As a research Hub lead, I support the work of the EMRI  project fully because I recognise that research informs policy and policy when translated to programmes and projects affects the lives of people including mine. Now health research is as relevant if not even more important as socio-economic and political research. When health research is fully translated, it trickles down to the lives of everyone, even the policy makers. It is for this reason that as a Black and Minority Ethnic woman, I support health research wholeheartedly as long as it is unharmful to both the researcher and the participant. 

I pride myself in my work as a research hub lead and I have built upon my experiences carrying out social research in my education and also as a community development worker both here and in Africa. 

I have often been astonished at how much research participation in itself changes opinions and educates both the researcher and the participants and how when followed through can often lead to the best people friendly policies ever. 

I am optimistic that people of Ethnic Minorities would hasten to this opportunity by taking part in research and thus improve their own personal health outcomes and those of their families and communities. 

My name is Louis Palmer, I work as a Clinical Studies Officer in the Grounded Research Team at Rotherham Doncaster and South Humber NHS Foundation Trust and I am also one of the CRN Ethnic Minority Research Inclusion (EMRI) Hub leads covering the South Yorkshire area.

I was the Ground Breaking Researcher of the Year at the National BAME Health and Care Awards 2021. 

My background is in Neuroscience, but I have a keen interest in promoting health equality. Inequalities have always been present in health and other areas for people from backgrounds like mine and I think this has been highlighted by the COVID-19 pandemic which has affected many people in my community. I also understand the importance of research in beating COVID-19.  Research has helped to provide us with vaccines which have been effective in protecting people against COVID, but there are still many questions left unanswered. Research hasn’t had the greatest past with people from my community. We are under-represented in research but overrepresented in many different health conditions and I would like to help change that. 

I work as a Clinical Studies Officer with the Research and Development Department at Leeds and York Partnership NHS Trust (LYPFT). I am also the Vice Chair of the Workforce Race Equality Network Group at LYPFT.

I have a wealth of research delivery and development experience having worked in various NHS settings during my career. I work to promote increased awareness in understanding, communicating and interacting with people from across cultures to promote and inclusion and engagement in health care and research. I have also worked with ethnic minority communities and organisations to raise awareness of the importance of participating in research.

I am committed to promoting inclusivity that will lead to improved patient engagement and outcomes.