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Wolfson Institute of Population Health
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  4. Population and Precision Health Sciences Unit

Population and Precision Health Sciences Unit

Unit Lead: Sarah Finer

The Population and Precision Health Sciences Unit is a multidisciplinary research group working to improve the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of common long-term conditions, such as type 2 diabetes. We have a particular commitment to reducing health inequalities and improving the representation of people from underserved communities in research. We draw on a range of population cohort studies and large-scale datasets to pursue this work, using NHS health data, genomics, and multi-omics to generate insights that can drive improvements in health and healthcare at both individual and population level. Our team brings broad methodological expertise across genomics, epidemiology, health services research and health economics.

Among the unit’s flagship research programmes are two major cohort studies:

  • Genes & Health is one of the world’s largest community-based genetics studies, recruiting British Bangladeshi and British Pakistani volunteers across east London, Bradford, Manchester and the West Midlands. The study has been running for over 10 years, with more than 75,000 volunteers already recruited, underpinned by extensive community engagement. Led by Queen Mary University of London, and with past and current funding from the NIHR, MRC, Wellcome Trust and a Life Sciences Consortium, the study links genetic data to NHS health records to investigate diseases and treatments across a wide range of conditions. Its open-access resources attract international research teams from around the world.
  • Black Health Legacy was started in 2025 and is funded through a prestigious eight-year Wellcome Discovery Award. Based in community-rooted partnerships, and with a focus on building trust and engagement in research, Black Health Legacy investigates health conditions that disproportionately affect people from Black backgrounds. Beginning with type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and kidney disease - conditions for which Black people in the UK face substantially elevated risk - the study is working to address a critical gap: fewer than 1% of global genetic data comes from people of African ancestry, with profound consequences for the development of equitable precision and personalised medicine.

Professor Sarah Finer is Clinical Professor in Diabetes at Queen Mary and Co-Lead of Genes & Health and Black Health Legacy. Her interdisciplinary research programme integrates clinical and translational research with genomics and real-world data to improve care for people living with, or at risk of, type 2 diabetes in diverse populations.

Dr Daniel Stow is a Lecturer in Epidemiology whose research focuses on frailty, multimorbidity and cardiometabolic disease across the life course.

Our Unit comprises a diverse, multidisciplinary, team with a strong ethos of collegiality, mentorship, and work-life balance. We collaborate closely with many other colleagues in the Wolfson Institute of Population Health and Blizard Institute, as well as with national and international colleagues, the NHS and community partners.

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