Dr Farina Kokab

Dr Farina Kokab

Department of Social Work and Social Care
Research Fellow

Contact details

Address
School of Social Policy and Society
Muirhead Tower
University of Birmingham
Edgbaston
Birmingham
B15 2TT
UK

Farina started her academic career through her PhD in applied health research where she explored health inequalities experienced by the Pakistani community in the UK. Since then, Farina has gone on to work across several studies exploring the perspectives of various care providers and patients (Diabetes Prevention Programme, CLAHRC Maternity, Junior Doctors Mental Health, and The Shame and Medicine Project). Her theoretical and conceptual interpretation of health inequalities is undertaken using the lens of gender and ethnicity, recognising the role of  women as providers and beneficiaries of health care who continually face systemic and cultural challenges. She works primarily on qualitative and mixed-methods projects. Farina’s current research topic of interest is on gaslighting and intersectionality in women’s reproductive health. 

Qualifications

  • FHEA, University of Birmingham, 2020 
  • PhD, Applied Health Research, College of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Birmingham, 2016
  • MA, Social Research (Social Policy), University of Birmingham, 2012
  • MSc, Health Psychology, Aston University, 2011
  • BSc, Psychology, University of Birmingham, 2010

Biography

Farina completed her undergraduate degree in Psychology at the University of Birmingham and went onto achieve an MSc in Health Psychology at Aston University as a professional training course. Both of these degrees are accredited by the British Psychological Society. She then went on to complete an MA in Social Research (Social Policy) at the University of Birmingham as part of her PhD, which involved investigating the role of social support in influencing health beliefs and lifestyle practices amongst tri-generational Pakistani migrants in the West Midlands, UK. 

Whilst completing her PhD Farina started work with the development and evaluation of Quality Outcome Framework (QOF) indicators for Diabetes Prevention at the University of Birmingham. Following this she worked with clinicians and academics on developing a range of projects with the CLAHRC Maternity team that can be applied to maternity services. She then worked on a mixed-methods project exploring mental health in junior doctors. Currently, Farina is part of the Shame and Medicine Project at the College of Social Sciences.

Farina has also contributed to wider research taking place at the University and internationally. She has been awarded Fellowship status by the Higher Education Academy for her contribution to teaching.

Teaching

Medicine and Surgery MBChB 

  • Integrated Problems-Clinical communications 
  • Integrated Professional and Academic Practices (IPAS) 
  • Health Improvement Evidence Review (HIER) advisor third year students 
  • Evidence Based Medicine (EBM) Qualitative tutor third year students 

Public Health MPh/Diploma 

  • Sociology and Social Policy 

Qualitative Research Methods

  • Module Co-Lead

Postgraduate supervision

  • Masters in Public Health Dissertations
  • MSc in Clinical Primary and Community Care Dissertation
  • PhD mentoring for students in IAHR

Farina is interested in supervising postgraduate and PhD research students on using qualitative methods to undertake their research. She is particularly interested in access to and experiences of health, prevention and lived experience of disease and illness.

Doctoral research

Research

Farina’s PhD research included a qualitative synthesis (adapted meta-ethnography) of the experiences and influences of social support on cardiovascular disease prevention. She has since advised and supported colleagues and students with qualitative syntheses on a variety of research areas. 

The primary research in Farina’s PhD included multi-channel recruitment and in-depth interviews. Data collection was based on the theory of Social Capital and used alongside the Convoy model diagram to elicit responses on social networks, cultural norms and trust. Framework analysis was used to develop and present an interpretation of findings.

Other activities

Leadership roles

  • Early Career Researchers and Academics Group (ECRAG): Co-chair and editor of the monthly blogs. Managing and organising regular professional and personal development sessions (2012-2019)

Farina’s research interests can also be found on Early Career Researcher’s and Academic’s Group (ECRAG) where she was co-chair from 2012-2019

  • Mentor for doctoral and postdoctoral researchers 

Awards and prizes

Graduate Poster Conference First Prize winner for College of Medical and Dental Sciences (2014) 

Society Membership

Member of the British Psychological Society 

Reviewer

  • Peer Reviewer for Patient Education and Counselling
  • Peer Reviewer for Chronic Illness 

Prior

  • Doctoral Researcher’s Diversity Network (DRDN): representative for the Institute of Applied Health Research
  • PERCAT: Postdoctoral/Early career researcher representative for career development and training, and workshop facilitator
  • IRIS: Institute of Research Into Superdiversity. Participating in organisation of the first annual Superdiversity conference. Doctoral representative and workshop facilitator
  • Post-graduate rep at the Institute of Applied Health Research

Publications

Recent publications

Article

Hussain, NM, Spiers, J, Kobab, F & Riley, R 2023, 'The Impact of Race and Gender-Related Discrimination on the Psychological Distress Experienced by Junior Doctors in the UK: A Qualitative Secondary Data Analysis', Healthcare, vol. 11, no. 6, 834. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare11060834

Spiers, J, Kokab, F, Buszewicz, M, Chew-Graham, CA, Dunning, A, Taylor, AK, Gopfert, A, van Hove, M, Teoh, KR-H, Appleby, L, Martin, J & Riley, R 2022, 'Recommendations for improving the working conditions and cultures of distressed junior doctors, based on a qualitative study and stakeholder perspectives', BMC Health Services Research, vol. 22, no. 1, 1333. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-022-08728-2

Kokab, F, Jones, E, Goodwin, L, Taylor, B & Kenyon, S 2021, 'Community Midwives views of postnatal care in the UK; a descriptive qualitative study', Midwifery, vol. 104, 103183. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.midw.2021.103183

Riley, R, Kokab, F, Buszewicz, M, Gopfert, A, Van Hove, M, Taylor, AK, Teoh, K, Martin, J, Appleby, L & Chew-Graham, C 2021, 'Protective factors and sources of support in the workplace as experienced by UK foundation and junior doctors: a qualitative study', BMJ open, vol. 11, no. 6, e045588. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2020-045588

Riley, R, Buszewicz, M, Kokab, F, Teoh, K, Gopfert, A, Taylor, AK, Van Hove, M, Martin, J, Appleby, L & Chew-Graham, C 2021, 'Sources of work-related psychological distress experienced by UK-wide foundation and junior doctors: a qualitative study', BMJ open, vol. 11, no. 6, e043521. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2020-043521

Qadi, O, Lufumpa, N, Adderley, N, Bem, D, Marshall, T & Kokab, F 2020, 'Patients’ and health professionals’ attitudes and perceptions towards the initiation of preventive drugs for primary prevention of cardiovascular disease: a systematic review of qualitative studies', BJGP Open, vol. 4, no. 5, bjgpopen20X101087. https://doi.org/10.3399/bjgpopen20X101087

Kokab, F, Greenfield, S, Lindenmeyer, A, Sidhu, M, Tait, L & Gill, P 2020, 'Social networks, health and identity: exploring culturally embedded masculinity with the Pakistani community, West Midlands, UK', BMC Public Health, vol. 20, no. 1, 1432. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-020-09504-9

Kokab, F, Foskett-Tharby, R, Hex, N & Gill, P 2017, 'A protocol for the development and piloting of quality measures to support the Healthier You: The NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme', BJGP Open. https://doi.org/10.3399/bjgpopen17X101205

Sidhu, M, Kokab, F, Jolly, C, Marshall, T, Gale, N & Gill, P 2016, 'Methodological challenges of cross-language qualitative research with South Asian communities living in the UK', Family Medicine and Community Health , vol. 4, no. 2, pp. 16-28. https://doi.org/10.15212/FMCH.2015.0146

Editorial

Goodwin, L, Taylor, R, Kokab, F & Kenyon, S 2018, 'Postnatal care in the context of decreasing length of stay in hospital after birth: The perspectives of community midwives', Midwifery, vol. 60, pp. 36-40. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.midw.2018.02.006

Literature review

Kokab, F, Greenfield, S, Lindenmeyer, A, Sidhu, M, Tait, L & Gill, P 2017, 'The experience and influence of social support and social dynamics on cardiovascular disease prevention in migrant Pakistani communities: a qualitative synthesis', Patient Education and Counseling. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pec.2017.10.003

View all publications in research portal