Dr. Faatihah Niyi-Odumosu, Associate Professor of Physical Activity and Health Promotion at UWE Bristol, proudly embodies the power of combining clinical expertise with academic leadership. As both medical doctor and an accomplished researcher, she\u2019s carved a distinctive path in health promotion, addressing critical gaps in healthcare access and outcomes globally, for underrepresented communities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
At the core of Faatihah’s work is ALIBSA (Ageing Lifestyle in Blacks and Asians), a knowledge exchange platform with over 100 members that aims to improve health equity through health literacy. ALIBSA addresses the unique challenges faced by Black and Asian populations in maintaining healthy lifestyles as they age, providing free monthly webinars and resources to educate and empower communities about their health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Faatihah has earned widespread recognition for fostering knowledge exchange, business innovation, and strategic partnerships across healthcare, health technology, NHS trusts, and the sports industry. Her portfolio includes groundbreaking initiatives such as FitBees, SAW-Health, and the C2REST Project, each contributing to advancing health outcomes on a global scale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Throughout her career, Faatihah encountered the familiar pressures of academic life, balancing research ambitions with teaching commitments and administrative demands, while securing the funding necessary to advance her work. Yet she approached these challenges with characteristic determination, refining her grant-writing abilities and cultivating strong collaborative relationships.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“My career has been shaped by my willingness to learn and grow, as well as the support of mentors, sponsors, family and colleagues,” she reflects. This combination of personal resilience and collective goals have been fundamental to her ability to navigate the complexities of academia while maintaining the boundaries necessary for sustainable success.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The 100 Black Women Professors NOW programme proved transformative for Faatihah’s academic journey. Assigned both a sponsor and mentor, she gained access to invaluable opportunities, advice, and support that opened new doors for her career advancement. The cohort met with the Vice Chancellor and other executives\u2019 multiple times, creating visibility and advocacy opportunities that placed important conversations about equity and inclusion at the highest levels of institutional leadership.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n“This program allowed me to connect with a diverse group of Black women in academia, increased my visibility within the academic community and beyond, and provided opportunities to advocate for diversity, equity and inclusion in higher education.”<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
The programme’s impact extended beyond individual career development, equipping participants with the tools, confidence, and connections needed to drive systemic change within their institutions and the wider academic landscape.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Global Leadership and Legacy<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Faatihah’s influence extends internationally. She serves as Secretary of the Low-Middle-Income Countries Research Council for the International Society of Physical Activity and Health (ISPAH), Associate Editor of the Journal of Physical Activity and Health, and reviewer for NIHR and Innovate UK grants. Her mentorship reaches across continents, supporting healthcare practitioners, early career researchers, and doctoral students in the UK, Nigeria, Ghana, Cameroon, Australia, Malaysia, India, the Netherlands, Canada, and the United States.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Her research focuses on developing effective lifestyle interventions to improve human health, particularly in chronic diseases, with special attention to older adults, ethnic minorities, and patients with conditions such as type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Words of Wisdom<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
For those navigating their own academic journeys, Faatihah offers clear guidance:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n“Build a strong network, stay focused and determined, and seize every opportunity. Trust yourself to find solutions. Treat others with kindness and respect and keep your ultimate goal in sight. These principles will guide you through challenges and lead you to success.”<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Through her work with the 100 BWPN programme and her community-centered research initiatives, Dr. Faatihah Niyi-Odumosu demonstrates how individual excellence can drive systemic change, creating healthier futures for underrepresented communities while paving the way for the next generation of diverse academic leaders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nUWE Bristol staff can apply to join the 25\/26 cohort of this programme. Applications are open now, closing 19 Oct 2025.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Dr. Faatihah Niyi-Odumosu, Associate Professor of Physical Activity and Health Promotion at UWE Bristol, proudly embodies the power of combining clinical expertise with academic leadership. As both medical doctor and an accomplished researcher, she\u2019s carved a distinctive path in health promotion, addressing critical gaps in healthcare access and outcomes globally, for underrepresented communities. Building Bridges … Continue reading “Dr. Faatihah Niyi-Odumosu: Pioneering Health Equity Through Research and Community Engagement”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":78,"featured_media":7521,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"wds_primary_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7520","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorised"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.uwe.ac.uk\/research-external-engagement\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7520","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.uwe.ac.uk\/research-external-engagement\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.uwe.ac.uk\/research-external-engagement\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.uwe.ac.uk\/research-external-engagement\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/78"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.uwe.ac.uk\/research-external-engagement\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7520"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.uwe.ac.uk\/research-external-engagement\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7520\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7523,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.uwe.ac.uk\/research-external-engagement\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7520\/revisions\/7523"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.uwe.ac.uk\/research-external-engagement\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7521"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.uwe.ac.uk\/research-external-engagement\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7520"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.uwe.ac.uk\/research-external-engagement\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7520"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.uwe.ac.uk\/research-external-engagement\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7520"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}