Ada Achinanya-Nwadiani
Research Associate
Profile
Biography
Ada joined the York Trials Unit in April 2024 as a research associate to work on the 5-year NIHR-funded UPTURN study, which aims to support people with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), particularly from ethnic minority groups.
With over five years of post-doctoral experience as a qualitative researcher, she’s worked extensively on projects spanning fertility care, inflammatory bowel disease and mental health. Her work includes capacity-building in low-middle-income countries, policy development with the Gambian Ministry of Health, and creating interventions for young people with chronic illnesses.
From 2022-23, Ada was the lead qualitative researcher on an NIHR-funded study along with a team from Sheffield Health and Social Care to understand services for people with complex mental health difficulties. These are people diagnosed with personality disorders, childhood and adulthood traumas, self-harm and complex PTSD. Her work included recruitment, conducting several interviews with the patients and healthcare professionals, analysing the data, writing reports, presenting the work at national conferences and developing a toolkit which could help primary care providers better identify these groups of patients.
Qualifications
- Associate Fellow Higher Education Academy
- PhD Reproductive Medicine, University of Sheffield
- MSc Reproductive Medicine, University of Sheffield
- BSc Medical Laboratory Science (Haematology), University of Ghana, Accra.
Research
Overview
Ada’s research focuses on health inequalities, mental health and ethnic minority reproductive health. This includes research into experiences of African women with infertility and developing culturally appropriate health information. Additionally, Ada’s doctoral experience has led her to advocate for and mentor student’s involved in emotionally sensitive research.
Projects
- UPTURN study: Co-design and evaluation of an intervention to increase UPTake of pUlmonary RehabilitatioN for people living with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
Research group(s)
Supervision
Ada would be interested in supervising undergraduate and postgraduate students working in the following areas: health inequalities, mental health, and reproductive medicine.
Publications
Selected publications
- Achinanya, A., Bryant, V., Payne, S. et al. (2026). Using co-design to identify healthcare priorities for patients with incurable head and neck cancer. BMC Health Services Research; 26, 200. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-025-13993-y
- Mayland, C.R., Achinanya, A., Harrison, M. et al. (2026). Multi-perspective views about healthcare experiences for those with incurable head and neck cancer: A prospective, longitudinal, qualitative study. Palliative Medicine, p.02692163261416267.
- Mayland CR, Achinanya A, Harrison M, et al. (2025). Giving voice to those with incurable head and neck cancer (HNC): understanding and identifying priorities for improving healthcare experiences. BMJ Supportive & Palliative Care;15: A1.
- Mayland CR, Achinanya A, Harrison M, et al. (2025). I Wouldn’t Know Who to Contact’: Understanding and improving healthcare experiences for those with Incurable Head and Neck Cancer Using Serial, Qualitative Patient Interviews. BMJ Supportive & Palliative Care;15: A44.
- Oliver P, Huddy V, McInerney C, Achinanya A, Horspool M, Dwivedi K, Burton C (2025). Complex Mental Health Difficulties: A Mixed-Methods Study in Primary Care. British Journal of General Practice.
- McInerney CD, Oliver P, Achinanya A, Horspool M, Huddy V, Burton C (2025) Identifying primary-care features associated with complex mental health difficulties. PLoS One 20 (5): e0322771.
- Oliver P, Burton C, Achinanya A, McInerney C, Huddy V, Horspool M (2024). Complex Mental Health Difficulties: Learning from the UNSEEN study with recommendations for GPs. The University of Sheffield. Report.
- The Fertility Care in the Global South Network. The Fertility Care Gap in the Global South: Lessons from The Gambia, West Africa, and Ways Forward to Establish Fertility Care for All. Global Reproductive Health 8(4): e0073, Winter 2023.
- Achinanya Ada. Working with vulnerable people and its effect on the researcher. Research Methodologies: The Doctoral Times, Spring 2022 Edition (Pages 28-29).
Academic & Community Engagement Blogs
- Ada Achinanya. A sun-bright day of new yams, old wisdom and fierce joy. UPTURN Research website. August 2025, Blog post
- Ada Achinanya. Sunshine, Smiles, and Stories: A Lung Health Information Session at SADACCA. UPTURN Research study website, April 2025, Blog post
- Ada Achinanya & Lorraine Lawrence. A day at SADACCA: Beyond Research and into Connection. UPTURN Research study website, February 2025, Blog post
- Ada Achinanya & Lorraine Lawrence. Breathing Life into Advocacy: A Day of Inspiration, Education, and Empowerment. UPTURN Research study website, March 2025, Blog post
- Ada Achinanya. Training in conducting inclusive research. UPTURN Research website, November 2024, Blog post
Full publications list
External activities
Editorial duties
- Peer Reviewer: Journal of Psychology, Scientific African Journal.
Invited talks and conferences
- Talking about complex mental health difficulties: new approaches needed: Society for Academic Primary Care (SAPC) North, November 2023
- Understanding services for people with complex mental health difficulties: A qualitative study, AUPMC Research Meeting, Sept 2023
- The moderating effect of social support among infertile women: A comparison between UK & Nigerian women, White Rose Fertility Network, March 2022
- A quantitative assessment of the affordability of infertility treatment in low-middle income countries. Online Global Health Policy Dialogue, Zoom, June 2021
- Qualitative overview of Infertility experiences among Nigerian women. Global Health Research Forum. Sheffield, February 2020
- Exploring women’s experiences with infertility: the unspoken vulnerabilities. The Promise and Perils of Researching Sensitive Issues. University of York, November 2018
