Co-production workshops to understand how infectious diseases spread during outbreaks

The COMMET (CO-producing Mathematical Models of Epidemics Together) project is about creating better ways to understand and predict how infectious diseases spread during outbreaks.  Outbreaks happen when an infectious disease – like ones caused by viruses or bacteria – spreads much more than usual among people. How an outbreak unfolds doesn’t just depend on the virus or bacteria, it also depends on things like how people live, behave, and what public health actions are taken. During an outbreak, experts use models of how people live and behave to help guide decisions, so it’s important that these models reflect real life and what matters to the people affected.

Mpox (formerly known as monkeypox) is a viral illness that caused a large epidemic in the UK in 2022 and still causes smaller numbers of cases today. It can cause fevers, headaches, nausea, and distinctive lesions that can lead to scarring. COMMET is using mpox as a test case to try out new modelling tools and methods. This helps researchers figure out how to build better models for understanding and predicting how diseases spread.

COMMET is made up a team of researchers from UCL, The University of Manchester and The Love Tank CIC – a non-profit that works to improve the health and wellbeing of underserved communities – as well as collaborators from the communities this project is working with.

You can read more about mpox and find out the latest information about it – including where to get vaccinated against it – on The Love Tank’s website.

Watch our video to find out more:

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Who are we looking for?

COMMET are inviting people from communities that have been most affected by the mpox outbreak in the UK since 2022 to join co-production workshops led by The Love Tank.

Mpox in the UK has mostly affected people who are part of sexual networks of gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (GBMSM) including some trans and gender-nonconforming individuals*. Not all people who are part of these networks are likely to encounter mpox. It is more likely among those who have multiple sexual partners, particularly through experiences like attending sex parties, chillouts, group sex events, sex-on-premises venues, bath houses, saunas, and cruising. We would like to hear from people who are part of GBMSM sexual networks and have experiences like this, who also identify with one of the following groups who tend to be less heard by researchers:

• Queer people from racially minoritised backgrounds
• Trans and gender-nonconforming people
• Sex workers (people – of any gender - who do sex work** with GBMSM)

You might consider yourself part of more than one of these groups, in which case please choose the group you feel most comfortable attending workshops with.

* When using the term ‘Gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men (GBMSM),’ we are inclusive of trans and non-binary individuals.

**We use a broad and inclusive definition of sex work that any form of consensual exchange of sexual services for money, goods, or other benefits.

If you have questions about whether you’re eligible to take part, please don’t hesitate to contact: Sarah Barnes or Benjamin Weil.

What will the project involve?

As part of the project, each of the groups above will attend two half-day workshops in London led by The Love Tank and one shorter, final workshop online.

In the workshops, you’ll be able to talk about your own experiences of the mpox outbreak and share your thoughts on sexual health and public health policies. You do not need to have ever had mpox yourself.

You’ll also take part in activities that help researchers understand the kinds of situations and behaviours they need to think about when building models of how mpox spreads. This includes things like queer sex culture, what influences people’s decision-making around sex and within sex work, and other types of social contact. By sharing your experiences, or the experiences of people like you, you’ll help the COMMET team to create models that better reflect real life. This should lead to public health advice and actions that work better for the people most affected.

Taking part in the workshops will be anonymous, and it is up to you how much information you would like to share. You don’t have to use your real name, and you will also be free to leave the workshops at any time if you decide you no longer want to participate.  

The first of the three workshops for each group of people have been scheduled for:

• Saturday 14 March: Queer people from racially minoritised backgrounds
• Saturday 28 March: Trans and gender-nonconforming people
• Saturday 11 April: Sex workers

The first two workshops will take place in east London. We would welcome participants from outside of London and can cover travel expenses of up to £30 per person. If you are interested in participating and your travel expenses are likely to be more than this, please contact Sarah and we will explore if we are able to cover these.

How can you get involved?

If you would like to take part in this project, please read the participant information sheet then visit our sign-up form which will ask you for:

• Your contact details
• Any accessibility needs you have
• Which of the three workshop groups you would like to participate in

The information you provide in the form will only be used for the purposes of arranging the workshops. We are using a secure platform at UCL to collect expressions of interest for this project, and information you provide will be deleted at the end of the project (December 2026) or sooner if you decide not to get involved or are not selected to participate. For more information about the workshops, please read the participant information sheet linked above.

If we have more responses than spaces in the workshop, participants will be chosen at random.  

The deadline for expressions of interest is 9am, Wednesday 11 March.

What do you get for taking part?

You will be reimbursed £25 per hour for attending***, as well as for travel expenses if the workshop is in-person. This means £275 for attending all three workshops. If needed, we can also support you with other expenses you may have from participating. More information is available in the Co-Production Collective payment policy.  

*** This rate is different to that of the updated Co-Production Collective Payment Policy as it is the rate that was applied for when funding application budgets were submitted

Image by Bruno from Pixabay