We are pleased to welcome Grace Ikpeme and Margaret Aigbekaen to the BRC as part of the Health Data Research UK (HDR UK) Black Internship Programme. This internship provides a valuable opportunity for Black students and graduates to develop their skills, expand their professional networks, and gain practical experience in health data science, a field where Black talent remains underrepresented.

The BRC is participating in the programme for the first time, in partnership with the South Yorkshire Digital Health Hub (SYDHH) and the Ethnic Minority Research Inclusion (EMRI) Network, to host two interns over an eight-week placement. Grace will be working under the supervision of Dr Denis Newman-Griffis at the University of Sheffield’s Centre for Machine Intelligence (CMI) on a project that aims to reduce unnecessary testing in intensive care units (ICUs) through predictive analytics. Margaret will be working with BRC researcher Dr Tom Payne to assess responses to levodopa treatment in people with Parkinson’s disease using sensor-based gait analysis. 

We are delighted to support Grace and Margaret as they begin their internships and look forward to seeing the valuable contributions they make to these innovative research projects. Their placements also reflect our commitment to fostering greater diversity and inclusion within health data science and the wider research community.

The NIHR funds, enables and delivers world-leading health and social care research that improves people's health and wellbeing and promotes economic growth.

NIHR Biomedical Research Centres (BRCs) are collaborations between NHS organisations and universities. They bring together academics and clinicians to translate scientific discoveries into potential new treatments, diagnostics and technologies.