Dr Magdalena Rzewuska Diaz

Biography

I joined the Health Services Research Unit in 2017, following three years as a post-doctoral research fellow of the Science without Borders Programme for Young Talent Attraction (University of Sao Paulo, Brazil) and before that, six months as an honorary research fellow at the George Institute for Global Health (University of Sydney). I am interested in improving and evaluating healthcare improvement, particularly for medically underserved populations with complex healthcare needs. A significant focus of my work has been the use of asynchronous technology and data-driven innovation.

Public involvement is at the heart of my research activities. I have been leading patient and public involvement (PPI) since 2020, initially as a part of the Networked Data Lab initiative and then beginning in November 2022 as the PPIE research fellow for HSRU.

Prizes and Awards

• 2023 Principal's Prize for Research and Engagement: Public Engagement with Research: Main Award
• "Understanding digital appointment inequalities in NHS Grampian: exploring digital exclusion and identifying solutions to address it with our rural and urban communities" - NHS Endowment Research Grant - £11,954.95  (award prize, lead applicant)
• "How to involve the public in health data-intensive research" - Internal Funding to Pump-Prime Interdisciplinary Research and Impact" - £7,700 (award prize, lead applicant)
• "Brazil-UK partnership for development, improvement and implementation of integrated person-centred care in health systems" - GCRF-IPPF application Round 5 - £10,000 (award prize, lead applicant)

Research Overview

Implementation research refers to the scientific inquiry conducted to understand and improve the processes involved in adopting, integrating, and scaling up evidence-based interventions or programs within real-world settings. The primary objective of implementation research is to generate knowledge and evidence about how interventions can be effectively implemented, tailored and adapted to specific contexts or populations. It goes beyond the efficacy or effectiveness of interventions to explore the complexities of real-world implementation, including organisational, social, cultural, and policy factors that influence implementation outcomes.

As an implementation researcher, I focus on addressing complex health problems that disproportionately affect underserved populations, such as people with kidney disease, taking into account the social and psychological determinants involved. Broadly speaking, my work includes two types of research inquiries:

• develop a more comprehensive understanding of the problem, plus possible ways to address it, by integrating disciplinary and stakeholder perspectives, and

• support implementation of that understanding into evidence-informed government policy, professional and community practice, innovation (social and technological) and other measures.

My primary interest is equity-focused implementation research. With a foundation rooted in both my extensive research experience with underserved populations and my personal journey as an ethnic minority in the UK, social mobility achiever and neurodivergent person, my passion lies in addressing power imbalances, promoting meaningful stakeholder engagement, and fostering social justice. By exploring strategies to overcome disparities and promote equal access to resources and opportunities, my research aims to create inclusive societies and advance the well-being of marginalised communities. Through a multidisciplinary approach, I seek to identify effective methods and approaches that empower individuals and communities, promote their agency, and ultimately drive sustainable positive change.

Current Research

• I am a co-investigator and a project researcher on the ACORN study (Asynchronous Consultation Research for the NHS), led by Prof Craig Ramsay and Louise Locock. This study examines an approach to adopting an asynchronous consultation system in NHS Grampian. The Health Foundation funds it. (December 2020 - present)
• I lead a Public and Patient Involvement and Engagement (PPIE) workstream at the NHS Grampian site of the NDL programme (the Networked Data Lab), led by Prof Corri Black from the Centre for Health Data Science, funded by the Health Foundation. This first of its kind network brings together analytical teams from across the UK nations to develop a deeper understanding of the factors affecting people's health in the UK. (July 2020- present)
• I lead an international research and knowledge exchange partnership between the HSRU and faculties of nursing and medicine of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo (Brazil), on data-driven improvement and digital health (TRANSFORM partnership).
• I am a collaborator on the PREP-AI-R study (Prepare for the real-world evaluation of an artificial intelligent system for breast cancer screening: identify and assess stakeholders' needs), led by Prof Craig Ramsay. This study explores multi-stakeholders views on using artificial intelligence systems for breast cancer screening. The Innovate UK funded the study under the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund (ISCF). This study is part of the ICAIRD (iCAIRD – Industrial Centre for Artificial Intelligence Research in Digital Diagnostics), a pan-Scotland collaboration of partners from across the industry, the NHS and academia. (March 2019- present)
• I co-supervise PhD student Shazia Yousouf, awarded Elphinstone Scholarship by the UoA-Institute of Applied Health Sciences, to optimise the responsible use of antibiotics.

Past Research

• I was a methodological advisor an Ayodeji Matuluko's PhD project, Glasgow Caledonian University,  on the co-design and evaluation of theory-informed interventions to enhance antimicrobial stewardship in hospitals based in Scotland.
• DEEP NEURAL NETWORKS FOR FRACTURE LOCALISATION AND REPORTING, co-applicant, funded by the SBRI (Small Business Research Initiative) (July 2019- January 2020).
• "The Intensive Care Syndrome: Promoting Independence and Return to Employment (InS:PIRE) - Evaluation of the scaling up of a quality improvement initiative", lead research fellow, funded by The Health Foundation (May 2017- October 2018)
• JPIAMR behavioural approaches working group, contributor, funded by the Research Council of Norway (RCN) through the Joint Programming Initiative on Antimicrobial Resistance (JPIAMR) under the fourth call 2016 (2016-2018).
• "Development and evaluation of the feasibility of collaborative care models to improve access and quality of care for Brazilian primary care patients with chronic medical conditions and concomitant depressive or anxiety disorders", fellowship, Programa Ciência sem Fronteiras- Atração de Jovens Talentos (Brasil) (2014-2017).

Knowledge Exchange

I am a PPI coordinator for the Health Services Research Unit.

I was a PPI lead for the Grampian Networked Data Lab (NDL).

Collaborations

University of Dundee; NIHR Health Protection Research Unit in Antimicrobial Resistance and Healthcare Associated Infection; Imperial College London; City University, London; Ottawa Health Research Institute, Canada; University of Ottawa; Cochrane Germany, University of Freiberg; Ottawa Hospital, Canada; University of Toronto; Haukeland University Hospital and University of Bergen; University of Sao Paulo

Funding and Grants

• "Understanding digital appointment inequalities in NHS Grampian: exploring digital exclusion and identifying solutions to address it with our rural and urban communities" - NHS Endowment Research Grant - £11,954.95  (award prize, lead applicant)

• "How to involve the public in health data-intensive research" - Internal Funding to Pump-Prime Interdisciplinary Research and Impact" - £7,700 (award prize, lead applicant)

• "Reshaping secondary care consultations after COVID19: the role of asynchronous consultation methods" - Health Foundation -  £203,04 + £49,36 (co-applicant)

• "Supporting osteoporosis care: Can an automated classification system effectively case finding people at risk" -  the Grampian Osteoporosis Trust - £87,814 (co-applicant)

• "Supporting osteoporosis care: Can an automated classification system effectively case finding people at risk?" - NHSG Endowment Grant 2020 - £10,066 (co-applicant)

• "Brazil-UK partnership for development, improvement and implementation of integrated person-centred care in health systems" - GCRF-IPPF application Round 5 - £10,000 (award prize, lead applicant)

• "Deep Neural Networks for Fracture Localisation and Reporting" - SBRI & Innovate UK-  £18,783 (co-applicant)

Teaching Responsibilities

Present: 

• PU5039 Qualitative Health Research (unit coordinator)
• PU5031 Evidence Based Health (marking)
• PU5058 Introduction to Health Data Science (tutor)
• PU922 MSc Research Project (supervisor)

Past:

• MBChB Year 4 Student Selected Component (tutor)
• PU5528 Values and Ethics in Public Health (tutor)
• The original course - Future Learn: Utilising Social Science and Behaviour Change in Antimicrobial Stewardship Programmes: Improving Healthcare