ARU medical student in the running for national award
Jessica-Mary recognised for research, innovation and widening representation
Jessica-Mary Onuoha, who is in her final year studying Medicine at Anglia Ruskin University
A final-year medical student at Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) has been shortlisted for a prestigious national award after combining academic excellence, research and entrepreneurship during her studies.
Jessica-Mary Onuoha has been shortlisted for the Rising Star Award at the Black Talent Awards, which celebrate outstanding achievement across a range of sectors.
The Chelmsford-based student has been shortlisted for a range of initiatives focused on improving healthcare and increasing representation within medical education. Her work includes research highlighting the under-representation of skin of colour in dermatology teaching materials and the development of an educational platform designed to improve diagnostic accuracy across all skin tones.
The aspiring dermatologist, who hopes to specialise in skin of colour, recently presented her research at ARU School of Medicine’s Inclusive Health conference. Her studies looked at how the teaching of dermatology has changed over the past six years, identifying progress but also highlighting areas where further improvements are needed.
Alongside her studies, Jessica-Mary is co-founder of Roots Marketplace, an online platform aimed at making beauty, health and wellness services more accessible for ethnic minority communities. The project has secured funding through grants and the ARU pitching competition ThinkBigARU, and has exhibited at events in London.
Last year, Jessica-Mary also served as president of the Anglia Ruskin Special Senses Society, helping fundraise for and organise international dermatology and ophthalmology conferences that provided students with opportunities to showcase their research and network with clinicians and academics.
Her latest recognition follows a profile in Future Leaders magazine, where she was ranked third in its list of the top 150 Black undergraduate students in the UK.
“I was surprised and incredibly honoured to be shortlisted. To be recognised alongside trailblazers also making a real impact in their fields is a huge privilege. As a student, it means so much to have my work acknowledged in this way, and I’m truly grateful to have been recognised.
“Everything I’ve done, whether through research, leadership roles or my business activities, has been driven by a desire to improve access, increase representation and help create better health outcomes for patients. I hope that by highlighting these issues I can contribute to positive change, both within medical education and in healthcare more widely.
“ARU has been instrumental in helping me develop both academically and professionally. The Anglia Ruskin Enterprise Academy team supported me with funding opportunities, training and advice for my business ventures, while my supervisors have given me the confidence and freedom to pursue research that I hope will make a real difference.”
ARU student Jessica-Mary Onuoha, who is from Dartford in Kent