Heidi Safia Mirza is Emeritus Professor of Equality Studies in Education at UCL Institute of Education. She is internationally known for her pioneering intersectional research on Race, gender, and identity in education and championing equality and rights for Black, Asian and Muslim Women and young people through educational reform. A daughter of the Windrush generation from Trinidad, Heidi has been honoured as one of the first and rare 35 ‘Phenomenal Black Women Professors’ in Britain. She is author of several best-selling books including, Race Gender and Educational Desire, Black British Feminism and Young Female and Black, which was voted in the top 40 most influential educational studies in Britain. A leading voice in the global debate on decolonisation she co-edited the flagship book, ‘Dismantling Race in Higher Education: Racism, whiteness and decolonising the academy’. She recently led the influential Institute of Fiscal Studies (IFS) Deaton Review of ‘Race and ethnic inequalities’ which includes the impact of COVID-19 on Black and minority ethnic communities.