About us

At the Institute for Global Innovation (IGI), our aim is to inspire, support and deliver world-leading, multidisciplinary research that addresses the world’s most pressing challenges.

We believe that research works best when walls are broken down. Our role is to help that happen, combining expertise of academics from across the University of Birmingham with forward-thinking organisations who share the same goals.

To further advance the work of the IGI, we have established the Forum for Global Challenges, a solutions-focused international events series and dialogue, culminating in an international meeting at the Birmingham, UK in May 2022. The Forum will bring together academics, policy-makers, practitioners, the private sector, civil society and the public.

Our door is always open. Get in touch if you think we could work together.

The IGI team comprises:

Professor Hisham Mehanna 
Director, Institute for Global Innovation and Institute of Advanced Studies
Chair, Head and Neck Surgery
Email: h.mehanna@bham.ac.uk

Professor Hisham Mehanna is Chair of Head and Neck Surgery, and Director of the Institute for Global Innovation at the University of Birmingham.

A head and neck cancer and thyroid surgeon with a keen interest in clinical and translational research, Hisham heads a team of 20 researchers and holding over £12 million in research grants.

Over his career Hisham has experienced at first hand the invaluable advances that can be made in scientific discovery when combining expertise from a range of perspectives. He has worked with clinicians, statisticians, computer scientists and policy experts to research and deliver the best possible outcomes for patients. As Director of the IGI, he looks to instil this passion for multi-disciplinarity in others.

Professor Dominique Moran
Deputy Director, Institute for Global Innovation and Institute of Advanced Studies
Telephone: +44 (0)121 414 3571
Email: d.moran@bham.ac.uk

Dominique's research and teaching is in the sub-discipline of carceral geography, a geographical perspective on incarceration.

Supported by the ESRC, her research has informed and extended theoretical developments in geography, criminology and prison sociology, whilst interfacing with contemporary debates over hyperincarceration, recidivism and the advance of the punitive state. She is currently researching the impact of nature contact on prisoners' wellbeing and the experience of ex-military personnel working in the prison service.
Dominique is Chair of the Carceral Geography Working Group of the Royal Geographical Society with the Institute of British Geographers.

David Evans
Head of Projects and Partnerships
Telephone: +44 (0)121 415 9971
Email: d.evans.4@bham.ac.uk

As Head of Projects and Partnerships, David helps IGI researchers to forge the connections they need to advance their research.

David studied International Relations and Diplomacy at Lancaster University before working as a quantitative researcher in the private sector. He joined the University of Birmingham in 2010, where he provided research support to the College of Social Sciences. Over his career in Higher Education, David has supported projects examining everything from Community Hospitals to Unmanned Aerial Vehicles.

David Evans

Head of Projects and Partnerships

“What you don't want to do is displace problems from one area of society to another; if you approach problems in isolation often you end up moving these problems around, whereas if you tackle it from a multidisciplinary perspective, you are more than likely to make meaningful progress.”

Sukhi Birks
Institute Administrator
Telephone: +44 (0)121 415 9970
Email: s.k.birks@bham.ac.uk

Sukhi is responsible for providing logistical support to IGI researchers and takes a lead in organising a range of IGI supported events. Before joining the Institute, Sukhi supported the Director of Research in the College of Engineering and Physical Sciences, and before that, worked for NHS Blood and Transplant.

Our Partnerships

We are proud to work with:

Visit us

We love to meet people who share our passion for tackling global challenges. Get in touch if you would like to come along to our offices at 54 Pritchatts Road at the University of Birmingham (G10 on campus map). We have workspaces, seminar rooms and video conferencing facilities that our IGI Fellows and visitors can book.

Upcoming Events

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