How does an interest in health equity and intersectionality look in day-to-day life and how does it transfer to research and academic contexts? What does mainstreaming equity mean and what are the hindrances experienced in health and care research? Dr Stan Papoulias, Savi Hensman of King's College London and ARC South London, and Dr Ana Porroche-Escudero of Lancaster University and previously ARC North West Coast share their personal health equity journeys and critically reflect on cultural and structural changes required in the future.