Skip to main content

Turning Points: Black and working-class journeys into health research. Film screening, discussion and reception

When: —
Venue: External

Book your place

Turning Points: Black and/or working-class journeys into health research is a documentary film in which three professsors, Amaka Offiah (Sheffield), Helen Minnis (Glasgow), Sharon Cox (UCL) and PhD candidate Tomi Akingbade (Cambridge) share why they wanted to become academic researchers, how they achieved their goals, what their research is about and how their lived experience has shaped their journeys and their goals. Filmed in Sheffield, Glasgow, London and Cambridge the film also captures the daily spaces of academic life. Directed by Bartek Dziadosz at Birkbeck the film was funded by a Wellcome Trust grant awarded to Birkbeck. The purpose of the film is to encourage more Black and/or working-class people to enter academic health research and shape the future knowledge of how to achieve good health outcomes for all. 

Following each screening their will be a discussion led by Patrick Vernon, OBE, co-founder of 100 Great Black Britons campaign, Chair of NHS Birmingham and Solihull Integrated Care Board (2023–2025) and currently chair of the Walsall Together Partnership Board. In April 2025, he was appointed Pro-Chancellor for Health at the University of Wolverhampton. Dr Haroon Forde is currently a post-doctoral researcher on the AHRC funded project Colonial Reels. He was the co-researcher on the Turning Points project and appears in the film talking with Amaka, Helen, Sharon and Tomi about their experiences. Professor Karen Wells is a reseacher in sociology of childhood and the producer of the film. Dr Chetna Modi is Deputy Director of People for NHS England (London).

After the discussion you are welcome to stay for a drink and a snack and chat about how to become a health researcher. 

Contact name: Karen Wells

Speakers
  • Dr Chetna Modi —

    Dr Chetna modi is a values-driven healthcare change leader and scientist. She is passionate about driving innovation and enhancing learning within the public sector. Her eclectic career spans drug discovery, government, healthcare, and academia, reflecting her adaptability and breadth of expertise. She has led many complex initiatives, and excels in fostering transformative change and inspiring cross-sector collaboration to achieve sustainable healthcare improvements.

  • Dr Karen Wells
  • Haroon Forde —

    Dr Forde is a historian who is currently a researcher at Bristol University. He was the co-investigator on the Turning Points film and appears in the film in conversation with the film's four protagonists.

  • Patrick Vernon —

    PROFESSOR PATRICK VERNON OBE
    Historian | Cultural Genealogist | Campaigner | Speaker | Filmmaker
    Overview
    Professor Patrick Vernon OBE is a historian, travel writer, cultural genealogist, and award-winning filmmaker whose work explores Black diasporic history, memory, and identity through journeys across Africa, the Caribbean, Europe, and the United States. With more than thirty years of leadership experience across public health, heritage, and race equality, Patrick is widely recognised for his ability to connect historical insight with contemporary debates on identity, migration, and social justice.
    He is a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society and the Imperial War Museum, reflecting his contribution to public history and the recovery of underrepresented narratives. Patrick is also a Winston Churchill Fellow and a Clore Cultural Leadership Fellow, which have supported his international research across the African diaspora. His work combines archival research, oral history, DNA evidence, and travel narrative to uncover hidden histories.
    Patrick is the founder of Every Generation Media and co-founder of the 100 Great Black Britons campaign, which reshaped national conversations about Black contribution and belonging in Britain. He played a leading role in securing the establishment of National Windrush Day in 2018 and was among the earliest campaigners to expose the Windrush Scandal.
    In recognition of his influence and leadership, Patrick was named in the Black Powerlist from 2020 to 2025 and was included in British Vogue’s Top 20 Campaigners in 2020. He was awarded an OBE in 2012 for services to health equity and has received numerous honours including a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Sheila McKechnie Foundation.
    Alongside his public history work, Patrick is an award-winning filmmaker. His documentaries A Charmed Life (2008) and Speak Out and Stand Firm (2010) explore Black British history, identity, and resistance.
    His public service includes serving as Chair of NHS Birmingham and Solihull Integrated Care Board (2023–2025) and he currently chairs the Walsall Together Partnership Board. In April 2025, he was appointed Pro-Chancellor for Health at the University of Wolverhampton.

    In February 2026 Patrick was elected as one of the UK representatives for the Global Jamaican Diaspora Council as an adviser to the Jamaican government on diaspora affairs and dialogue.
    Patrick is a compelling keynote speaker who combines powerful storytelling, historical insight, and lived experience to engage audiences across universities, conferences, cultural institutions, and leadership forums.

Tags: