EQuity Lab

The EQuity Lab is exploring racial and gender inequalities by investigating the “leaky and broken” pipelines that exist in academic biomedical career pathways. The EQuity Lab, led by Dr Sarah Essilfie-Quaye, is the first evidence-generating exercise of this kind within the Faculty of Medicine. The insights from this research help inform equality policies and will develop new approaches aimed at helping to prevent the falling diversity within biomedical research and academia.

Where are my Black professors? The research culture preventing Black researchers from thriving in UK institutions

Essilfie-Quaye S, Reddy SP, Adeturinmo M et al. 
Where are my Black professors? The research culture preventing Black researchers from thriving in UK institutions [version 1; peer review: 1 approved] Wellcome Open Research, September 2025

Research and engagement activities

A selection of research and engagement activities:

Academic Presentation at the University of Oxford 
October 2025

MethodsCon Futures 2024 Environmental Change is an Equity Issue 

#TheLeakyPipelineGame at the Great Exhibition Road Festival

Partnerships in Academia, Health & Science CHARTA Meeting. "Access to Medicine: Policy & Investment".
March 2024. Tanzania House, Tanzania High Commission to the UK

Imperial As One Media Academy

Science Summit at United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). Symposium: Global Partnership in Science, Technology and Innovation for Sickle Cell Disease

Imperial As One Beyond Ethnicity Career Conference

Study about Black Heritage researchers and academics from all faculties at Imperial, including previous employees

We recruited current and previous Imperial staff for one-to-one interviews of approximately 1 hour. This data is currently being analysed.

Participants were recruited from the following Job Families:

Academics, Senior Teaching Fellows, Other Senior Leaders, Postdoctoral Research Associates, Research Fellows, Research Assistants, Research Technicians, Teaching Fellows and Previous Employees

Criteria: 

• You self-identify as being from a Black Heritage background
• You are current, honorary, or former Imperial College London staff > 18years old
• You are willing to be interviewed and share your experience

For further questions contact: Dr Sarah Essilfie-Quaye via EQuityLab@imperial.ac.uk

Research team / Collaborators

Dr Sarah Essilfie-Quaye

Group Leader - EQuity Lab
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Research Fellow 
Faculty of Medicine & Wellcome Institutional Strategic Support Fund (ISSF) Fellowship

Email: s.essilfie-quaye@imperial.ac.uk

Research focuses on gender and racial inequalities in academic careers in biomedical research, and the effects of this on under-served groups in clinical research.

Professor Priscilla Reddy

Visiting Professor - Business School

Email: s.reddy@imperial.ac.uk 

Priscilla is a distinguished behavioural scientist and a passionate advocate for equitable and sustainable research practices, with a focus on coaching and supervising emerging scientists and building collaborative research networks.

Mary Adeturinmo

Healthcare & Design Researcher
Email: mary.adeturinmo20@imperial.ac.uk

Mary is a user experience researcher at the EQuity Lab, specialising in qualitative methods. In collaboration with the Imperial Sickle Cell Group, she helps advance health equity by focusing on the needs of underserved communities in clinical research.

Linda van Keimpema

Diversity Metrics Researcher
Email: l.van-keimpema@imperial.ac.uk 

Linda works on generating quantitative data from large datasets, outlining the equity distribution of current Faculty of Medicine academic and research staff.

Imperial Sickle Cell Group

Sarah is a collaborator with the Imperial Sickle Cell Group, contributing her expertise in equality, diversity and inclusion to support research, advocacy, and community engagement. Her work helps shape inclusive research practices and promotes health equity.