Sabrina Trinquetel – Research Hero

What is the biggest challenge you have faced during your career?
I think one of the key challenges at the moment is driving more action in the equality, diversity and inclusion space within our industry, rather than only discussion and engagement. These are obvious first steps and it’s great to see how businesses are embracing this conversation, but next comes the hard bit: how do we create change and quickly across all areas of our businesses, whether established or new? There are no easy routes and there’s a lot to cover so it’s going to take some dedicated effort from everyone to make sure new habits and thinking are ingrained into our everyday decisions. 

What will be the next big trend or development in the research industry, and why?
I think the next key development will be the shift from inclusive research being the exception, to it being the rule. There are a number of trailblazers in this area who are differentiating on these terms. But there’s a groundswell of people talking and requesting this as the norm, and it’s something that has to be in your plans now (not sometime in the future).

Who inspires you as a researcher?
There are lots of amazing, inspirational researchers in the industry. Dr Marie-Claude Gervais and Stephen Cribbitt, who worked on some amazing projects through Versiti. Kenny Imafidon who runs Clearview Research is really pushing the boundaries on social impact, Asad Dhunna from The Unmistakables – the list goes on. I’m actually always inspired by all the work I hear about from those companies that have signed up to the MRS Inclusion Pledge, which are making those small changes that are pivotal to drive forward change.

View the full list of Research Heroes for 2022