Dr Sandhya Duggal

• PGCert Higher Education, University of Birmingham (2018)
• PhD Public Health, University of Birmingham (2013)
• MA Sociology, University of Warwick (2009)
• BA (Hons) Sociology, University of Leicester (2008)

Following the completion of her PhD, Sandhya has continued to develop a strong research portfolio within the field of public health and adult social care. This has included the successful completion of a number of interdisciplinary research projects exploring a variety of topics, such as; the implications of regenerative medicine for patients in the UK, improving the care pathway for women who choose to have a caesarean section, and examining the role of Local Authorities and the prevention agenda in response to the Care Act 2014.

Sandhya is currently a co-investigator on the CASBI (Combining Asset and Strengths Based Innovations in adult social care) project funded by the School for Social Care Research (NIHR), which aims to explore the process and impact of implementing combinations of asset/strength-based approaches within adult social care, and to assess their effectiveness in bringing about changed ways of working that better enhance the wellbeing of beneficiaries and family members.  

Sandhya is also the principle investigator on a HEFi Education Enhancement funded project exploring belonging and inclusion for UoB BAME students, which aims to identify barriers and inequalities using Experience-Based Co-Design to improve the education pathway.

Sandhya teaches at undergraduate and postgraduate level across a variety of disciplines, including; public health, medical sociology, adult social care, and research methods.

• BA Social Work
• MA Social Work
• BMedSc Health Management Leadership
• MSc Mental Health 

Sandhya is interested in supervising doctoral researchers who plan to use qualitative research methods in the following areas:

• Health and social care experiences of ethnic minority older people (England)
• Addressing inequalities in public health

PhD title

In 2013, Sandhya completed a full-time funded PhD studentship at the University of Birmingham (CLAHRC WM). Sandhya’s PhD explored the cultural and social factors which influence Indian Punjabi men’s health beliefs and how these shaped perceptions of risk related to Type 2 Diabetes.

Sandhya worked as a research fellow on the Implementing the Care Act 2014 project which was funded by the Department of Health and Social Care. The project examined how local authorities were using ‘second wave’ approaches to prevention and capacity building in order to maximise resources and opportunities in order to work in more co-productive ways with citizens, families and communities.

Sandhya is a regular contributor for Community Care Inform Adults, an organisation who provide online resources for social workers and social care professionals. Sandhya’s recent research resources include; 

• Dignity in later life: lessons from research February 2019

• Older carers: lessons from research July 2018

• Dementia and social work: lessons from research April 2018

• Community-based prevention: lessons for research September 2017