A Southall man is encouraging more people from South Asian communities to consider taking part in clinical trials after volunteering for medical research led to an unexpected discovery about his own health.

Harijit Ahluwalia, 68, had volunteered for a vaccine study through his GP surgery. Like many clinical trial volunteers, he wanted to support medical research and help researchers develop better treatments and medicines for future generations.

However, during routine health checks carried out as part of the study, doctors discovered that Ahluwalia had an abnormal heart rhythm. The condition had previously gone unnoticed, despite him having no idea that anything was wrong.

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"I found out something was wrong with my body before I even realised it myself," he said.

The experience has given Ahluwalia a personal reason to encourage greater participation in clinical research, particularly among people from South Asian backgrounds.

Clinical trials rely on volunteers to help researchers understand how medicines, vaccines and other treatments work and how safe and effective they are. Having participants from a wide range of backgrounds is also important to ensure research findings are relevant to the wider population.

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For Ahluwalia, volunteering was initially about contributing to medical research rather than seeking any personal health benefit. The unexpected discovery showed him that participating in a study can sometimes provide an opportunity for health concerns to be identified that might otherwise remain unnoticed.

He now hopes his experience will encourage more people in Southall and across South Asian communities to learn about clinical trials and consider volunteering where appropriate.

His story highlights the wider contribution made by clinical trial volunteers, whose participation helps researchers gather the evidence needed to develop and improve healthcare for future generations.