Balamrit Singh Sokhal

Biography

Dr Balamrit Singh Sokhal is an NIHR Academic Clinical Fellow in General Practice at the University of Birmingham and a GP Trainee. He also serves as Honorary Fellow at Keele University and a member of the Keele Cardiovascular Research Group. His research involves using electronic health record data (big data) for population health research, with a focus on cardiometabolic disease, frailty and multiple long-term conditions.

He trained in medicine (MBChB) at Keele University. During his undergraduate training, he was awarded national funding to complete an intercalated MPhil investigating the intersection of frailty and cardiovascular disease under the supervision of Dr Andrija Matetić, Professor Christian Mallen, and Professor Mamas Mamas.

He completed the Specialised Foundation Programme at the University Hospitals North Midlands where he achieved successive Best Portfolio Awards and the Clinical Teacher of the Year Award. He has received numerous awards and funding for his research and community activities such as the PGR Open Research Award, the Health and Care Partnership Student Achievement Award and the Healthcare Leadership Academy Scholarship.

He is passionate about improving patient care, mentoring future clinical academics and bettering public health literacy.

Research and scholarship

Dr Sokhal an active member of the Keele Cardiovascular Research Group. His academic interests bridge primary care and cardiology, with a focus on:

• Big Data Epidemiology: Analysing electronic health records to investigate trends in patient care and outcomes.
• Cardiovascular Prognosis: Investigating risk stratification, multimorbidity, and frailty outcomes in cardiovascular diseases.
• Methodology: Specialising in meta-analysis, biostatistics and data science.

He has authored several peer-reviewed publications, routinely presents at national medical conferences and has successfully secured grant funding. He also contributes to the global health research as a senior collaborator for the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) initiative and is a member of special interest groups of the European Geriatric Medicine Society (EuGMS), World Organisation of Family Doctors (WONCA), Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) and Society for Academic Primary Care (SAPC).

Dr Sokhal welcomes invitations for academic collaboration and is open to supervising aspiring clinical academics.

Teaching

Dr Sokhal is passionate about clinical education and fostering academic interest amongst junior clinicians. He is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA). He has been recognised for his teaching with several awards including UHNM Clinical Teacher of the Year and the MedAll Exceptional Educator Award.

His teaching commitments include:

• Medical Training: Leading and organising educational sessions for medical students and foundation doctors.
• National Networks: Serving in key leadership positions for prominent national platforms, including Medical School’s Co-Lead of Mind the Bleep, Steering Committee of STARSurg UK and Senior Committee of the British Undergraduate Cardiovascular Association (BUCA).
• Mentorship: Supervising and mentoring medical students, resident doctors, and healthcare professionals interested in clinical research.
• Community outreach: Collaborating regularly with community health initiatives, including patient education, community outreach days and charity events.

Dr Sokhal is open to discussing initiatives that aim to improve health education for clinicians or the public.

Supervision

• Medical students
• Resident doctors
• Other professionals interested in health research and education

Publications

1. Ferdinand P, Maguire H, Bajpai R, Sokhal BS, Ahmed S, Goraya J, Shoaib M, Mallen CD, Roffe C. Demographics, risk factor profiles and etiologies in young ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke – the United Kingdom Young Stroke Study (UKYSS). Journal of Neurology. PMID: 41835015.
2. Weight N, Sokhal BS, Rashid M, Dafaalla M, Mallen CD, Mamas MA. The quality of care and survival of ST-elevation myocardial infarction patients with pre-existing cardiac device therapy: a nationwide cohort study. European Heart Journal Open. PMID: 41210182.
3. Sokhal BS, Matetić A, Protheroe J, Helliwell T, Myint PK, Paul TK, Mallen CD, Mamas MA. Emergency department attendance stratified by cause: a retrospective study using the Nationwide Emergency Department Sample. Geriatrics and Gerontology International. PMID: 40874671.
4. Sokhal BS, Matetić A, Rashid M, Protheroe J, Partington R, Mallen CD, Mamas MA. Association of frailty status on the causes and outcomes of patients admitted with Cardiovascular Disease. The American Journal of Cardiology. PMID: 36702048.
5. Sokhal BS, Matetic A, Paul TK, Velagapudi P, Lambrinou E, Figtree GA, Rashid M, Moledina S, Vassiliou VS, Mallen CD, Mamas MA. Management and Outcomes of Patients admitted with Type 2 Myocardial Infarction with and without Standard Modifiable Risk Factors. International Journal of Cardiology. PMID: 36130622.