Projects

Our main themes cover health promotion and its adaptation for multi-ethnic, diverse populations. Recent and current studies include issues around alcohol, asthma, diet and exercise, diabetes and osteomalacia (vitamin D deficiency).

We are the leading national centre for research into sight loss and related services in respect of ethnicity and equality/diversity concerns. We have also worked with the EU Fundamental Rights Agency on international issues around multiple discrimination and with the Institute of Migration on issues surrounding migrant health. We also undertake collaborative research with community-based and national charities such as the Afiya Trust (http://www.afiya-trust.org/),theNational Black Carers and Carer Workers Network and Leicester CLAHRC. We have also undertaken research in the area of ethnicity, religion, infertility, and assisted conception, and Endometriosis and Cultural Diversity, studies into which have been funded by the ESRC, NIHR and the Department of Health.

Current and recent projects:

  • Conceptualization of Dementia in Black Asian and Minority Ethnic communities ( 2015 to 2018) Prof. Raghu Raghavan and Naina Patel ( Funded by East NIHR Midlands Collaboration for Leadership in Applied Health Research and Care)

  • Development of a tool kit to improve Recruitment of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic communities to research studies (2015 to 2016). Working with Leicester City Clinical Commissioning Group, East Midlands Academic Health Sciences Network (EMAHSN) and NIHR Clinical Research Network East Midlands ( Prof. Raghu Raghavan, Professor Azhar Farooqi and Dr. Karan Jutlla)

  • Perception of eating and eating disorders in South Asian Community (2015-2016) funded by Leicester Partnership Trust (Prof. Raghavan, Jackie Wales)

  • Black and Minority Ethnic Men Who Have Sex With Men Sexual Health and Wellbeing Project Evaluation (2014-16) (PI: Prof Jaspal, funded by Public Health England)

  • 1000 Women Mental and Sexual Health Project (2015-2016) (PI: Prof Jaspal, funded by NAZ: Sexual Health for Everyone)

  • Black and Minority Ethnic MSM Sexual Health Project (2015-2016) (PI: Prof Jaspal)

  • Sauna Clinic Certification Pilot and Online Assessment Tool Evaluation (2016-2017) (PI: Prof Jaspal, funded by Public Health England)

  • 2014-15 Evaluation of the Public Health England, Pilot Interventions and learning sets for Black and Minority Ethnic men who have sex with men.

  • 2014-15 Hope Against Cancer, Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland charity. Funded the project: Improving the cancer journey for LGBT people with cancer.

  • 2012. ESRC Knowledge Exchange Project RES-192-22-0111 Developing professional knowledge about breast cancer in lesbian and bisexual women. Working with Breast Cancer Care and Macmillan; the Metro Centre, London, Kairos in Soho; the South West Strategic Health Authority; academics specialising in cancer; and service users and carers.


Previous significant contracts include:

  • 2012/14 (EU) Ageing and Older people with intellectual disabilities: Developing training modules for staff on ageing and intellectual disabilities (AGID)

  • Free online training programme available AGID Project EU

  • 2010/11 FRAHIN - Fundamental Rights Agency (EU)

  • An investigation into multiple inequalities in health across Europe arising from or linked to fundamental rights such as freedom from discrimination on the grounds of gender, race, age and disability.

  • The Mary Seacole Research Centre has provided expertise and support for the qualitative aspects of a study looking into the needs of people from minority ethnic groups caring for someone who is living with the after-effects of a stroke.

  • Professor Johnson of the Mary Seacole Research Centre collaborated with an interdisciplinary team at Warwick University to run a series of innovative workshops.

  • 2010 STROCARE - Leicester University Hospitals and University of Leicester CLAHRC

  • 2010 Workshop series on Food, Oral Health and Social Interaction – Institute for Advanced Studies, Incubation Fund, Warwick University

  • 2010 ASTHMAS – Asthma UK The Mary Seacole Research Centre undertook a systematic review of the barriers and facilitators to achieving asthma control in children from ethnic minority groups.

  • 2010 MIA – NIHR Health Services Research Programme

The use of a collaborative structured methodology for the development of a multifaceted intervention programme for the management of asthma, tailored to the needs of children and families of South Asian origin.

  • 2010 Vision5 – RNIB The Mary Seacole Research Centre has compiled a report on the potential and evaluated findings of interventions to improve sight and prevent blindness among marginalised groups including ethnic minority, poor, and older people to support a 5-centre, UK wide programme of investment in community projects supported by the Royal Institute of Blind People.

  • 2010 Vision4 – Action for Blind People The Mary Seacole Research Centre has worked alongside Action for Blind People in Loughborough to support their programme of developments to enhance relationships between sight-loss agencies and minority ethnic groups in the East Midlands and to help them to reduce the problems of sight loss in the minority population.

  • 2010/11 FRAHIN - Fundamental Rights Agency (EU) An investigation into multiple inequalities in health across Europe arising from or linked to fundamental rights such as freedom from discrimination on the grounds of gender, race, age and disability.

  • 2010 STROCARE - Leicester University Hospitals and University of Leicester CLAHRC The Mary Seacole Research Centre has provided expertise and support for the qualitative aspects of a study looking into the needs of people from minority ethnic groups caring for someone who is living with the after-effects of a stroke.

  • 2010 Workshop series on Food, Oral Health and Social Interaction – Institute for Advanced Studies, Incubation Fund, Warwick University Professor Johnson of the Mary Seacole Research Centre collaborated with an interdisciplinary team at Warwick University to run a series of innovative workshops.

  • 2010 ASTHMAS – Asthma UK The Mary Seacole Research Centre undertook a systematic review of the barriers and facilitators to achieving asthma control in children from ethnic minority groups.

  • 2010 MIA – NIHR Health Services Research Programme The use of a collaborative structured methodology for the development of a multifaceted intervention programme for the management of asthma, tailored to the needs of children and families of South Asian origin.

  • 2010 Vision5 – RNIB The Mary Seacole Research Centre has compiled a report on the potential and evaluated findings of interventions to improve sight and prevent blindness among marginalised groups including ethnic minority, poor, and older people to support a 5-centre, UK wide programme of investment in community projects supported by the Royal Institute of Blind People.

  • 2010 Vision4 – Action for Blind People The Mary Seacole Research Centre has worked alongside Action for Blind People in Loughborough to support their programme of developments to enhance relationships between sight-loss agencies and minority ethnic groups in the East Midlands and to help them to reduce the problems of sight loss in the minority population.