EHU Profiles
Professor Mala Rao CBE
Professor Mala Rao CBE, OBE, MBBS, MSc, PhD, FFPH, Hon FFSRH, Hon FSoPHE, Hon FRCPCH is Director of the Ethnicity and Health Unit, Department of Primary Care and Public Health, Imperial College London. She is also chair of WHO South East Asia Region’s Expert Group on the Environmental Determinants of Climate Change and Health, Clinical Adviser to the UK General Medical Council on equality, diversity and inclusion and Vice Chair of WaterAid UK. Her career has spanned public health practice, policy, research and training and her most impactful achievements have been in workforce development, strengthening health systems and environmental health in the UK and overseas. Her research and advice to governments and global institutions have improved health care for millions in some of the poorest states in India and elsewhere. She has been included among the most influential people in India-UK relations.
In 2014, a review that she led, influenced parliamentarians to establish the NHS Workforce Race Equality Strategic Advisory Group of which she was Vice-Chair during 2016 - 2018. She co-guest edited the February 2020 British Medical Journal’s special issue on Racism in Medicine which won a prestigious UK Professional Publishers Award (PPA) in 2021 and influenced the launch of the NHS Race and Health Observatory. In 2021, she led the development of the Medical Workforce Race Equality Standard, a ‘world first’ in monitoring racism and discrimination across the medical workforce. In 2022, she launched the first comprehensive guide to Induction for International Medical Graduates recruited to the NHS.
Mala is a recognised champion of climate action, safe water and sanitation and gender equity and is also globally respected for her advocacy of race equality and research on the intersection between race, health and climate. She has published several papers and book chapters and contributed to Government reports on climate and health. She instigated and co-edited the 2009 ‘Health Practitioner’s Guide to Climate Change’ described as a ‘wake-up call for health professions’ by the President of the RCP, and guest-edited the 2022 issue of the International Review of Psychiatry focusing on the climate crisis and mental health.
She has been included among the most influential ethnic minority people in the English health world and is the recipient of awards, including a CBE 2024, OBE 2013, the Faculty of Public Health’s Alwyn Smith prize in 2021 and Honorary Fellowship of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health in 2022.
Areas of Interest
Climate and Health ¦ Race Equality ¦ Global Health Equity ¦ Health Systems ¦ Workforce Development for Health
Ganesh Sathyamoorthy
Ganesh Sathyamoorthy is the Deputy Director of the Ethnicity & Health Unit at Imperial College London and holds the position of Assistant Director for Partnerships and Business Development for the NIHR Applied Research Collaboration (ARC) Northwest London (NWL). With a passion for addressing health inequalities faced by ethnic minority communities, Ganesh is dedicated to making a positive impact in the realm of healthcare and community engagement.
In collaboration with Professor Mala Rao, Ganesh established the Ethnicity & Health Unit, initially as a response to the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on Ethnic Minority Communities. His commitment to addressing this issue extended to delivering virtual presentations, reaching over 250 individuals, and encouraging both NHS staff and communities at large to embrace the COVID-19 vaccine.
The Ethnicity Health Unit has evolved to tackle a spectrum of research issues, including examining ethnic minority groups' hesitancy to participate in clinical research trials. Notably, the unit secured £400k in funding from NHS England’s Research Engagement Network (REN) program, focusing on the boroughs of Brent, Ealing, Hounslow, and Hillingdon. The initiative, marked by 10 community engagement roadshows attended by 1,200 people, included health checks and surveys to gauge public views on research.
Ganesh played a pivotal role in the development of a partnership between CLAHRC NWL, the Sickle Cell Society and the Picker Institute, orchestrating the first nationwide survey of patient experiences of Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) care in the UK. His efforts led to the creation of the first Patient Reported Experience Measure (PREM) for SCD, gathering over 700 responses nationwide and disseminating key findings through an award-winning infographic.
Throughout his career, Ganesh has consistently demonstrated a commitment to community service. His roles as a mentor for at-risk primary school boys in Brent, Vice Chair of Cancer Black Care, and a member of the MIND Policy Committee, advising on issues impacting ethnic minority communities, showcase his dedication to addressing broader social and mental health concerns.
In the early years of Ganesh's career, from 1994 to 2001, he served as a Research Associate for the Sainsbury Centre for Mental Health. His contributions included leading the development of research projects evaluating the mental health needs of ethnic minority communities and creating a Culturally Sensitive Audit Tool.
Ganesh Sathyamoorthy's journey is marked by a relentless pursuit of equitable healthcare solutions, collaborative research, and community engagement, solidifying his position as a visionary leader in the field of health disparities.
Areas of Interest
Increasing diversity in clinical research trials ¦ Sickle Cell Disease ¦ Impact of health inequalities on ethnic minority communities