and respectful. Humanising Healthcare guided the whole process so the comic reflected both real-life experiences and real-life healthcare. 

Strategies and tools to improve effective control of African animal trypanosomosis

African animal trypanosomosis (AAT) is a serious disease affecting cattle across sub‑Saharan Africa, harming farming and food security. Farmers rely heavily on medicines called trypanocides, which are outdated, often fail, or are counterfeited. Research conducted in Tanzania found that counterfeit products, incorrect drug use, and growing drug resistance prevent these treatments from working. 

To address these issues, the team developed better ways to use existing medicines and new tools to spot fake or substandard trypanocides. They have helped livestock keepers learn how to use treatments safely and effectively by holding training workshops. At the policy level, their findings have influenced national strategies in Tanzania and supported One Health planning in Malawi. 

Internationally, the research has informed new global guidelines for AAT, coordinated by the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organisation. 

The team brought together stakeholders from across sectors at a major workshop in Tanzania in 2023, with another planned for 2026. This work helps ensure trypanocide drugs are used responsibly, sustainably, and with maximum benefit for farmers and animal health. 

Talking about cancer screening

People with learning disabilities in the UK are less likely to attend bowel, breast, and cervical cancer screening and are more likely to die from these cancers than the general population. To help address this inequality, researchers from the Scottish Learning Disabilities Observatory and the Cancer Behaviour Research Group developed a communications tool to support people with learning disabilities to discuss cancer screening with health professionals in a healthcare setting. Working with Talking Mats — a social enterprise that creates visual communication tools — they adapted existing “cancer screening” talking mats to help people with learning disabilities discuss screening options more easily with healthcare staff. 

The project involved close collaboration with NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde and with people who have learning disabilities. Together, the team co-designed and refined the talking mats so the tools were clear, accessible, and relevant. 

The findings show that these talking mats have strong potential to make conversations about cancer screening more inclusive, supporting people with learning disabilities to make informed decisions and take part in screening programmes. 

Why the GCF category matters 

The shortlisted projects this year reflect the GCF ethos: they embrace co-production, champion marginalised voices, and deliver interventions shaped with and for the people they aim to support. They’re a realisation of the University of Glasgow’s ambition to be the university for the world — drawing strength from our global community to drive positive change for the people, societies, and cities we serve. 

 

 

 

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First published: 31 March 2026