![Professor Shenaz Ahmed](/images/resized/100x100-0-0-1-80-Untitled_design__15__3.png")
Professor Shenaz Ahmed
- Position: Professor of Global Health
- Areas of expertise: Student success & belonging; educational equity and racial justice; organisational culture and change; inclusive education; health decision-making/communication; qualitative and mixed-methods research
- Email: S.Ahmed@leeds.ac.uk
- Phone: +44(0)113 343 2441
- Location: Worsley Building
Profile
Shenaz Ahmed is a Professor in the ÂÌñ»»ÆÞ Institute of Medical Education. She is recognised for her work on student success, racial equity and organisational culture in higher education, combining scholarship and leadership to create fairer educational environments and improve outcomes for students and staff.
Her work focuses on addressing differential educational outcomes, strengthening student belonging and supporting evidence-informed organisational change.
At the ÂÌñ»»ÆÞ, Professor Ahmed leads strategic work to enhance student success across the Faculty, bringing together staff and students to shape policy, practice and culture. She previously served as Head of Year 1 for the MBChB programme, overseeing the educational experience of new medical students and the development of the Year 1 curriculum. Her work has informed a range of institutional initiatives, including the Faculty award-winning Microaggressions Awareness Campaign.
Beyond ÂÌñ»»ÆÞ, she is a leading voice in advancing racial equity within UK medical education. She founded and chairs the UK Network for Racial Equity and Justice in Medical Education and serves on the Executive Board of the , contributing to national guidance on race equity in medical education.
Professor Ahmed's scholarly contributions span health decision-making, health communication and quality-of-life research, exploring how patients, families and the public navigate complex healthcare decisions. She has collaborated with researchers across Europe, Asia and Africa. to see her work on βeta-thalassaemia major in Pakistan. This scholarship continues to inform her approach to student success, equity and organisational change in higher education.
Through doctoral supervision, mentorship and collaborative leadership, Professor Ahmed has supported colleagues across multiple institutions in achieving promotion, professional recognition and career progression, reflecting her commitment to developing future academic and educational leaders.
Responsibilities
- Faculty Student Success Academic Lead
- Institute Academic Lead for Staff Engagement Survey
Qualifications
- PhD – ÂÌñ»»ÆÞ (2001)
- BSc Psychology (Hons, first class) – ÂÌñ»»ÆÞ (1998)
Professional memberships
- Fellow of the Higher Education Academy
- UK Medical Schools Council EDI Alliance Executive Board member
Student education
Professor Ahmed has extensive experience in undergraduate and postgraduate education across medicine and health. She previously served as Head of Year 1 for the MBChB programme and has held leadership roles in teaching on the MBChB, Master of Public Health, and Health Research Postgraduate Certificate programmes. Her educational interests include student success, inclusion, health communication, decision-making and qualitative research.
Alongside her educational leadership, she has made a substantial contribution to doctoral education, successfully supervising eleven doctoral students to completion.
Research groups and institutes
- Psychological and Social Medicine
- Health services research