HDR Midlands Data Grand Round – Monday 14th September 2026 @ 12.30 pm [Online via Teams]

Session Chair: Fiona Pearce

The HDR UK Midlands Data Grand Round takes place each month at lunchtime for one hour, and participants discuss a specific research topic at each meeting.

The research topic of interest is presented at each meeting, followed by a Q&A session, which usually leads to an in-depth discussion.

The meetings are online [virtual meetings] and are recorded for any members of our community who are unable to join us, and are then made available to view via the HDR UK Midlands website.

The meetings are chaired by our HDR UK Midlands Directors, who give a short HDR UK Midlands business update at the start of each meeting.

CPD certificates are available upon request.

Presentation:

Shamil Haroon is a clinical epidemiologist with a special interest in respiratory and chronic diseases. Shamil’s research focuses on long COVID, asthma, and COPD, although he does have a broad interest in public health, primary care, and health data science.

Shamil graduated in medicine at the University of Birmingham in 2006, during which time he completed an intercalated degree in biomedical science. He then completed his clinical foundation training at New Cross Hospital in Wolverhampton and then worked as a senior house officer in Christchurch Hospital, New Zealand in 2008.

On returning to the UK in 2009, Shamil joined the public health speciality training scheme in the West Midlands, and completed a Master’s in Public Health and the Membership of the Faculty of Public Health exams.

In 2011 he was awarded an NIHR doctoral research fellowship to investigate methods of identifying patients with undiagnosed COPD in primary care, under the supervision of Professors Peymané Adab and Rachel Jordan, and in conjunction with the Birmingham Lung Improvement Studies (BLISS) programme.

Shamil’s PhD focused on developing risk prediction models to enable general practitioners to identify patients with undiagnosed COPD. He also conducted systematic reviews to summarise methods of screening for COPD as well as qualitative research to understand the barriers and facilitators to diagnosing COPD in primary care.

Shamil went on to qualify as a consultant in public health in 2017. He was awarded a clinical lectureship at the University of Birmingham to continue his public health research and to also train as a GP, to pursue his interests in both primary care, public health, and population research.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Shamil was awarded research grants to investigate Long COVID and asthma, which are the current focus of his research. He is also a co-investigator on several studies that focus on multimorbidity and chronic disease epidemiology. He works part-time as an Associate Clinical Professor of Public Health and is in his final year of general practice training. He supervises PhD and MD students and contributes to several teaching programmes.

Shamil’s research interests are in respiratory and chronic disease epidemiology, although he does have broad interests in public health, primary care, and data science.

Shamil’s current funded projects focus on improving our understanding of Long COVID, preventing asthma-related hospitalisations, and understanding complex multimorbidity.

Other activities include:
– Personal Academic Tutor, MBChB programme.
– PhD mentor, College of Medical and Dental Sciences.
– General Practice Vocational Training Scheme ST3 trainee (part-time)

What this talk will cover

Dr Shamil Haroon will present an analysis of fit note data on 10 million working-age adults seen in primary care in England. This analysis provides insights into the patterns of fit note provision before and during the latter part of the COVID-19 pandemic. It also demonstrates the potential costs to employers of sickness absence and regional and sociodemographic inequalities in sickness absence across the population.

The published paper can be found here:  Sickness absence in the working age population: a retrospective cohort study using primary care health record data | BMC Public Health | Springer Nature Link

We’d love you to join us!