About | helenaconstante

My research investigates how structural inequities and intersecting forms of marginalisation shape access to healthcare and health outcomes, with a particular focus on racial and ethnic inequalities. I aim to advance understanding of the mechanisms through which oppression becomes embedded in institutions and manifests in disparities across domains such as access to care in oral health, general health, and mental health. Across my career, I have developed a collaborative research agenda that bridges sociology, public health, and epidemiology, working with scholars in Brazil, Canada, Australia, Spain, and the UK. My long‑term goal is to build an evidence base that not only maps and quantify inequities but also informs interventions capable of dismantling structural barriers to healthcare and improving outcomes for minoritised communities.

Currently, I am a Research Associate in the Department of Sociology at the University of Manchester in the Centre on the Dynamics of Ethnicity (CoDE), working alongside Dr Dharmi Kapadia, in partnership with the NHS Race and Health Observatory, to tackle inequalities in severe mental health outcomes.

My previous work as a Research Associate in the School of Sociological Studies, Politics, and International Relations at the University of Sheffield focused on co-producing knowledge with communities whose voices are often underrepresented, strengthening connections between research, policy, and lived experience. I collaborated with community organisations and academic partners to explore inclusive ageing and address social inequalities affecting older adults.

Previously, I was a Research Fellow at the Federal University of Santa Catarina (UFSC/Brazil) with two projects focused on mapping racial and intersectional inequities in healthcare. These were funded by the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq/Brazil) and the Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (CAPES/Brazil).

I have also worked as a Data Analyst for the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ/Brazil) and, as a TA, I taught undergraduate and postgraduate students at University College London (UK) basic to advanced statistics (using R and STATA) and quantitative methods in the Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Institute of Neurology, and Department of Political Science (Q-Step).

I hold a PhD in Epidemiology from University College London (UCL/UK), and a Master's in Public Health from the Federal University of Santa Catarina (UFSC/Brazil).You can find more information about my work using the links above.

You can contact me via LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/helena-m-constante