Dr Joseph Akanuwe
Senior Research Fellow
ORCID 0000-0002-4322-6742
Joseph is a Senior Research Fellow at the Academic Unit for Ageing and Stroke Research (ASR). He is currently working on a mixed methods study exploring the potential impact of green spaces for in-patient stroke units. Prior to taking up this role, Joseph worked as a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the Community and Health Research Unit (CaHRU), University of Lincoln, following the award of his PhD in 2018. In this previous role, Joseph was involved in coordinating and contributing to primary care, public health and quality improvement projects. These included qualitative and mixed method studies as well as systematic and scoping reviews, which resulted in several peer reviewed journal publications and conference presentations. He also contributed to the supervision of postgraduate research students and served as a deputy lead for a Public Health, Infectious Diseases and Data (PHInDD) theme in CaHRU.
With a background in Nursing and Public Health, Joseph had previously worked as an overseas adaptation nurse on an elderly care ward and then as a staff nurse on a stroke ward at the Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust between 2004 and 2006. He then moved to the Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust between 2006 and 2018, where he worked as a renal dialysis nurse and contributed to the nursing care of patients with long-term conditions including stroke, renal disease, diabetes and heart failure. During this period, Joseph undertook further studies and achieved a Master of Medical Science (MMedSci) in managing long-term conditions, MPhil in Health and Related Research (both from the University of Sheffield), and a PhD from the University of Lincoln. This resulted in a move into academia and full-time research with particular interest in long-term conditions including stroke which he is focusing on in his current role, while maintaining interest in nursing as a registered member of the UK Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC).
Prior to moving to the UK in 2004, Joseph worked in Ghana as a staff nurse, a Casualty and Emergency Unit Manager and a Nursing School Lecturer.
Recent Funding Awarded
2023 Co-investigator – New GP SCA module stakeholder analysis and development of papers and editorials related to this — awarded £5000 by Royal College of General Practitioners.
2023 Co-investigator – Exploring experiences of doctors in training undertaking the new workplace-based assessments for general practice licensing — awarded £10000 by Royal College of General Practitioners.
2022 Co-Chief investigator – Peer support intervention to aid recovery from Guillain Barre Syndrome (PSI-GBS): feasibility study – Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) work— awarded £200 by NIHR RDS East Midlands Public Involvement Fund.
2021 Co-investigator – Beneficial Changes Network (BCN) Project: Use of Point of Care Ultrasound in Community Practice — awarded £52374 by NIHR Applied Research Collaboration (ARC) East Midlands.
2020 Co-investigator – Working with policy makers in Public Health to explore the feasibility of a shared and integrated dataset — awarded £10066 by University of Lincoln QR funding.
2020 Co-investigator – Developing an East Midlands Integrated Lifestyle Service Database – feasibility study — awarded £20,000 by NIHR East Midlands CRN.
2020 Co-investigator – Heritage at Risk and Wellbeing — awarded £40962 by Historic England.
Recent Publications
Burton LJ, Crocker T, Coventry P, Hill L, Walsh A, Myers E, Speed M, Akanuwe J, Forster A. Exploring how hospital based green spaces support stroke rehabilitation: A mixed methods multiple case study protocol. PLoS One 2026;21(6), e0350763. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0350763
Pattinson J, Akanuwe J, Sonmez Efe S, Emerson K, Wright A, Merali S, Sales B, Anstey T, Khan A, Siriwardena AN. Experiences of General Practice trainees undertaking Workplace Based Assessments who have received a developmental outcome at their Annual Review of Competency Progression (ARCP). Education for Primary Care; 2025, 1-12.
Siriwardena AN, Akanuwe J, Bodgener S, Wilkes B, Copus S, Withnall R. Stakeholder attitudes and perceptions of the new simulated consultation assessment for GP licencing in the United Kingdom: a cross-sectional mixed methods survey. Education for Primary Care; 2025, 1–10.
Pattinson J, Akanuwe J, Siriwardena AN et al. Exploring the perceptions of doctors with specific learning differences undertaking assessments for UK general practice licencing: a qualitative study. Education for Primary Care; 2025, 1–12.
Siriwardena A N, Botan V, Law G et al. Predictors of care home resident conveyance to hospital or referral to community pathways by a regional ambulance service attending medical emergencies: a retrospective cross-sectional study. Scand J Trauma Resusc Emerg Med; 2024, 32, 121.
Laparidou D, Curtis F, Wijegoonewardene N, Akanuwe J, Weligamage DD, Koggalage PD, Siriwardena AN. Emergency medical service interventions and experiences during pandemics: A scoping review. PLoS One. 2024; 1;19(8):e0304672.
Pattinson J, Laparidou D, Lewis C, Siriwardena AN, Sima C, Scott A, Hughes H, Akanuwe J. Volunteering on Heritage at Risk sites and wellbeing: a qualitative interview study; Health Expectations, 2023, 1-15.
Akanuwe, Joseph, Siriwardena, Niro, Bidaut, Luc et al. Practitioners’ views on community implementation of point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) in the UK: a qualitative interview study. BMC Health Serv Res, 2023, 23, 84.
Akanuwe J, Cooke S, Henderson H, Kane R. Exploring the perceptions and acceptability of an integrated lifestyle database for public health research and service commissioning: a qualitative study. Perspectives in Public Health. 2022;0(0).
Laparidou D, Curtis F, Akanuwe J, Goher K, Siriwardena AN, Kucukyilmaz A. Patient, carer, and staff perceptions of robotics in motor rehabilitation: a systematic review and qualitative meta-synthesis. Journal of NeuroEngineering and Rehabilitation. 2021, 18:18.
Siriwardena, AN, Akanuwe, JNA, Botan, V, et al. Patient-reported symptoms and experience following Guillain-Barré syndrome and related conditions: Questionnaire development and validation. Health Expect. 2021; 1- 9.
Akanuwe JNA, Black S, Owen S, Siriwardena AN. Barriers and facilitators to implementing a cancer risk assessment tool (QCancer) in primary care: a qualitative study. Primary Health Care Research & Development. 2021, 22(e51): 1–6.