Professor Shenaz Ahmed

Profile

I am a Professor of Global Health at the Leeds Institute of Health Sciences.

I have expertise in global health research, particularly in low-middle income countries. My research interests are in the psychological, social and ethical aspects of prenatal and genetic testing; ethnicity and health, and the development of interventions to support healthcare decision-making.  Click here for my work on βeta-thalassaemia major in Pakistan.

As the School of Medicine Academic Lead for the BMA Charter on Racial Harassment, much of my work focuses on anti-racism to make a positive difference to our staff and students’ working and learning environment – see BMA Charter Sway.

Responsibilities

• School of Medicine Lead for the BMA Charter on Racial Harassment
• MBChB, Joint Head of Year 1

Research interests

My research interests are in understanding the psychological, social and ethical aspects of prenatal and genetic testing.  My research focuses on facilitating autonomous decision-making, particularly in diverse cultural groups and settings, and mainly in low-middle income countries. My research includes exploration of attitudes towards prenatal and genetic testing, and termination of pregnancy for various conditions; experiences of genetic conditions/disability (thalassaemia, cystic fibrosis, Down syndrome); the role of religious, cultural and social influences; the development of interventions; and training and educational materials to support decision-making.  I currently lead an international collaborative research network on the psychosocial aspect of genomic technologies (Hong Kong, China and Pakistan).

I use various research methods and have expertise in global health research, and qualitative methods using interviews, focus groups and Q-methodology.

My current research includes the development of an intervention to support relatives of children with Beta-thalassemia major in Pakistan to make informed decision about cascade screening (GtR (ukri.org)).  This research includes collaborators from the Punjab Thalassaemia Prevention Project (https://ptpp.punjab.gov.pk) and the Thalassaemia Society of Pakistan (http://thalassaemia.org.pk).  I also hold an Honorary Associate Professor research position at Fatima Jinnah Medical University, Lahore, Pakistan. (http://www.fjmu.edu.pk).

Qualifications

• PhD – University of Leeds (2001)
• BSc Psychology (Hons, first class) – University of Leeds (1998)

Professional memberships

• Fellow of the Higher Education Academy

Student education

I lecture on qualitative research on the ‘Health Research Postgraduate Certificate’ programme.

I have co-led the ENQUIRE Year 1 module, an Integrated Core Unit on the MBChB (undergraduate medical degree), 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

Current postgraduate researchers

• Mr
• Mercy Mwansa