Programme Feature
Inclusive decision-making: involving residents in all parts of the HDRC
This month we have recruited two new community members to be representatives on the Collaborative Research Board. The board oversees the HDRC.
Sumi Begum and Francisca Okalla will be joining Nurjahan Julie Begum and Reverend James Olanipekum. The resident representatives play a crucial part in helping the HDRC to shape the way research is used to make decisions in Tower Hamlets and by ensuring that resident voice is central to that decision making.
Meet our new members
Get to know Sumi Begom, HDRC CRB Resident Representative
"I advocate for vulnerable women and volunteer with local community and
organisations to support women in our community, especially those facing challenges accessing support and services. I’m passionate about helping women feel more confident, connected, and included and importantly valued.
Alongside this, I also serve as a Resident Representative on the Health Determinants Research Collaboration’s Collaborative Research Board, where I work with the community to make sure local voices shape research that matters to our community.”
We’re excited to have Sumi on board where she will join other resident representatives, Reverend James Olanipekun and Julie Begum.
Get to know Francisca Okalla, HDRC CRB Resident Representative
"As a healthcare professional and an active community member, I am deeply committed to creating a healthier, more equitable borough where all voices—particularly those from under represented communities—are heard and valued.
In my role as a qualified nurse working in our diverse borough, I have witnessed firsthand how social, economic, and environmental factors profoundly affect health outcomes. My role in healthcare goes beyond clinical duties—I regularly engage with residents whose wellbeing is shaped not only by medical needs but also by housing, employment, cultural barriers, and systemic inequality."
Both Sumi and Francisca have been part of the ‘Dare to Lead’ programme run by Account3. They are working on an event ‘Scared Body’ That will be held at the Grocers wing at the Town Hall on 16 September the Dare to Lead 2025 Social Action Project: Sacred Body. You can find more about this in our events section below.
Welcome to Dr Isobel Braithwaite, (Public Health Registrar)
Isobel has joined the Public Health team as a Public Health Consultant and will be support the HDRC housing work, that was previously led by Jenny Hacker.
Isobel is a Public Health Doctor (Specialty Registrar) undertaking an NIHR-funded PhD Fellowship on Housing and Health at the UCL Research Department of Primary Care and Population Health and Institute of Health Informatics. She is a member of UCL’s Health Determinants and Inequalities Group and is also affiliated with the Public Health Data Science team at the Institute of Health Informatics, having previously been involved in work with the VirusWatch study on COVID-19. She has particular interests in health equity and environmental health, co-production with people with lived experience, and is also involved in work on housing and climate change with the Faculty of Public Health and the health charity Medact.
Find out more about Isobel Braithwaite.
Welcome to Jonathan Lloyd (Strategic Director, Change and Improvement)
Jonathan has recently joined Tower Hamlets council from Waltham Forest and joined the HDRC’s Collaborative Research Board from July 2025.