Hi, we’re PhiZ & Co. founders, Phil and Liz

PhiZ & Co. brings together not just our names but over 35 years of collective experience across research, patient engagement and healthcare communication. We know that people achieve more when they create healthcare together. Which is why we have & Co. – it represents the Communities and Companies we work with, our Consultancy, Collaboration, and Coaching services, and the core values that guide how we work.

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Our Story

Health research and communication work best when they’re shaped by patient’s real-world experience from the start. Yet, across sectors, putting good practice into action isn’t always so easy, especially when time, resource, or in-house expertise are limited. And as new technologies accelerate how our industry works, putting human insight and trusted information at the centre of decisions matters more than ever. It’s what keeps healthcare relevant, ethical and connected to the people it’s meant to serve.

That’s why we founded PhiZ & Co. – to make meaningful patient engagement a natural, achievable part of how healthcare and communication are created, from the earliest stages of an organisation’s journey. By bringing together strategic scientific thinking, a qualitative mindset, and creative engagement expertise, we ensure insights from patients, caregivers, healthcare professionals and partners shape research and communication in ways that are practical, proportionate, and effective.

The result: engagement that feels accessible, communication that feels empowering, and collaboration that feels meaningful, and refreshingly simple. 

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Our Mission

To make meaningful patient engagement something that is accessible and achievable for all, from the start of a medicine’s creation.

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Our Vision

To build a world where lived experience helps shape the future and communication of healthcare, and everyone feels confident playing their part. 

Our Values

People-first principles sit behind every service we deliver, shaping our approach to communication, engagement, and research.

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Community: We unite across sectors and create inclusive spaces where lived experience adds value alongside scientific and clinical expertise.

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Compassion: We put people first, leading with respect, empathy, and care at every step.

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Comprehension: We simplify complexity to enable understanding, informed involvement, and better decision-making across research and healthcare.

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Connection: Our work supports informed, respectful, two-way communication where people feel heard, valued, and able to contribute.

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Consensus: We combine scientific expertise with evidence-based approaches to build meaningful collaborations and trusted, user-centred communication. 

Shaped by patients,
Built for collaboration 

At PhiZ & Co., we are committed to working with patients as partners to drive more inclusive health research and more impactful patient engagement too. We look to work closely with patient champions to shape our services, our strategies and the way our company evolves. An approach we will continue to follow to ensure our processes are accessible to all, and demonstrate the value that lived experience brings.

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About Us

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Co-Founder

Philippa (Phil) Pristerà, PhD

Phil is a strategic healthcare copywriter and patient engagement specialist with a deep commitment to improving research and standards of care through collaboration and user-centred communication. With a love of visual arts, a neuroscience PhD, and nearly two decades working across healthcare research, public engagement, and science communication, she brings a rare blend of scientific rigour, creative thinking and user-centred strategy. She has built and led award-winning programmes that embed patient and public voices into research, from supporting Imperial College’s COVID-19 response to guiding people-first approaches in medical education, clinical trials and healthcare communications.

Awards include BOBI Chair’s Award [Cuttsy&Cuttsy, 2024] and Imperial College London’s President’s Team Award for Societal Engagement [Patient Experience Research Centre, 2022]
Author on six research publications and a co-created resource for HIV professionals
Interest area: finding innovative ways to optimise the impact of research engagement
Key therapy areas: HIV, Pain, Cancer, COVID-19, Hepatitis C
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Co-Founder

Elizabeth (Liz) Walder, PhD

As a medical writer by trade, Liz has always believed passionately in making science and medicine accessible to all and empowering people to make informed decisions about their own healthcare. With a PhD from the University of Edinburgh Medical School, an MSc in Immunology of Infectious Diseases from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, and a BSc in Biology, she’s long been fascinated by the human body and passionate about helping people feel more comfortable about their health choices. During her career, she has led specialist teams dedicated to translating complex scientific information into clear, meaningful content for patients, and has championed the patient voice across organisations through health literacy initiatives and empathy-mapping workshops.

Health Literacy expert and judge at the 2024 International Health Literacy Awards
Published author of seven In Plain English patient guides, and (soon) a children’s book too
Interest area: making every voice count, especially for patients and their families
Key therapy areas: Cancer, Pain, Autoimmune, Cardiovascular

We’d love to hear from you.

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