Dr Austen El-Osta

Summary

I am Director of the Self-Care Academic Research Unit (SCARU) & Primary Care Research Manager at the School of Public Health. I'm also supporting the WHO Collaborating Centre for Public Health Education and Training, NIHR Diagnostic Evidence Co-operative London, West London Research Network (WeLReN), Imperial Research Hub and Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust (ICHT) Directorate of Public Health & Primary Care in the same capacity.

My principle aim is to widen access & participation in research & the widespread adoption and diffusion of evidence-based health & wellbeing interventions.

Prior to assuming this role, I was based at Guy’s hospital where I worked in a similar capacity within the NIHR Clinical Research Network. My earlier career spanned a number of disparate fields including molecular & cell biology, vision research, laser-tissue interaction & medical device engineering.

Self Care Academic Research Unit (SCARU)

SCARU is a tripartite collaboration between Imperial College School of Public Health, the Self-Care Forum & the International Self-Care Foundation where I am also Director & Trustee. SCARU will explore how the application of self-care could result in improved outcomes & lower dependency on NHS resources in the contemporary setting, whilst also identifying key evidence-based recommendations for the consideration of commissioners of health and policy makers. The Unit will act as a hub with the aim of making the absolute case for self care by coordinating a wide portfolio of research activity in the follwing domains:

• Evidence synthesis to investigate various aspects of self-care & how this links to empowerment, health literacy & resilience in the community
• Evaluation of self-care interventions, pilots, initiatives & existing services, including audits of local/national importance
• Collaborative working with industry sponsors & device manufacturers to support technology enabled self-care approaches
• Supporting the NHS & wider health economy by making the absolute case for self care; by understanding how it can benefit the wider health economy from the perspective of funding of outcomes as opposed to activities
• Establishing & maintaining a database / repository of evidence on self care
• Developing & championing a self-care in mental health theme
• Influencing inter/national policy on self-care for people & patient benefit

Slide-DeckS

A Whistlestop Tour of the NHS

Flattening the Curve with Self-Care

Vocational interests

• Self-Care communities of pracrtice
• Asset Based Community Development (ABCD)
• Leveraging Community Assets to tackling Social Isolation & Loneliness
• Lifestyle modification & behaviour change (easier siad than done!)
• Use of point of care testing in the primary care & community settings
• Innovation praxis & change management in the NHS
• The case for the emergence of the ‘enabling state’ to supplant the existing ‘welfare state’ ethos in the UK
• Workplace Health Promotion

I hold a Doctorate in Medicine from King’s College London, a Masters in Public Administration (MPA) form the London South Bank University, an MSc in Pathology & Virology from Imperial College London & a BSc in Molecular Biology & Genetics from Queen Mary University of London. I was recently awarded Chartered Manager (C.Mgr) status by the Chartered Management Institute but failed miserably at becoming a certified PRINCE2 practitioner.

I'm otherwise fascinated by bees, honey & apitherapy. Apparently, I continue to be inspired by Bach's reverential French Suites & Partitas, and consider Martha Argerich as the most formidable pianist alive today, with the veritable Andras Schiff in second place...

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