D-CYPHR collaborates with rapper A Star to share an important message about health research

D-CYPHR and A Star partnered together to emphasise the need for representation in health research and to raise awareness of the impact that specific health conditions like Sickle Cell has on Black, Caribbean, and African communities.

In support of D-CYPHR outreach to marginalised communities, we commissioned A Star (Alidor Gaspar) – a rapper, Sickle Cell patient advocate, and founder of Hidden Pain Society, to create a video explaining why representation in research is key to improving health outcomes for those facing health inequalities in the UK. A Star highlights how easy it is for young people to join D-CYPHR from home.

D-CYPHR are proud to work alongside A Star, Black Health Initiative (BHI), Caribbean and African Health Network (CAHN), South Asian Health Action (SAHA) and Egality Health to encourage families from diverse ethnic backgrounds to take part in research by joining D-CYPHR, a nationwide research programme for children under 16 run by the BioResource in partnership with the NHS.

Watch the music video to see A Star in action.

You can make a difference

Any family with children aged 0-15 in the UK can join D-CYPHR and help children’s health research. We need volunteers with and without health conditions to understand childhood health.

Joining D-CYPHR can be done from home. All you have to do is fill in a health and lifestyle questionnaire online and you will be sent a sample kit to donate your saliva  which can then be sent back to us in the post.

If you would like to find out how you can help benefit the future lives of children, take a look at our website.

Improving Black Health Outcomes (IBHO) BioResource

The IBHO BioResource is a new research programme dedicated to furthering our understanding of health conditions and their unique impacts on UK Black communities, with a specific early focus on inviting Sickle Cell patients to take part. To find out more, including eligibility criteria and how to sign-up, please visit the IBHO BioResource webpage.