Dr Valencia Kabeya BSc (Hons), MSc, PhD

• PhD in Health Inequalities, University of Bedfordshire, 2023
• MSc in Public Health, University of Bedfordshire, 2016
• BSc (Hons) in Diagnostic Radiography, Sheffield Hallam University, 2011

Valencia trained as a radiographer and earned a BSc (Hons) in Diagnostic Radiography from Sheffield Hallam University in 2011. She gained over a decade of clinical experience across the NHS and private sector, working in general radiography and CT. Alongside her clinical career, she developed an interest in public health and inequalities in access to healthcare and health outcomes, completing an MSc in Public Health at the University of Bedfordshire in 2016.

Building on this interest, Valencia completed a PhD in Health Inequalities at the University of Bedfordshire in 2023. Her doctoral research explored inequalities in awareness of and access to genetic testing for breast and ovarian cancer among Black African women in the UK. As part of this work, she developed and piloted the “Health Party”, a culturally responsive community-based intervention designed to improve awareness of cancer genetics and address barriers to genetic services. She has presented her doctoral research nationally and internationally and published it in peer-reviewed journals.

In 2023, Valencia joined University of Birmingham as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Women’s Health, where she undertook research focused on maternal health inequalities and patient safety. She subsequently worked on EPICare (Early Psychosis Informatics into Care) at the Institute for Mental Health. Contributing to research on the implementation of a national digital psychosis platform within NHS Early Intervention in Psychosis services. She also worked with Co-Stars, contributing to mental health literacy initiatives across the Black Country through church and community partnerships.

Across her research career, Valencia has developed expertise in qualitative research, systematic reviews and culturally responsive community-based interventions. She is strongly committed to public and patient involvement and engagement (PPIE) and has worked with patients and underserved communities across different areas of health research. She has also delivered community-based workshops focused on improving health literacy and addressing barriers to care.

In 2026, Valencia was awarded two NIHR career development awards: the NIHR Development and Skills Enhancement (DSE) Fellowship and the NIHR Pre-Application Support Fund. She subsequently took up the NIHR DSE Fellowship within the Department of Inflammation and Ageing, where she is developing her research on health inequalities in rheumatology. Her current work focuses on ethnic inequalities in rheumatoid arthritis among men.

Valencia is passionate about tackling health inequalities and improving outcomes for underserved and underrepresented communities. Her research seeks to understand the structural, cultural and healthcare barriers that contribute to unequal outcomes while ensuring that underrepresented voices are meaningfully represented in research. Through her developing work in rheumatology, she aims to generate evidence that informs practice, influences policy and contributes to more equitable, patient-centred care.

• MSc Global Health

Valencia welcomes enquiries from prospective students interested in any areas of her research.

Health inequalities in rheumatology

Valencia’s current research focuses on health inequalities in rheumatology, particularly ethnic inequalities in rheumatoid arthritis among men. As part of her NIHR Development and Skills Enhancement Fellowship, she is developing her research in this area. She also contributes to other ongoing rheumatology research projects, including work focused on rheumatoid arthritis prevention.

Mental health

Valencia worked with EPICare (Early Psychosis Informatics into Care), an NIHR - funded national digital psychosis platform based at the Institute for Mental Health, University of Birmingham. Her research assessed EPICare's implementation across demonstrator NHS Trusts and its integration within Early Intervention in Psychosis services.

She also worked with Co-Stars, contributing to mental health literacy initiatives across the Black Country through church and community partnerships.

Maternal health

As a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Women’s Health at University of Birmingham, Valencia led and contributed to research focused on maternal health inequalities and patient safety. She led a qualitative systematic review examining the acceptability and use of clinical decision-support tools in maternity care and a mapping review examining individual- and system-level contributors to maternal mortality in the UK.

She also contributed to research on lifestyle interventions to prevent gestational diabetes. Her maternal health research has been published in peer-reviewed journals and presented at national meetings, including the National Maternity Safety Conference and NIHR SafetyNet Symposium.

Cancer genetics and health inequalities

Valencia’s doctoral research examined awareness of and access to genetic testing for breast and ovarian cancer among Black African women in the UK. Her research identified barriers to accessing genetic services and informed the development and pilot of the “Health Party”, a culturally responsive community-based intervention designed to improve awareness of cancer genetics.

Her doctoral research has been presented at national and international conferences and published in peer-reviewed journals, including the Journal of Genetic Counseling.