EDIS Programme Lead

My passion for social justice and equity of health outcomes was able to align with the science and research technical interests I pursued at university and beyond. I really want us to use science and research to benefit people in a way that leads to equal health outcomes.

A BSc in Molecular genetics followed by a PhD in genetics.

I lead a coalition of science and health research organisations who are committed to equality, diversity and inclusion. I’ll normally be responding to members’ questions, planning special interest meetings and developing strategies and action plans to drive change forward. I try to do a lot of reading and learning to improve my approach and am actively conducting policy and research on funding (although no longer at a lab bench!).

Having a solid understanding of biomedical research lets me meet other researchers in the field at their level to understand how funding policies and beyond affect their work. The genomics content of my education also really helps in understanding how the ideas we have in EDIS could be applied to this work.

The people and the ideas! Every day I learn from others and see passion for the subjects people work in, plus the openness in my area to change our minds and opinions based on new evidence. It’s exciting!

Not always seeing immediate impact – improving health outcomes through research takes time so I probably won’t see much of the improvements based on the work I’ve contributed to for at least a decade.

To move from STEM research into equalities work around it you need to have an open mind, continuously learn and hold onto the small wins – plus be hugely collaborative, this isn’t about individual genius or prestige.