NIHR Birmingham BRC champions equity at Europe’s first Minoritised Life Scientists Future Forum

From 31 March to 2 April 2025, the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Birmingham Biomedical Research Centre (BRC) attended the Minoritised Life Scientists Future Forum, Europe’s first-ever conference dedicated to supporting and uplifting minoritised life scientists, hosted at the International Convention Centre (ICC) in Birmingham. The Future Forum 2025 spanned across 3 days and hosted over 50 speakers, creating 200 hours of inspiring talks covering themes such as health equality, identity and visibility, scientific innovation, leadership and career development.

“This forum has not only allowed us to reinforce our commitment to supporting underrepresented communities – it has also provided a platform for us to share and learn from others dedicated to advancing equity in research.”

Freen Mehdi, NIHR Birmingham BRC Research Inclusion Manager

Chaired by Professor Emmanuel Adukwu, Professor of Applied Microbiology at the University of West of England and hosted by presenter and host Merisha Stevenson, the event offered three packed days of insight, connection and inspiration. Delegates heard about research into sickle cell disease, breast cancer disparities, green technologies and vaccine access, and about the burden and impact of health inequalities – alongside powerful panel talks on resilience, representation and structural change.

The NIHR Birmingham BRC hosted an exhibitor stand at the event, raising awareness of the important work we are doing to improve equity, equality, diversity and inclusion in research – both within our staff groups and with the patient and public contributors that collaborate with our researchers.

Our team was represented by Freen Mehdi, BRC Research Inclusion Manager; Bircan Ciytak, Research Fellow at the University of Birmingham working with our Data, Diagnostics and Decision Tools theme; Saba Nayar, Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the University of Birmingham and member of our Inflammatory Arthritis theme; Claire Wickett, our BRC Senior Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement Manager; and Connie Jinks, Marketing Apprentice at the University of Birmingham. The event was a great opportunity for our team to learn, network, exchange ideas and best practice with other attendees and organisations working in this space.

Freen Mehdi, Research Inclusion Manager at the Birmingham BRC, also hosted a roundtable activity, leading a discussion on the challenges of collecting data from racially minoritised staff. Insights from the roundtable will contribute to the BRC’s “Enhancing staff data collection and analysis to foster race inclusivity” study, which has been recently granted a University of Birmingham ASPIRE (Access to Success Pathways for Inclusive Research Excellence) award. By improving staff data collection and providing a solid evidence base, this project ultimately aims to improve career development and progression opportunities for racially minoritised researchers, helping shape the future of equity in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics). With Freen leading the discussion, participants shared sector insights, highlighted key barriers and proposed actionable solutions that can drive lasting change.

Commenting on the event, Freen Mehdi said: “Participating in the Minoritised Life Scientists Future Forum was an invaluable experience for our team. This forum has not only allowed us to reinforce our commitment to supporting underrepresented communities – it has also provided a platform for us to share and learn from others dedicated to advancing equity in research. The networks and connections we have made will allow us to collaborate on driving meaningful change for the future.”