Dr Zeb Sattar

Assistant Professor

School: Communities and Education

I am Assistant Professor of Public Health at Northumbria University, specialising in ethnic health inequalities, religion, and culture in health and social care. My work is centrally concerned with addressing issues of inequality, social justice, and exclusion with a particular focus on South Asian and Muslim communities in my native North East and beyond. I have led a number interdisciplinary and engagement rich projects on living options (care homes) and frailty, dementia and loneliness and dietary practices of school children supported by competitive funding from, e.g. NIHR and Innovate UK. My research is co-produced with communities, practitioners, service users and health and social care staff to ensure culturally tailored and impactful outcomes.

My research is underpinned by a strong commitment to participatory and co-produced methods, ensuring that the voices of marginalised groups shape research design, interpretation, and impact.

Recent work has informed debates on addressing health inequalities and interventions to engage diverse communities to address access to healht and social care provision, with forthcoming published work in journals including Global Discourse and Health and Social Care in the Community. It has also been covered by BBC Newcastle and local radio.

My collaborative skills were recognised at the Shine Awards 2025, important to understand barriers to accessing health and social care and develop culturally tailored interventions. I have regularly led on a research newtwork of over 100 academics, public and third sector personnel, clinical practitioners and Public members to exchange knowledge on disseminating research on SAM contemporary issues to strengthen the real-world impact of research.

I am Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA) and contribute to undergraduate and postgraduate teaching in Public Health, research methods and strategic management. I supervise PhD students and have a strong interest in enhancing student experience including international students.

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Research Themes and Scholarly Interests

Research Interests

My research interests span across the life course and interdisciplinary including participatory methodologies. My speciliasm is ethnic health research and I am alsways keen to support researchers to advance knowledge to shape national and international debates on health inequality and culturally sensitive policy and practice.

Key Publications

Please visit the Pure Research Information Portal for further information
Balancing individual rights and risks: A systematic review of qualitative studies of perspectives on older adults' alcohol use in residential care settings, Nichol, B., Charlton, C., Scott, J., Steer, M., Sattar, Z., Haighton, C. 8 May 2025, In: Ageing & Society
Community asset mapping: An ethical, strength-based approach to co-production and inclusion, Hall, K., Lochhead, L., Alderson, H., Lhussier, M., McGovern, R., Sattar, Z., Watson, P., McGovern, W. 10 Nov 2025, Public Involvement and Community Engagement in Applied Health and Social Care Research, Leeds, United Kingdom, Emerald
Community Asset Mapping: Promoting Inclusion and Equity and Countering Stigma in Applied Substance Use Research, McGovern, W., Shrimpton, L., Alderson, H., Hall, K., Lhussier, M., Sattar, Z., Watson, P., McGovern, R. 28 Sep 2025, In: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
British South Asian and Muslim Community’s Perceptions and Experiences of Addiction and Traditional Drug and Alcohol Treatment Services, Sattar, Z., Lochhead, L., Alderson, H., Lhussier, M., McGovern, R., McGovern, W. 10 Oct 2024, In: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
Diversity and practice: local decision-making practices on multi-cultural diets for British Muslim school children (BMSC) and implications for social justice, Sattar, Z., Carr, S., Lochhead, L., Defeyter, M. 5 Aug 2024, In: Frontiers in Public Health
Frailty nurse and GP-led models of care in care homes: the role of contextual factors impacting Enhanced health in care homes framework implementation, Sattar, Z., Young-Murphy, L., Craig, L., Steven, A., Wilson-Menzfeld, G. 3 Feb 2023, In: BMC Geriatrics
Assessing the feasibility of using place-based health information in alcohol licensing: case studies from seven local authorities in England, Mooney, J., Sattar, Z., deVocht, F., Ling, J. 15 Jul 2022, In: Cities and Health
Examining the Relationship Between Child Holiday Club Attendance and Parental Mental Wellbeing, Long, M., Stretesky, P., Crilley, E., Sattar, Z., Defeyter, M. 1 Nov 2021, In: Public Health in Practice
Procurement and delivery of food at holiday provision clubs, Mann, E., Widdison, C., Sattar, Z., Defeyter, G. 21 Dec 2021, In: Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development
The impact of a refurbishment programme on older people living in sheltered housing, Sattar, Z., Wilkie, S., Ling, J. 15 Oct 2021, In: Housing, Care and Support

Current and Recent Projects

Please visit the Pure Research Information Portal for further information
Exploring Non-clinical Drug and Alcohol harm and service access experiences of British South Asian youth, Sattar, Z. (Principal Investigator), Sattar, Z. (Co Investigator), Newcastle City Council, 01/04/23 - 31/03/24, £24,211.00
Community Asset Mapping the Mental Health and Drug and Alcohol Services, Organisations and Recovery Groups in the Newcastle Area, McGovern, W. (Principal Investigator), Sattar, Z. (Co Investigator), Newcastle City Council, 01/02/23 - 31/01/24, £49,971.00