Leading by example: a migrant health researcher’s journey from participation to epistemic justice and migrant-centred governance in public health research

Participatory and co-produced approaches are increasingly promoted in migrant health research to improve equity and ensure research reflects community priorities. Despite growing guidance on conducting research with migrants, migrants remain underrepresented in research leadership, governance, agenda-setting, and knowledge production. Drawing on lived experience as both a migrant and public health researcher, this reflective paper examines the evolution of a program of research spanning health and social care integration, public health emergency preparedness, and international collaborations with migrant communities, frontline workers, and researchers. The paper traces a progression from a focus on service responsiveness and integration towards broader questions of participation, power-sharing, and knowledge justice. Findings highlight the importance of sustained relationships, and community partnerships in generating meaningful and actionable evidence. The work demonstrates how recognising migrants as legitimate knowledge holders through shared governance, remuneration, authorship, and leadership roles can strengthen both the quality and relevance of research. These experiences illustrate a shift from consultation and collaboration towards migrant-led approaches to knowledge generation. The next stage of migrant health research should move beyond participation and co-production towards epistemic justice and migrant-centred governance. This requires challenging traditional hierarchies of expertise and recognising migrants not only as research participants but as leaders, agenda-setters, and producers of knowledge. Such approaches offer a pathway towards more equitable, accountable, and responsive public health research, policy, and practice.