The HLA: The Ripple Effect

This podcast features an interview with Hugo Layard Horsfall, a neurosurgery registrar and PhD candidate researching neurotechnology. He discusses his work on next-generation electrodes to understand brain information processing at a single-neuron level, its application in brain-computer interfaces (BCIs), and the challenges of translating this technology into clinical practice. Horsfall also reflects on his participation in The HL...

Sida Mao, a former HLA scholar, reflects on his experiences in The Health Leadership Academy program and its lasting impact on his personal and professional development. Sid recounts his initial motivations for joining The HLA, the application process, and the key aspects of the programme he found transformative, such as the emphasis on leadership versus management, the power of influence, and overcoming imposter syndrome. He detai...

Fasika Amdeslasie, a surgeon and healthcare leader from Tigray, Ethiopia. Fasika discusses his extensive career, including leadership roles during a wartime siege, and his participation in The HLA Scholars programme. He highlights the challenges of balancing clinical work with leadership responsibilities in a resource-scarce and politically unstable environment. The conversation reveals universal challenges faced by clinicians glob...

The Ripple Effect presents a podcast interview with Anne Meierkord, a former HLA scholar from the 2020 cohort who became a faculty member. The discussion explores her career journey, which includes working as a medical doctor in Berlin and a research scientist in health policy analysis, highlighting her unique perspective within the German healthcare system after studying medicine in a joint UK-German program. Anne shares her exper...

This episode of The Ripple Effect features an interview with Maredudd Harris, a former scholar from The Health Leadership Academy (HLA). Med discusses his career trajectory since joining The HLA, detailing his current radiology training with a focus on interventional radiology and a past fellowship in artificial intelligence. He reflects on his experiences, including leadership roles during medical school and the impact of The HLA ...

Jacob Oguntimehin is an emergency medicine doctor and former Healthcare Leadership Academy (HLA) scholar. Jacob discusses his passion for equitable and efficient health systems, his journey into health policy and widening participation, and the significant impact of his social enterprise, The Aspiring Medic Support (TAMs). He recounts his initial ambition, the pivotal experience of his intercalated degree and his time with The HLA,...

This podcast features an interview with Ahmed Kerwan, a doctor and HLA scholar, discussing his career journey. He highlights the importance of online presence in first impressions, his experiences at The HLA programme, and the impact of networking and mentorship on his success. Kerwan's path includes working in venture capital, studying at Harvard, and founding his own company in Silicon Valley. He highlights the value of embra...

This podcast features an interview with Jim Determeijer, a global health PhD candidate and former HLA scholar. The conversation centres on Jim's unique journey, highlighting his experiences as one of the early international HLA scholars, his pivotal role in expanding The HLA's global reach, and his current PhD research on family participation in healthcare within resource-limited settings.

Jim emphasises the importance of bu...

Marguerite O’Riordan, a junior doctor and HLA (Healthcare Leadership Academy) scholar, discusses her leadership journey and her project, Political Medics UK. She explores the project's origins within The HLA, its aims to educate and engage medics in medical politics, and its successes, such as establishing a national network and creating e-learning materials. She also reflects on challenges related to workload, delegation, and ...

This episode features an interview with Riddhi Shenoy, a 2019 Healthcare Leadership Academy (HLA) scholar. Riddhi recounts her early years at university, her unexpected entry into a management BSc programme—which sparked her interest in leadership—and her somewhat accidental application to The HLA, which turned out to be a surprisingly impactful experience. She discusses how The HLA programme and its networking opportunities influe...

This episode of The Ripple Effect features an interview with Dina Saleh, a member of the first London cohort of HLA scholars. The discussion explores Dina's motivations for joining The HLA as a medical student interested in leadership, her positive experiences within the programme, the lasting friendships she formed, and her subsequent career path in clinical oncology. The conversation also reflects on the early days of The HLA...

This episode of The Ripple Effect is a recorded conversation with Asha Thompson MBE, a former HLA scholar who became a cohort director. The discussion explores Asha's unconventional career path, marked by diverse experiences from retail and beauty therapy to dentistry and clinical leadership, culminating in her current role in NHS England. Asha reflects on her initial involvement with The HLA, highlighting its supportive and no...

This podcast features Jahangir Alom BEM, a medical doctor and HLA alumnus, as he discusses his career journey.
Jingy’s story highlights how he overcame significant socioeconomic disadvantages to become a successful physician and a passionate advocate for health equity. He emphasises the importance of seizing opportunities—even when feeling unqualified—and building genuine relationships to create meaningful impact. His experience...

The Ripple Effect podcast, hosted by Johann Malawana, introduces The Health Leadership Academy (HLA) community by featuring stories from alumni. The HLA focuses on empowering individual clinical leaders, nurturing their leadership potential, and fostering frontline innovation across various healthcare systems globally. It offers a competitive programme emphasising community, networking, and lifelong support for its scholars, aiming...