Research on pandemic health inequalities wins prestigious award

Dr Daniel Pan, Higher Specialty Doctor and researcher at the University of Leicester, has won a prestigious award for research he conducted into health inequalities. 

The 2024 Corrine Camilleri-Ferrante Prize from NHS England was awarded to Dr Pan at the Annual Faculty of Educators’ Development Symposium on 16 October.

The research was undertaken in collaboration with colleagues at the University of Manchester along with the World Health Organization (WHO) and published in EClinicalMedicine. It builds on Dr Pan’s existing research with Professor Manish Pareek, Consultant in Infectious Diseases at UHL and Clinical Professor in Infectious Diseases at the University of Leicester, which demonstrated that ethnic minority groups were disproportionately affected by COVID-19 and this accounted for the large number of hospitalisations and deaths.

Dr Pan’s work addresses these inequalities in exposure to infection specifically, so that ethnic minority groups should be less affected in future pandemics.

Dr Pan said: “I am honoured to receive this award. There is clear evidence of inequalities in COVID-19 health outcomes for ethnic minority groups, as shown repeatedly during the ongoing COVID-19 inquiry.”

Professor Jonathan Corne, from NHS England said: “This award is named after the first Head of the East Midlands School of Public Health so it is particularly fitting that this year it recognises the fantastic work Dr Pan has done in the area of health inequalities. I congratulate him on his award.” 

Professor Manish Pareek, Consultant in Infectious Diseases at UHL, said: “I am proud to have worked alongside Dr Pan on this important work which has shaped vital guidelines to ensure, in the event of another pandemic, all communities are kept safe through improved levels of care. Congratulations to Dr Pan on this very special award.”

Alongside his role in infectious diseases, Dr Pan is currently working as a PhD student at the University of Leicester, studying the transmission of respiratory viruses.

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