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Brighton & Sussex Medical School

BSMS Qualitative Health Research Group

BSMS > Research > Support and governance > BSMS Qualitative Health Research Group

BSMS Qualitative Health Research Group

Supporting, Strengthening and Promoting Qualitative Health Research.

The BSMS Qualitative Health Research Group (QHRG) provides a supportive and collaborative environment for researchers interested in qualitative health research.

The group offers a safe space for researchers at every stage of their career to share work in progress, discuss methodological challenges, develop skills and build cross-disciplinary collaborations across BSMS and beyond. 

The group welcomes BSMS postgraduate researchers, early career researchers and BSMS, University of Brighton and University of Sussex researchers with an interest in qualitative research.

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Launch of the QHRG, March 2026

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Our purpose 

The Qualitative Health Research Group aims to:

  • Support and strengthen qualitative research at BSMS.
  • Increase the visibility and impact of qualitative research across the School.
  • Encourage engagement with qualitative methods, reduce apprehension and build researcher confidence.
  • Foster collaboration with qualitative health researchers across the University and wider research community.

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What we offer

Qualitative Research Support Clinics 

Our monthly support clinics provide an opportunity for researchers to receive methodological advice in a supportive setting.

These one-to-one or small-group sessions can help with:

  • Research design
  • Data collection
  • Data analysis
  • Writing and publication

When: Monthly, Mondays, 11am–12pm

Format: Online

 

Qualitative Research Hub

The Qualitative Research Hub brings together researchers from across BSMS to learn, share experiences and build a vibrant qualitative research community.

The Hub runs approximately three to four times per year and may include:

  • Research seminars
  • Work-in-progress presentations
  • Reading groups
  • Café-style discussions
  • Collaborative learning activities

Sessions are typically delivered in person or in a hybrid format.

To encourage open and reflexive discussion, Hub sessions are not recorded. 

Past and upcoming events

Ethics in qualitative health research, Monday 13 July 2026 at 1pm.

Qualitative Research in Mixed Methods Studies (November 2026, date TBC)

Quality and rigour in qualitative research, Tuesday 26 January 2027 at 12:30pm.

Join the group or request support

Request methodological support

Book a qualitative health research clinic via our form here. Please email Mei Trueba with any queries or for more information. 

Become a member

If you are interested in qualitative health research, join the Group’s low-traffic membership network to connect with others, build research capacity, and explore potential collaborations by completing this form.

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Publications

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Alnoor, B., Nahar, P., Abu Zied, O., & Fairhead, J. (2026). Environmental and structural risk factors for mycetoma in the White Nile State, Sudan: an ethnographic study. International Journal for Equity in Health.

Brown, J., Hughes, A., Bhutta, M., Trautrims, A., & Trueba, M. (2024). Synergistic State Governance of Labour Standards in Global Value Chains: Forced Labour in the Malaysia-Nepal-UK Medical Gloves Supply Chain. Competition and Change. https://doi.org/10.1177/10245294241272190

Donetto, S. (2025). “For space” in healthcare co-design: relational thinking, ontological design and sustainable futuring. In Staub, A. (ed.) Architecture and social sustainability. Routledge.

Donetto, S., Ortiz Baddan Sochandamandou, S., Garcia Duran, M. C., Hessel, P., Zimmerman, A., Araya Baltra, R., & Idrobo, F. (2024). ‘It’s a delicate topic’: Stigma, capabilities and young people’s mental health in post-conflict Colombia. Global Public Health, 19(1), 2346947.

Engdawork, K., Tadele, G., Nahar, P., Davey, G., & Zaman, S. (2025). The role of NGOs in mainstreaming services for podoconiosis into healthcare facilities: the case of two NGOs in Ethiopia. International Journal for Equity in Health, 24(1), 306.

Elsheikh, M., Trueba, M. & Zaman, S. (2025). Traditional healing and mycetoma management in East Sennar State (Sudan): a qualitative exploration. International Journal for Equity in Health,24:296. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12939-025-02641-w 

Fletcher, M., M. Trueba, and L. Al-Hassan. (2025). Antibiotic stewardship and antimicrobial resistance in conflict-affected Sudan: a situational analysis. Frontiers in Public Health 13:2025. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2025.1589290

Trueba, M., Axelrod, T., & Ayeb-Karlsson, S. (2023). Are asylum seekers provided with appropriate mental health support in the United Kingdom? Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies. https://doi.org/10.1080/1369183X.2023.2181126

Contact

For information about the Qualitative Health Research Group or to arrange a support clinic appointment, please contact:

Mei Trueba, BSMS Qualitative Health Research Group.
M.Trueba@bsms.ac.uk