Member Spotlight: Sola Adeleke

I got involved in MRI by chance when I was applying for funded Ph.D. opportunities after my internal medicine training. I had previously worked in early-phase cancer drug development and my Ph.D. supervisor just got started on the C13-Pyruvate Hyperpolarised and GlucoCEST MRI projects. He was looking for a clinician with phase 1/first-in-man trials experience to join the group and take these projects forward. I happened to be at the right place at the right time. It was a fun and exciting opportunity.

What I love most about MR, at the risk of sounding cliché, is the versatility of MRI compared to other contemporary imaging techniques. There are a number of opportunities that continue to emerge for MRI research in different clinical specialties. It is now arguably an indispensable imaging tool in a continually growing list of cancer types.

What inspires me about MRI is the ability to explore various use cases of MRI as a radiation oncologist and an MR researcher. This excites me the most. The opportunity for MRI in radiotherapy is gradually becoming mainstream and could change the way we deliver radiotherapy in the clinic in the near future.

On a typical “day in the life,” I wake up around 6 a.m. most days or 5:30 a.m. on days when I have an MDM (tumour board). I send out emails and prepare for research meetings before getting out of bed. I then have a shower and get dressed. The journey to work is about 1hr 10mins. Sitting on the train, I’m either reading articles or thinking through new projects. Sometimes I put on my head phones and watch programs like “Elementary.” I’m married to a barrister: my wife has a busy family law practice. We have a 5-year-old daughter. She is lovely and brings us joy; we love her to bits.

I have been a member of ISMRM for five years. The educational MRI teachings on Saturdays/Sundays before the main meeting provided the building blocks for my understanding of the principles of MRI during my Ph.D.  The meetings have been a permanent fixture in my academic calendar since I joined. It’s a fantastic opportunity to meet friends and colleagues. The lectures and poster sessions provide insights for new ideas that could be adapted to solve different problems.