Dr. Emmanuel Nwofe

Biography

Emmanuel Nwofe graduated with a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) degree in Mass Communication from Ebonyi State University, Nigeria, in 2005. In 2009, he pursued a Master of Arts degree in Public Relations from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. He was awarded the Nigerian ETF scholarship in 2011 to study for a Master's degree in Film Studies at the University of Bradford. Later, he received the Ebonyi State Government Scholarship to pursue his PhD in Media Studies at the same university. His doctoral research focused on the impact of new media on social movements, focusing on the radical and agnostic public sphere, alternative communication, ethnic nationalism and marginalised voices.

Emmanuel was delighted to join the Centre for Applied Dementia Studies (CfADS), University of Bradford, as a Research Fellow in June 2023. He is working alongside Dr Sahdia Parveen and Amirah Akhtar on ageing and dementia, focusing on dementia prevention in minority ethnic communities. Emmanuel is particularly interested in modifiable risk factors, promoting brain health, and addressing the dementia knowledge gap within the British Black African/ Black Caribbean community and wider Yorkshire and the Humber communities.

Before joining the University of Bradford, Emmanuel was a Postdoctoral Research Assistant at the Research and Development Unit of Southwest Yorkshire Partnership, NHS Foundation Trust. In this role, he managed a research project on implementing GPS trackers for individuals with dementia at risk of wandering. The project aimed to evaluate the feasibility, usability, and acceptance of GPS technology in promoting independence for individuals with dementia while reducing the burden on caregivers. Emmanuel also supported research on Personality Disorders, trauma, and mental health, which involved collecting qualitative data through interviews and focus group discussions with service users.

Emmanuel has five years of experience working as a Healthcare Assistant in mental health hospitals across Bradford and Southwest Yorkshire Trusts. In 2022, he worked as a Research Fellow (part-time) at Leeds Beckett University, embedded with Wakefield Metropolitan District Council's public health department on the Big Conversation project. This project focused on appreciative inquiries, identifying strengths rather than weaknesses in the Wakefield district. Later, Emmanuel helped design a new project that evaluates Adolescent Vaping in the Wakefield District.

Before his role at the Southwest Yorkshire Partnership NHS Trust, Emmanuel volunteered for Bradford District Care Trust on the BASIL study - an intervention study aimed at mitigating depression and loneliness in older adults (65+ years) who had multiple long-term health conditions or symptoms of low mood/depression and had to self-isolate because of Covid 19. Emmanuel arranged intervention sessions, promoted collaborative problem-solving, evaluated treatment rationale, and promoted self-help skills, focusing on functional equivalence and behavioural activation.

Emmanuel has previously worked as a lecturer in Mass Communication at Ebonyi State University, Nigeria, and held various administrative posts. Outside of work, he enjoys playing Squash, Swimming, reading, and using video editing software.