NIHR RDS Assistant Research Adviser

Dr Waqar is currently working as an Assistant Research Adviser. This is a research advising, supporting and facilitating role for the Institute for Health Research at the University of Bedfordshire, and for NIHR Research Design Services for the East of England.

Muhammad is a Medical graduate from Pakistan. After completing House Jobs in Medicine, General Surgery and Neurosurgery, he moved on to work in the field of Anaesthesia. He was also involved in Health Management in a General Practice. Later, he moved to the UK for formal education in Public Health and earned a Master’s degree in Public Health from the University of Bedfordshire.

His MSc dissertation focused on acquiring cognisance of Hepatitis C among South Asian students in the UK. He aims to pursue a PhD in the same area, to develop a better understanding of the Hepatitis C problem among the South Asian community of the UK.

As Researcher and Research Manager, within the Institute for Health Research, Muhammad has provided his services for various local and National research projects, for instance Poverty in Young People Project funded by Luton Borough Council, Faith and Organ Donation Project funded by the Department of Health and Contraception in Young People Project funded by MSD.

Muhammad has been actively involved in campaigns and seminars in the local area for promoting awareness about sexually transmitted/blood transmitted diseases such as HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis C and organ donation and transplantation.

He is an editor for the Institute for Health Research website and co-organiser for staff development and client support events for the Research Design Services for EoE. He participates in the teaching of the MSc Public Health course and has also supervised various MSc Dissertations at the University of Bedfordshire.

Muhammad has a keen interest in the role of Information Technology in Health and in researching health inequalities. Some other areas of research interest are people’s attitudes and behaviours about sexually transmitted and blood transmitted diseases, especially in the minority ethnic groups of the UK.

Other References

• LinkedIn profile

Qualifications

• Postgraduate Certificate in Teaching in Higher Education - University of Bedfordshire
• MSc Public Health - University of Bedfordshire
• MBBS - Bahria University, Pakistan

Memberships

• Fellow of the Royal Society for Public Health (FRSPH)
• Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA)

Research Interests

• Hepatitis C in South Asians of UK
• Health inequalities
• Health behaviours
• Faith and organ donation and transplantation
• Social determinants of health

Recent Publications

• Ali N, Cook E, Qureshi I, Sidika T, Mahmood S, Waqar M and Randhawa G (2021). The Collaborative Targeted Outreach Proagramme (CTOP): A feasibility intervention to increase the recruitment of "Home Grown" South Asians onto Nursing and Midwifery courses. Diversity, Equality in Health and Care. 18 (7):370-377.
• Wilkinson, E, Brettle, A, Waqar, M and Randhawa, G. (2019) Inequalities and outcomes: end stage kidney disease in ethnic minorities. BMC Nephrology. 20:234. doi: doi.org/10.1186/s12882-019-1410-2
• Wilkinson E, Waqar M, Gill B, Hoque P, Jetha C, Bola, KK, Mahmood R, Mahmood S, Saujani R, Randhawa, G. (2017) Exploring end-of-life care for South Asian kidney patients: interviewer reflections. Int. J Palliat Nurs. 23(3):120-128. doi: 10.12968/ijpn.2017.23.3.120
• Wilkinson E, Waqar M, Sinclair, A, Randhawa, G. (2016) Meeting the challenge of diabetes in ageing and diverse populations: A review of the literature from the UK. Journal of Diabetes Research, Volume 2016. Article ID 8030627.
• Murphy SM, Irving CB, Adams CE, Waqar M. (2015) Crisis intervention for people with severe mental illnesses. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2015, Issue 12. Art. No.: CD001087. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD001087.pub5
• Randhawa G, Waqar M, Jetha C, Gill B, Paramasivan S & Lightstone E (2010) Awareness of kidney disease in west London South Asians. British Journal of Renal Medicine. 15, 23-27.

Contact Details

Putteridge Bury campus
Hitchin Road
Luton, LU2 8LE

T: +44 (0)1582 743782
E: muhammad.waqar@beds.ac.uk