- The University of Birmingham will lead one of nine consortia in the £50m NIHR Cardiovascular Inequalities Challenge
- The partners, including Aston University, will develop practical solutions for the disparities in cardiovascular health across the nation
- The Challenge aims to address one of the UK’s biggest killers for all people, regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, social status, disability or culture
The University of Birmingham, supported by Aston University, is leading one of nine consortia that have been selected to take part in the NIHR Cardiovascular Inequalities Challenge. Developed in partnership with the British Heart Foundation, this £50 million project aims to tackle the huge inequalities that persist across underserved communities in the UK.
The research programme will focus on co-creating practical solutions with communities at-risk – strengthening the detection and management of high blood pressure and cholesterol, two driving factors for diseases of the heart and circulation. Heart attacks, strokes and other conditions such as vascular dementia are preventable with blood pressure and cholesterol-lowering treatment, yet most people are not diagnosed or treated effectively and continue to suffer these catastrophic events. Leveraging both existing infrastructure and new technologies, the Challenge aims to address one of the UK’s biggest killers for all people, regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, social status, disability or culture.
The consortium includes Aston University, Citizens UK (the UK’s biggest and most diverse people-powered alliances), the London School of Economics and Political Science, and Birmingham City Council. As part of the project, this team will work with eight other consortia across the UK to bring together a wealth of experience to address health inequality.
The consortium aims to make a distinct difference in the lives of people across the UK who have less access to either existing or new and often life-saving treatments for heart disease. The consortium’s research projects aim to start later this year. The work will synergise with a range of other programmes led by the partners that are already opening up the benefit of clinical research to broader populations. This includes the DaRe2THINK national primary care trial platform, the Cities@Heart Innovative Health Initiative, the West Midlands Secure Data Environment and the Living Lab for HealthTech.
Aston University’s researchers will be led by Professor Shivani Sharma, deputy pro-vice-chancellor research and enterprise, and a professor at Aston Business School. Aston will help to ensure that cardiovascular health innovations are shaped by – and reach – the communities who need them most. The work will draw on the University’s leadership within the NIHR Applied Research Collaboration Thames Valley, another NIHR-funded project, which is hosted by Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust, co-led by Professor Sharma, and the University of Oxford’s Professor Kam Bhui CBE, professor of psychiatry and honorary consultant psychiatrist. This collaboration funds infrastructure to improve the health of people living in the Thames Valley region and beyond.
Professor Sharma, said:
“We will bring creative participatory approaches to engage with communities in ways that feel authentic and aligned with diverse needs and preferences.
“At Aston, we're deeply committed to inclusive and participatory research, creating spaces where people can shape both the questions and solutions. Through this consortium, we’re proud to bring tried-and-tested approaches that open the door for more people - especially those often ignored in research- to influence how we tackle cardiovascular health gaps. This isn't about ticking a box. It's about building engagement that feels accessible, relevant, and genuinely meaningful to communities.”
Professor Dipak Kotecha, lead for the team and professor of cardiology at the University of Birmingham and the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Birmingham Biomedical Research Centre, said:
“This is an exciting opportunity to have a major impact on the trajectory of heart disease across the UK, and make equal access to NHS care a reality. Our part of this national collaboration includes a dynamic team of community representatives, public health and primary care clinicians, cardiovascular researchers, local and national government agencies, as well as industry partners and technology companies working together to effect sustainable change and pivot the NHS towards better prevention.”
Becky Pollard, assistant director of public health at Birmingham City Council, said:
“Tackling cardiovascular disease is a key priority for us and requires an approach across the city and nation that brings together councils, the NHS, community and voluntary sectors and wider society. We’re delighted to be a part of this exciting research programme which will help to support our work to reduce inequalities in health.”
In addition to national and collaborative research projects, the NIHR Cardiovascular Inequalities Challenge will support and develop capacity across all stakeholders. Professor Clare Taylor, professor of general practice at the University of Birmingham, said:
“Capacity building is essential to realise our ambition to effect disruptive and sustainable change in cardiovascular inequality. Our vision is to create a skilled and diverse research community, committed to this common goal.”
- Notes to editors
-
About Aston University
For over 130 years, Aston University has been making our world a better place through education, research and innovation. Our history is intertwined with the remarkable city of Birmingham, once the heartland of the Industrial Revolution and now the thriving base for an innovation ecosystem of global significance, which Aston is co-creating.
Our vision is to be a leading university for science, technology and enterprise, measured by the positive transformational impact we achieve for our people, students, businesses and the communities we serve.
Aston focuses on high-quality, exploitable research that has an impact on society through medical breakthroughs, advancements in engineering, policy and practice in government, and the strategies and performance of business.
The University offers a range of undergraduate and postgraduate degree programmes, as well as continuing professional development solutions.
Thanks to its focus on delivering excellent outcomes for students, Aston University's reputation continues to grow. It was recognised as the Daily Mail University of the Year for Student Success 2025, is second in England for social mobility (2023 HEPI Social Mobility Index), and is top 20 for graduate salaries (2024 Longitudinal Education Outcomes).
Aston University is now defining its place in the Fourth Industrial Revolution (and beyond) within a rapidly changing world.
For media inquiries in relation to this release, contact Helen Tunnicliffe, Press and Communications Manager, on (+44) 7827 090240 or email: h.tunnicliffe@aston.ac.uk.
Be first to get the latest news, research and expert comment from Aston by following us on X
Need an expert for your story? Browse our experts directory
About the University of Birmingham
The University of Birmingham is ranked amongst the world’s top 100 institutions. Its work brings people from across the world to Birmingham, including researchers, educators and more than 40,000 students from over 150 countries.
England’s first civic university, the University of Birmingham is proud to be rooted in of one of the most dynamic and diverse cities in the country. A member of the Russell Group and a founding member of the Universitas 21 global network of research universities, the University of Birmingham has been changing the way the world works for more than a century.
The University of Birmingham is a founding member of Birmingham Health Partners (BHP), a strategic alliance which transcends organisational boundaries to rapidly translate healthcare research findings into new diagnostics, drugs and devices for patients. Birmingham Health Partners is a strategic alliance between nine organisations who collaborate to bring healthcare innovations through to clinical application:
University of Birmingham
University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust
Birmingham Women’s and Children’s Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Aston University
The Royal Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust
Health Innovation West Midlands
Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust
Birmingham Community Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
Funding high quality, timely research that benefits the NHS, public health and social care;
Investing in world-class expertise, facilities and a skilled delivery workforce to translate discoveries into improved treatments and services;
Partnering with patients, service users, carers and communities, improving the relevance, quality and impact of our research;
Attracting, training and supporting the best researchers to tackle complex health and social care challenges;
Collaborating with other public funders, charities and industry to help shape a cohesive and globally competitive research system;
Funding applied global health research and training to meet the needs of the poorest people in low and middle income countries.
NIHR is funded by the Department of Health and Social Care. Its work in low and middle income countries is principally funded through UK international development funding from the UK government.
The NIHR Birmingham Biomedical Research Centre (BRC) is part of the NIHR and hosted by University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust (UHBFT) in partnership with the University of Birmingham (UoB). The BRC’s research programme focuses on inflammation and the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of its associated long-term illnesses.
About the National Institute for Health and Care Research
The mission of the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) is to improve the health and wealth of the nation through research. We do this by:
Funding high quality, timely research that benefits the NHS, public health and social care;
Investing in world-class expertise, facilities and a skilled delivery workforce to translate discoveries into improved treatments and services;
Partnering with patients, service users, carers and communities, improving the relevance, quality and impact of our research;
Attracting, training and supporting the best researchers to tackle complex health and social care challenges;
Collaborating with other public funders, charities and industry to help shape a cohesive and globally competitive research system;
Funding applied global health research and training to meet the needs of the poorest people in low and middle income countries.
NIHR is funded by the Department of Health and Social Care. Its work in low and middle income countries is principally funded through UK international development funding from the UK government.
The NIHR Birmingham Biomedical Research Centre (BRC) is part of the NIHR and hosted by University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust (UHBFT) in partnership with the University of Birmingham (UoB). The BRC’s research programme focuses on inflammation and the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of its associated long-term illnesses.