Connecting NTU students with inclusive research during Black History Month | Latest news

Researchers from Nottingham University Hospitals (NUH) are taking a programme designed to strengthen inclusive research directly to Black students and staff at Nottingham Trent University (NTU) this October.

During Black History Month, the NUH Mobile Research Unit will be at NTU’s Clifton Campus for the first time, with an invitation for Black students and staff – part of communities which have previously been poorly served by researchers – to take part in the Improving Black Health Outcomes (IBHO) BioResource, a national research programme run by the NIHR BioResource.

Students are a valued part of Nottingham’s community and comprise approximately one fifth of the city’s overall population, across both Nottingham Trent University and the University of Nottingham.

Kebba Konteh, Senior Clinical Research Officer within the Community Research Team, and one of the NUH team who will be at NTU Clifton Campus, said: “This year, the theme of Black History Month is about serving communities so we felt it was a great opportunity to speak directly to Black members of the student community and encourage them to be part of a research programme that makes a real difference.

“The IBHO programme is a significant step forward, but for far too long, research has focused too heavily on people of white European descent.

“This programme is a dedicated research resource which will enable vital research studies to help us better understand the health experiences of people from Black communities.

“By reaching out to students we are encouraging people to begin getting involved in research fairly early in their lives, and to spread the word about the benefits of scientific discovery around their peers.”

He added: “When better than Black History Month to be taking a study focused around improving inclusivity to one of the larger university campuses in Nottingham, during one of the busiest periods in the university term?”

To make it easier for students – some of whom will be just starting their university careers – to take part in IBHO, the Research and Innovation team will be taking the mobile research unit directly onto NTU Clifton Campus, where it will be parked outside the Rosalind Franklin building from Monday, 12 October until Wednesday, 14 October.

The mobile unit - which is staffed by trained clinical research staff and has an onboard laboratory and other facilities - makes it easier and more convenient for people from various communities to take part in clinical research on their doorstep.

Professor Guru Aithal, Principal Investigator for the IBHO BioResource in Nottingham, said he was pleased to see further steps being taken to improve access to research – but more needed to be done.

He said: “Black communities have been significantly underrepresented in genetic studies, and this factor limits scientific understanding of how certain health conditions develop and affect these populations.

“The event at NTU Clifton Campus is the latest chapter in the work our community research team is doing to promote the IBHO BioResource directly will increase representation, which ensures more accurate study data and the development of better disease prevention strategies. Crucially, it also allows for fair access to research and healthcare for everyone.

“Most existing research is based on people of European ancestry. That means treatments and diagnostic tools may not work as effectively for people of African or Caribbean heritage – for me and many others, addressing this imbalance is a real priority.”

Professor John Hunt, professor and research Theme Lead at Nottingham Trent University, who is also deputy director of the NIHR Clinical Research Facility: Nottingham, said it is “very important to provide opportunities to the underrepresented communities”.

He added: “Bringing the event to campus is a wonderful chance to learn about the gaps in our knowledge that we are trying to fill without having to take too much time out of students’ and staff members’ days.

“As part of continuing our work with NUH aiming to improve the nation’s health and wellbeing, we are excited to host this involvement and research activity on the NTU Clifton campus outside the Rosalind Franklin Building and the Medical Technologies Innovation Facility (MTIF).

“Please share what you learn and do with your family and friends concerning the IBHO study, so we can reach and involve as many people as possible.”