Behaviour to Breakthroughs

My research looks at why some people with chronic conditions especially heart disease don’t take the flu vaccine despite higher risks. I explore the barriers they face and work with patients and clinicians to develop practical ways to improve vaccine uptake and better protect vulnerable groups.

I reflect on the usefulness of art-based methods in public health research through recounting my experience from the roundtable that I organised along with my community partner to explore which ethnic minority communities in UK still use their traditional medicine and what role it plays in their daily and community lives. We also wanted to explore if and how colonial history has impacted these communities’ understanding of and relationship with their health knowledge traditions. We used active doodling to allow participants to express themselves to facilitate the discussion and engaged a community artist.

Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) is a complex genetic condition that affects about 1 in 3,000 people. It causes tumours, called neurofibromas, to grow along nerves. These tumours develop because of a fault in the NF1 gene. This gene normally helps control how cells grow, but when it isn’t working properly, cells can grow too much. NF1 can also cause skin changes, bone problems, and heart-related issues. As of now, no effective therapy is available for most patients. The primary focus of my research is to develop new and effective treatments for NF1 associated tumours.