Professor Shenaz Ahmed
- Position: Professor of Global Health
- Areas of expertise: Global health research; psychosocial aspects of prenatal/genetic testing; health inequalities; decision support interventions; qualitative research; Q-methodology; student success; race equality.
- Email: S.Ahmed@leeds.ac.uk
- Phone: +44(0)113 343 2441
- Location: Room 10.90B, Level 10 Worsley Building
Profile
Shenaz Ahmed is a Professor of Global Health at the University of Leeds, in the School of Medicine.
Her applied health research focuses on the psychological, social, and ethical aspects of prenatal and genetic testing; health inequalities relating to ethnicity and access; and the development of interventions to support equitable healthcare decision-making. She has a particular interest in how structural and cultural factors shape experiences and outcomes for racially minoritised and underserved communities. Click here to see her work on βeta-thalassaemia major in Pakistan.
Shenaz holds leadership roles focused on embedding equity, inclusion, and student success. As Faculty Student Success Academic Lead, she leads the strategic implementation of the University’s Access and Student Success Strategy across the Faculty of Medicine and Health. She leads anti-racism work within the School of Medicine and supports the development of inclusive learning environments. As Academic Lead for Inclusion and Belonging in the Leeds Institute of Medical Education, she works to strengthen staff experience and culture. She is also a member of the UK Medical Schools Council EDI Alliance Executive Board, contributing to national policy and strategic direction in medical education equity. Her leadership is shaped by her background in social science and a commitment to values-led, evidence-informed change, with a focus on driving structural transformation and creating more inclusive cultures within higher education.
Responsibilities
- Faculty Student Success Academic Lead
- School of Medicine Academic Lead for the BMA Charter on Racial Harassment
- MBChB, Head of Year 1 (undergraduate medical degree)
Qualifications
- PhD – University of Leeds (2001)
- BSc Psychology (Hons, first class) – University of Leeds (1998)
Professional memberships
- Fellow of the Higher Education Academy
- UK Medical Schools Council EDI Alliance Executive Board member
Student education
Shenaz is the MBChB (undergraduate medical degree) Head of Year 1.
She has co-led the ENQUIRE Year 1 module, an Integrated Core Unit on the MBChB, led the ‘Promoting Health’ and ‘Culture, Ethnicity and Diversity’ modules on the Master in Public Health programme, and led the ‘Applied Qualitative Health Research’ module on the Health Research Postgraduate Certificate programme.
Research groups and institutes
- Psychological and Social Medicine
- Health services research