Dr Farina Kokab

Dr Farina Kokab

Department of Social Work and Social Care
Research Fellow

Contact details

Email
f.kokab@bham.ac.uk
Twitter
Address
School of Social Policy and Society
Muirhead Tower
ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø
Edgbaston
Birmingham
B15 2TT
UK

Farina started her academic career through her PhD in applied health research where she explored health inequalities experienced by the Pakistani ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø in the UK. Since then, Farina has gone on to work across several studies exploring the perspectives of various care providers and patients (Diabetes Prevention Programme, CLAHRC Maternity, Junior Doctors Mental Health, and The Shame and Medicine Project). Her theoretical and conceptual interpretation of health inequalities is undertaken using the lens of gender and ethnicity, recognising the role of  women as providers and beneficiaries of health care who continually face systemic and cultural challenges. She works primarily on qualitative and mixed-methods projects. Farina’s current research topic of interest is on gaslighting and intersectionality in women’s reproductive health. 

Qualifications

  • FHEA, ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø, 2020 
  • PhD, Applied Health Research, College of Medicine and Dentistry, ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø, 2016
  • MA, Social Research (Social Policy), ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø, 2012
  • MSc, Health Psychology, Aston University, 2011
  • BSc, Psychology, ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø, 2010

Biography

Farina completed her undergraduate degree in Psychology at the ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø and went onto achieve an MSc in Health Psychology at Aston University as a professional training course. Both of these degrees are accredited by the British Psychological Society. She then went on to complete an MA in Social Research (Social Policy) at the ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø as part of her PhD, which involved investigating the role of social support in influencing health beliefs and lifestyle practices amongst tri-generational Pakistani migrants in the West Midlands, UK. 

Whilst completing her PhD Farina started work with the development and evaluation of Quality Outcome Framework (QOF) indicators for Diabetes Prevention at the ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø. Following this she worked with clinicians and academics on developing a range of projects with the CLAHRC Maternity team that can be applied to maternity services. She then worked on a mixed-methods project exploring mental health in junior doctors. Currently, Farina is part of the Shame and Medicine Project at the College of Social Sciences.

Farina has also contributed to wider research taking place at the University and internationally. She has been awarded Fellowship status by the Higher Education Academy for her contribution to teaching.

Teaching

Medicine and Surgery MBChB 

  • Integrated Problems-Clinical communications 
  • Integrated Professional and Academic Practices (IPAS) 
  • Health Improvement Evidence Review (HIER) advisor third year students 
  • Evidence Based Medicine (EBM) Qualitative tutor third year students 

Public Health MPh/Diploma 

  • Sociology and Social Policy 

Qualitative Research Methods

  • Module Co-Lead

Postgraduate supervision

  • Masters in Public Health Dissertations
  • MSc in Clinical Primary and Community Care Dissertation
  • PhD mentoring for students in IAHR

Farina is interested in supervising postgraduate and PhD research students on using qualitative methods to undertake their research. She is particularly interested in access to and experiences of health, prevention and lived experience of disease and illness.

Doctoral research

PhD title

Research

Farina’s PhD research included a qualitative synthesis (adapted meta-ethnography) of the experiences and influences of social support on cardiovascular disease prevention. She has since advised and supported colleagues and students with qualitative syntheses on a variety of research areas. 

The primary research in Farina’s PhD included multi-channel recruitment and in-depth interviews. Data collection was based on the theory of Social Capital and used alongside the Convoy model diagram to elicit responses on social networks, cultural norms and trust. Framework analysis was used to develop and present an interpretation of findings.

Other activities

Leadership roles

  • Early Career Researchers and Academics Group (ECRAG): Co-chair and editor of the monthly blogs. Managing and organising regular professional and personal development sessions (2012-2019)

Farina’s research interests can also be found on where she was co-chair from 2012-2019

  • Mentor for doctoral and postdoctoral researchers 

Awards and prizes

Graduate Poster Conference First Prize winner for College of Medical and Dental Sciences (2014) 

Society Membership

Member of the British Psychological Society 

Reviewer

  • Peer Reviewer for Patient Education and Counselling
  • Peer Reviewer for Chronic Illness 

Prior

  • Doctoral Researcher’s Diversity Network (DRDN): representative for the Institute of Applied Health Research
  • PERCAT: Postdoctoral/Early career researcher representative for career development and training, and workshop facilitator
  • IRIS: Institute of Research Into Superdiversity. Participating in organisation of the first annual Superdiversity conference. Doctoral representative and workshop facilitator
  • Post-graduate rep at the Institute of Applied Health Research

Publications

Recent publications

Article

Hussain, NM, Spiers, J, Kobab, F & Riley, R 2023, '', Healthcare, vol. 11, no. 6, 834.

Spiers, J, Kokab, F, Buszewicz, M, Chew-Graham, CA, Dunning, A, Taylor, AK, Gopfert, A, van Hove, M, Teoh, KR-H, Appleby, L, Martin, J & Riley, R 2022, '', BMC Health Services Research, vol. 22, no. 1, 1333.

Kokab, F, Jones, E, Goodwin, L, Taylor, B & Kenyon, S 2021, '', Midwifery, vol. 104, 103183.

Riley, R, Kokab, F, Buszewicz, M, Gopfert, A, Van Hove, M, Taylor, AK, Teoh, K, Martin, J, Appleby, L & Chew-Graham, C 2021, '', BMJ open, vol. 11, no. 6, e045588.

Riley, R, Buszewicz, M, Kokab, F, Teoh, K, Gopfert, A, Taylor, AK, Van Hove, M, Martin, J, Appleby, L & Chew-Graham, C 2021, '', BMJ open, vol. 11, no. 6, e043521.

Qadi, O, Lufumpa, N, Adderley, N, Bem, D, Marshall, T & Kokab, F 2020, '', BJGP Open, vol. 4, no. 5, bjgpopen20X101087.

Kokab, F, Greenfield, S, Lindenmeyer, A, Sidhu, M, Tait, L & Gill, P 2020, '', BMC Public Health, vol. 20, no. 1, 1432.

Kokab, F, Foskett-Tharby, R, Hex, N & Gill, P 2017, '', BJGP Open.

Sidhu, M, Kokab, F, Jolly, C, Marshall, T, Gale, N & Gill, P 2016, '', Family Medicine and Community Health , vol. 4, no. 2, pp. 16-28.

Editorial

Goodwin, L, Taylor, R, Kokab, F & Kenyon, S 2018, '', Midwifery, vol. 60, pp. 36-40.

Literature review

Kokab, F, Greenfield, S, Lindenmeyer, A, Sidhu, M, Tait, L & Gill, P 2017, '', Patient Education and Counseling.