Help us improve access to clinical trials for minority ethnic groups
We aim to improve awareness and access to blood cancer clinical trials for minority ethnic groups. To help us to achieve this goal we need support from healthcare professionals, academics and researchers.
About the project
Some types of blood cancer are three times more common in certain ethnic groups than in others, yet people from minority ethnic groups are less likely to take part in clinical trials. Through this project, we aim to increase our understanding of why this is the case and develop interventions to improve awareness and access to blood cancer clinical trials.
This is an 18-month project which started in April 2024 and is funded by Bristol Myers Squibb. To help deliver this project we've partnered with The Social Innovation Partnership (TSIP).
There is evidence to show an underrepresentation of people from minority ethnic groups in medical research and clinical trials. People from ethnic minority backgrounds face longer delays to diagnosis, have lower awareness of symptoms and report poorer experiences.
Read our reports:
- Better understand the attitudes towards and barriers to accessing clinical trials for the Black and Pakistani community
- Develop interventions to improve awareness and access to blood cancer clinical trials and reduce health inequalities
We’re focusing on Black and Pakistani communities because:
- Rates of multiple myeloma are higher among Black African and Black Caribbean men and women.
- Rates of leukaemia are slightly higher among Pakistani men, women and children, and Black African women.
- Rates of some types of lymphoma are slightly higher among Pakistani and Black African men and women, and Indian men.
- This project uses social research to explore attitudes, perceptions, and barriers to accessing clinical trials.
- TSIP uses a participatory approach to gather insights and co-design solutions. This means people with lived experience (community researchers) will conduct insight gathering.
- People affected by blood cancer from Black or Pakistani backgrounds, healthcare professionals and researchers will be invited to participate in interviews/workshops and contribute to prototype design and development.
Community Researchers
People with lived experience conducting research and insight gathering.
- Rehab Asad
- Dr Yewande Okuleye
- Ngozi Udom
- Sabahat Asif
Community Representatives
Members of the community with experience of blood cancer that will provide insight and hold us accountable.
- Orin Lewis OBE (Co-founder & Chief Executive of ACLT)
- Fatimah Abbas (Lived experience of blood cancer, Lecturer and Pharmacist)
Healthcare professionals and researchers
- Amparo Domingo Lacasa (Senior Research Nurse)
- Dr Stephen Hibbs (Haematology Registrar and Research Fellow)
- Dr Sarrah Tayabali (National Medical Directors Clinical Fellow)
- Chantelle Hughes (Senior Research Nurse)
- Dr Farhat Khanim (Lecturer and Director of Research)
- Dr Samir Asher (Consultant Haematologist)
Opportunities to support project
Support from health professionals and researchers will be integral to the success of this project. Opportunities to support the project include:
- sharing insights from projects that may align with this work
- sharing clinical expertise and/or lived experience
- participate in a series of interviews and workshops
- contribute to product design and prototype development workshops
To receive opportunities to get involved with this project, please sign up for project updates.
If you'd like to talk to us about this project, please get in touch.
Can you help recruit people from Black or Pakistani communities?
We want to talk to people affected by blood cancer from these communities to talk about their blood cancer experience and better understand barriers to accessing trials. Please help us reach people from Black or Pakistani communities by sharing our poster.
