Dawn is Professor of mental health and inclusivity at the University of Manchester Academic Lead for Equality, Diversity & Inclusion on ‘race’, religion, and belief.

Dawn is a member of the Board of Governors at The Health Foundation and Director of the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Research Unit (EDI-RU) within Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Trust. She has previously served as a non-executive director of NHS Mental Health Trusts and on the Board of Trustees of community organisations that work with marginalised communities.

Dawn is a health services researcher who is committed to helping reform policy and practice thus creating more equitable, effective, and accessible care, treatment, and outcomes. In this context, she works collaboratively with service users, their families, healthcare professionals, and other stakeholders to co-produce, implement, and evaluate psychosocial interventions.

Currently, Dawn’s research portfolio includes being principal investigator for a Medical Research Council funded study to determine the feasibility of establishing ‘community dementia care hubs’ in Black Majority Churches to promote early diagnosis and improve dementia care. She is also chief investigator for a national Randomised Controlled Trial (RCT) to evaluate Culturally-adapted Family Intervention (CaFI) – a bespoke, co-created ‘talking treatment’ to improve psychosis care and outcomes for families of Sub-Saharan African and Caribbean descent.