In this lecture, Tanvi will explore the role of race and ethnicity in health and medical research. Drawing on her own experiences as a researcher and historical and current methods employed in conducting and reporting medical research, she will discuss how ‘normal’ research can sometimes inadvertently contribute to maintaining or even increasing existing social and health inequalities. This will be followed by a discussion about how more reflexive approaches that account for the structural and material realities of multi-racial societies and the positionality of researchers in the generation of new knowledge can lead to more robust and relevant health research.