Leeds Beckett University - City Campus,
Woodhouse Lane,
LS1 3HE
School of Health
Middle East and North Africa Research Group
The MENA Research Group will facilitate the development of cross-University research links to promote research activity, to generate grant income and to develop research led teaching focussed on the MENA region.
Our research
In 1967, the World Bank created a Middle East and North Africa region (MENA). This region comprises a group of diverse middle-income countries that share many historical, social and political characteristics. These countries are characterized by a relative lack of research, resources and policy to secure better health and social outcomes for the more than 300 million people who live in the region. Thus there is an urgent need to improve health and social outcomes through research and education that are rooted in the social and political context. The School of Health at Leeds Beckett University has a long-standing research interest in the MENA region.
In 2015, academics from the School of Health established the MENA research group, which is a key theme in the University strategic plan. The aims of this group are 1) to coordinate the development and dissemination of research and 2) to provide a platform for increasing income through grant applications for research about MENA populations. Formation of this group has facilitated Leeds Beckett University, through cooperation with MENA research partners, to become a catalyst for health and educational research progress in the MENA region.
Our mission
The MENA Research Group will facilitate the development of cross-University research links to promote research activity, to generate grant income and to develop research led teaching focussed on the MENA region.
Our aims
The MENA Research Group aims to:
- Coordinate the development and dissemination of research on MENA region
- Provide a platform for increasing income through grant applications for research about MENA populations
There are the following 5 key objectives:
- Form links with existing research centers and groups at Leeds Beckett University and beyond
- Prioritise the internationalization goals in the University Strategic plan
- Facilitate the exchange of ideas and develop collaborative projects to promote research and grant applications
- Increase recruitment of funded PhD projects in the MENA region
- Initiate teaching activities in the MENA region, including CPD workshops and lecture series for students and professionals in the UK or in MENA countries
Current research of staff in the MENA Research Group focuses on health issues such as pain management and infectious diseases. The following projects are already undergoing:
- Epidemiology of neuropathic pain and pain management practice in Libya (PhD funded by the Libyan Higher Education Authority)
- Molecular Epidemiology of Hepatitis C and B in Libya (PhD proposal)
- Medical and Social causes of infertility in Libya (Self-funded PhD student)
- Prevalence and determinants of obesity (PhD funded by the Libyan Higher Education Authority in collaboration with Carnegie Faculty)
- TENS use in Saudi Arabia (PhD project funded by Saudi Arabia)
- Lung cancer stem cell therapy (PhD application from an Egyptian candidate to Newton-Musharraf Program Fund)
Internal partners:
- Centre for Biomedical Science Research
- Centre for pain research
- Migrant Health team
- Musculoskeletal Health Research Group
- Neuro-rehabilitation Group
- Applied Obesity Research Centre
External Partners:
- Centre of Statistics and Development - 15 Holmwood Drive, Leeds, LS6 4NF, United Kingdom
- Rawaffed for Education Services Ltd, 16 Regent St, Leeds, LS2 7QA
- University Of Benghazi, Libya, Research and Consulting Center
- Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar Contact
Dr Sareen Galbraith
Sareen E Galbraith is a molecular virologist working on RNA viruses. Work in her lab focuses on the interaction of positive stranded RNA viruses (flavivirus and alphavirus) with their mammalian hosts and on detection of these viruses in their mammalian and vector hosts.
