Our Mission & Values

At Trans+ Health Research UK, our mission is to co-create meaningful, publishable health research that centres trans+ lives, challenges inequality, and drives change in how care is designed and delivered.

We believe that evidence grounded in lived experience is essential to building a healthcare system that is inclusive, accountable, and transformative. Through collaboration with trans+ communities, researchers, and healthcare professionals, we are working to shape research that reflects the experiences of trans+ people, healthcare specialists and allies - and creates space for healing, advocacy, and justice.

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🏳️‍⚧️ Community-Informed

We build research informed by the needs, experiences, and insights of trans+ people. Community input isn’t an afterthought - it’s a foundation.

🧪 Transformative Research in Action

Inspired by Donna Mertens’ Transformative Paradigm, we see research as a tool for justice, equity, and systemic change. We ask critical questions: Who decides? Who benefits? Who is heard — and who isn’t?

🤝 Partnership Over Power

We work in collaboration, not hierarchy. Trans+ people, researchers, and healthcare professionals all bring essential perspectives. Power is shared, not assumed.

🔍 Transparency and Trust

We are open about how decisions are made, how research is conducted, and how findings are used. Trust is earned through honesty - and sustained through accountability.

🎓 Community Wellbeing & Safety

We have a Safeguarding & Ethics Policy to ensure our studies are respectful, trauma-informed and conscious of potential emotional triggers. Harm-reduction. strategies will be embedded in all studies and activies.

🌈 Affirming and Accessible

We create spaces where trans+ people feel seen, respected, and safe. Accessibility matters in every form - emotional, cultural, linguistic, and structural.

Our Story

Trans+ Health Research U.K. C.I.C. was established in response to a growing demand for ethical, inclusive research that centres the lived experiences of transgender and non-binary people.

In April 2025, our co-founder, Lilly-Emma, led a project that was built with and for the trans+ community. Over 420 trans+ adults took part — 51% trans-masculine, 49% trans-feminine — making it one of the most representative studies of its kind.

But the real story wasn’t just in the numbers — it was in the response. Nearly 75% of participants said they wanted to be involved in future research. That wasn’t just interest. It was a message: we want to be part of shaping what comes next.

This was a turning point. It showed what becomes possible when research is grounded in trust, care, and lived experience. It confirmed what so many already knew: community should never be an afterthought in research — it should be the foundation.

Our organisation was created to meet that need. We are committed to co-producing research that not only highlights health inequalities, but also contributes to lasting, systemic change in how care is delivered. We believe that when trans+ people help shape the questions, the answers become stronger, fairer, and more impactful.

Meet the Team

Lilly-Emma Thynne (she/her)

Founder & Director

Lilly-Emma founded Trans+ Health Research U.K. and oversees the day-to-day running of the organisation. With a background in education and a passion for community-led research, she is committed to reshaping the way trans+ people are represented in healthcare evidence.

She holds a BA (Hons) in Politics from Lancaster University and a PGCE in Geography from Brighton University. After five years working as a teacher — including roles as Deputy Safeguarding Lead and Lead for Technology in Teaching & Learning — she returned to Lancaster University to pursue a Clinical Research MSc, and will begin her PhD in Medicine in October 2025.

In April 2025, Lilly-Emma led a highly representative study involving over 420 trans+ adults in England that inspired the creation of this CIC. She also currently serves as the Co-Lead (Coordinator) of the Gender Incongruence in Adults (non-surgical) Priority Setting Project, which she proposed in 2024.

Lilly-Emma was the LGBTQ+ Officer for Lancaster University Students’ Union (2024–25) and brings her lived experience as an autistic, queer, and trans person to every part of her work.

When not immersed in research, she enjoys exploring the outdoors, wildlife photography, and building with LEGO - she even founded the Lancaster University LEGO Society in 2016.

Board of Directors

Dr Dean Connolly (they/them)

Ellen Hill (she/her)

Luka White (they/them)

Michael Arhin-Acquah (he/him)

Governance & Ethics

Trans+ Health Research UK is a Community Interest Company (CIC) without share capital, registered with Companies House (No. 16528350). We exist not for profit, but for public good - ensuring that our work is always rooted in community needs and impact.

We are governed by a Board of Directors who bring a diverse range of experience across healthcare settings, academia, and community-led research. Their role is to guide the strategic direction of the organisation, uphold our values, and ensure transparency in everything we do.

All of our research is carried out in accordance with our Safeguarding and Ethics Policies, which are designed to protect participants, researchers, and the wider community. As part of our commitment to safe and inclusive practice:

At least one Director holds Level 3 safeguarding training
At least one Director has Level 2 mental health training
We embed ethical reflection into every stage of our research process, from idea generation to dissemination

We are committed to building trust — not just in the quality of our research, but in the way we conduct it.

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