The Inequalities Research Network (IRN) is a collaborative group of researchers, health professionals, and research delivery experts in the East of England, dedicated to tackling inequalities, promoting diversity in research, and fostering inclusive public and patient involvement.
The IRN is free to join and supports its members to connect, share insights and drive meaningful change in health research. Register here: Join the IRN.
Our Leadership and Origins
The IRN is chaired by its founder, Dr Rakesh Modi, Clinical Senior Research Associate at the Primary Care Unit, University of Cambridge and coordinated by James Cantwell, Communications, Engagement and PPIE Manager, Primary Care Unit.
Originally established under the Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Integrated Care Board and supported by an NHS England Research Engagement Network Development Grant, the IRN is now hosted by the Primary Care Unit at the University of Cambridge, Department of Public Health and Primary Care.
Our Goals
We aim to:
- Engage with underserved communities to shape impactful research ideas
- Develop research proposals that contribute to reducing health inequalities
- Identify priorities and effective engagement strategies for these communities
- Secure funding to ensure the sustainability of our work
- Expand the network and inspire the creation of similar initiatives regionally and nationally
- Facilitate knowledge exchange on studying and addressing inequalities
- Support members with their current work in inequalities research
Our Impact
In its first year, the IRN has:
- Supported research engagement events with underserved communities
- Promoted diverse recruitment in multiple research studies
- Built strong partnerships across universities, NIHR institutes, and healthcare providers
Join Us
We invite researchers, healthcare professionals, and those working in health inequalities to join the IRN and contribute to our mission.
Register here: Join the IRN
Our meetings, held every two months, offer an opportunity to share learning, build collaborations, and engage with the communities that matter most to your research.
For meeting invitations and further information, please contact James Cantwell, IRN Coordinator (pcu-communications@medschl.ac.uk).
Our next IRN Meeting - July 2025
The next IRN Meeting will finalise our Mission Statement, following the collective input from our members. More information on the next keynote presentation and how to contribute to the mission will be shared prior to our next meeting.
Date: 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm, 28 July 2025
In this meeting we will be approving the IRN Mission Statement. If you have not already, please provide your feedback on our draft Mission Statement by completing our form. We have extended the due date to Monday 14 July 2025, so please get in touch with your comments and insight.
In addition to the mission statement, in this meeting we will host a guest presentation from Aleksandar Marinov (Sasho), Research Associate at the School of Energy, Geoscience, Infrastructure & Society (EGIS), Heriot-Watt University.
Presentation Title:
Place, Ageing and Inequality: Co-Produced Research with Roma Communities in the UK
Blurb:
This presentation explores how place-based inequalities intersect with ageing, ethnicity, and social exclusion, drawing on findings from the RomaPlaceAge project. Based in Govanhill (Glasgow), Luton, and Peterborough, the project uses co-produced methods to understand barriers and enablers to healthy ageing in Roma communities. The talk highlights participatory research approaches, lived experience insights, and their implications for inclusive and equitable ageing policy.
Biography:
Sasho Marinov is a research associate at Heriot-Watt University and works on RomaPlaceAge project. The research focuses on ageing, health equity, and participatory methods, with a strong emphasis on working alongside the Roma communities. The project investigates how place-based approaches can address health and wellbeing inequalities in Roma communities in Govanhill (Glasgow), Luton, and Peterborough.
Agenda
- 1200-1205 - Introduction from Rakesh
- 1205-1220 - Review mission
- 1220-1240 – Guest Presentation from Aleksandar Marinov (Sasho)
- 1240-1245 - Updates (Members are welcome to update the group on any new or interesting work they are doing to raise the awareness, promoting synergy across the IRN
- 1245-1250 - Learning (Members are welcome to share any new research they have read or are aware of with relevance to health inequalities)
- 1250-1255 - Ask the IRN (Members are encouraged to ask the group for help or advice or collaboration and interested members can continue contact offline)
- 1255-1300 - Close of meeting
Our previous meetings in 2025
The IRN was joined by Dr Emily Clark, NIHR In-Practice Fellow, who presented 'supporting participation of the sanctuary seeking community in research'.
Date: 12 May 2025, 12-1pm.
The IRN will be joined by Professor Mike Kelly and colleagues who will discuss their project: Pulmonary Rehabilitation in the Bangladeshi, Black African and Black Caribbean Communities: The UPTURN Research Project.
Date: 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm, 31 March 2025
The IRN was joined by Dr John Ford (Senior Lecturer and NIHR Advanced Fellow at Queen Mary's University London), who discussed the Health Equity Evidence Centre.
Date: 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm, 13 January 2025