Dr Caroline Mitchell 

Co-lead of DERA-YH

Senior clinical lecturer at the University of Sheffield and General practitioner

Dr Mitchell leads a research group ' Primary Care of Under-served populations' which develops and tests healthcare interventions for people living in the most socioeconomically deprived communities, from ethnic minority populations or people with complex needs. 

A key focus of this work is to address inequalities in research participation, working since 2016 with the 'Deep End’ Sheffield Cluster Research Network, the Deep End PPI group , their practitioners, and community groups.

Using a participatory approach, across a range of study designs, we bring researchers, patients/ public  from diverse backgrounds and clinicians together to co-produce research and widen participation of underserved groups in research.

Dr Kate Fryer 

Co-Lead and project manager DERA 

Dr Kate Fryer has more than 20 years of qualitative health research experience, and has focused on working with marginalised populations. She currently co-leads the Inclusive Research Workstream within the Academic Unit for Primary Care, working in collaboration with the Deep End Clinical Research Network. She co-chairs the Ethnic Minorities Research Inclusion meetings, and speaks nationally about inclusivity in research. 

Dr Habiba Aminu 

DERA Research Assistant

Habiba previously worked as a nurse and midwife and is passionate about patient safety and better access and outcomes for everyone. In addition to patient safety research, she has worked on a number of research projects aimed at improving equality, diversity, and inclusion of underserved populations as covered in the UK Equality Act 2010. 

Habiba is managing the DERA's most recent research project that will create links with Roma and Chinese communities and give some of it's members the opportunity to become local researchers. 

Dr Qizhi Huang 

NIHR Clinical Lecturer and General practitioner

Dr Qizhi Huang is passionate about equality, diversity and inclusion in research and clinical practice. She is currently working on prostate cancer, in particular, working with black men who are disproportionately affected by the condition more than men of other races. 

Qizhi also has close links to the Chinese communities in Sheffield and often gives health talks in the communities.

Dr Shamanthi Jayasooriya

NIHR Clinical Lecturer and General practitioner

Shami's research interest centres around non-communicable chronic lung disease focused at both a local level through the Deep End Practice Clinical Research network (nine general practices in Sheffield serving the poorest communities) and at a global level through research into non-communicable chronic lung disease in low- middle- income countries, mainly in sub-Saharan Africa. 

Shami has advocacy roles at both a national (British Thoracic Society Global Lung Health Group) and international level (The Union, Adult and Child Lung Health Section working group on Chronic Respiratory Problems) related to non-communicable chronic lung disease. This group involvement has allowed her to develop rich networks of peers and focus on approaches to influencing health promotion, reporting and dissemination of research and best practice in relation to non-communicable chronic lung disease.

Dr Rebecca Mawson

NIHR Clinical Lecturer and General practitioner

Rebecca's special area of interest is around addressing inequalities in sexual and reproductive health provision in primary care. Her MD focused on barriers to access of sexual and reproductive health in general practice with a focus on deprived communities.  

Rebecca's current research project involves developing community researchers who will lead focus groups with women from ethnic minority groups on their experience and access to contraception services.

Dr Josie Reynolds

Academic GP & DERA Research Fellow

Dr Josie Reynolds recently completed her NIHR Academic Clinical Fellowship in general practice and now works in a Deep End practice in Sheffield (Darnall) and as a DERA research fellow. Her work focuses on racial equity in health and producing community driven solutions to structural racism within healthcare. 

Josie's has worked with public health research teams in Jamaica giving her valuable insight into Caribbean culture and advocating for underserved populations. Of particular relevance was her work as a research assistant on studies exploring dementia care in the Caribbean and the intersection of mental health and faith in Caribbean communities.  

She is currently principal investigator of PMIMS a co-produced study exploring dementia & ethnicity with communities of colour, seeking to improve access and uptake of dementia services. 

Josie is an experienced facilitator of PPIE events and has been involved in the development of the Deep End Research Alliance Yorkshire & Humber. She works in mixed-methods using participatory research principles. 

Dr Emma Linton 

GP Registrar and Academic Clinical Fellow

Dr Emma Linton is passionate about inclusivity and using research to make services better for everybody. She has previously done work in frailty, pre-pregnancy health and access to contraception. She is currently doing work exploring attitudes towards reproductive health amongst women from ethnic minorities.

Johanna White 

Research nurse

Johanna qualified as a Nurse in 2008 and began her career working in Critical Care, moving into Practice Nursing in 2013. 

Working in Primary Care across Sheffield and NE Derbyshire, sparked her interest in public health and tackling health inequalities. She began working as a Research Nurse with the Deep End Research Cluster in 2021, supporting GP surgeries, working with the Deep End PPI group and setting up a Community of Practice for Research in Primary Care, to offer peer support to Primary Care clinicians with an interest in research.

Johanna has also worked with community members at SACMHA (Sheffield African & Caribbean Mental Health Association) to set up '1in4: Sheffield Prostate Cancer Support group for black men' which is the first of it's kind in South Yorkshire.