University researcher awarded prize for work with the World Health Organization on protecting ethnic minority groups from future pandemics
Dr Daniel Pan
A University of Leicester researcher in infectious diseases has won a prestigious award for research he conducted into health inequalities.
The 2024 Corrine Camilleri-Ferrante Prize from NHS England (Midlands) will be awarded to Dr Daniel Pan at the Annual Faculty of Educators’ Development Symposium on 16 October when he will present his work to hundreds of senior clinicians and educators based in the East Midlands.
Dr Pan is currently working as a PhD student, studying transmission of respiratory viruses and is also an infectious diseases doctor based at University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust.
The work he will present was performed 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 from the University of Leicester, during the COVID-19 pandemic, 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.
“This award shows how the University of Leicester continues to be a global research leader in addressing ethnic inequalities.”
Prof 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, Chair and Clinical Professor in Infectious Diseases at the University of Leicester and Consultant in Infectious Diseases at University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust added: “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.”