Imaging Journeys: How a Schoolyard Hustle Shaped a Health Tech Innovator with Prof. Ram Senasi

Imaging Journeys: How a Schoolyard Hustle Shaped a Health Tech Innovator with Prof. Ram Senasi

"AI might be transforming the landscape of medical diagnostics, but an algorithm still can't give an anxious parent a hug." Welcome to a very special episode of Imaging Journeys, dropping just in time for UKIO 2026. In alignment with this year’s conference theme—putting humanity at the centre of healthcare in the age of the machine—host Aidan Pearce sits down with the wonderfully insightful Professor Ram Senasi.  Ram is a Paediatric Radiologist, health tech innovator, and a fierce advocate for keeping empathy at the absolute core of medical practice. In this wide-ranging, humorous, and deeply moving conversation, Ram shares how his early life shaped a completely unique approach to leadership, technology, and patient care.  From a covert schoolboy McDonald's syndicate in Malaysia to a pandemic-era mission to democratise healthcare by launching remote robotic surgery training in the Caribbean, Ram’s journey proves that the best solutions always come back to one thing: taking people with you.  Inside this episode, we unpack: * The Schoolboy Hustle: The hilarious (and highly strategic) origin story of Ram’s teenage fast-food operation, and the enduring business lessons it taught him about communication, distribution, and identifying a market.  * Democratizing Surgical Tech: How Ram and his team bypassed pandemic travel restrictions to remotely train surgeons and deploy affordable robotic surgery tools in emerging economies.  * Why AI Can’t Hug: A touching, real-world reflection from a pediatric ultrasound clinic that perfectly illustrates the irreplaceable role of the human healer.  * The Power of Prompting & Data: Why the future of radiology isn't about finding answers- it's about learning how to ask the right questions in the age of quantum computing and AI.  * Multigenerational Success & Failure: Humbling advice passed down from Ram’s parents on treating every single person as a mentor and looking at failure as your best friend.  Whether you’re a clinical professional navigating the rise of AI or a MedTech leader looking to build a legacy, this conversation is a powerful reminder that curiosity and compassion are our greatest assets.  Heading to the conference? You can catch Professor Ram Senasi in person throughout UKIO 2026 at the Fujifilm Healthcare stand. Stop by to discuss the future of imaging, innovation, and keeping humanity at the heart of the clinic. Connect with Us: * Host: Aidan Pearce  * Brought to you by: Ellew MedTech Talent – Specialist recruitment for technical, commercial, and leadership professionals in medical imaging and MedTech.  * Subscribe: Don't forget to follow Imaging Journeys on your favourite podcast app so you never miss an episode!

Shah Islam: Leading UKIO and Putting People First in the Age of AI

In this episode of Imaging Journeys, Aidan Pearce of Ellew MedTech Talent sits down with Shah Islam, interventional neuroradiologist and President of UKIO, the UK's largest radiology and oncology conference. Shah's career reads like a masterclass in building something meaningful. From his early days at Barts and the London School of Medicine, through his training on the south west London rotation, to becoming a consultant interventional neuroradiologist at one of the world's most respected neuroscience centres, his path has been shaped not just by ambition, but by the people he's met along the way. In this conversation, Shah is refreshingly honest about what that journey has actually looked like. He talks about the moment he fell in love with neuroradiology, sparked by a chance encounter with a senior consultant whose email signature alone was enough to change the course of his career. He reflects on what it really means to succeed in medicine, and why the career ladder, for all its usefulness, can be a dangerous thing if you let it run the show.  One of the most compelling parts of this episode is Shah's account of his fellowship year in Toronto, a year that by his own admission brought him to his lowest point mentally, but ultimately transformed him. His mentor Pascal introduced him to the concept of Bushido, seven ancient samurai principles built around integrity, honesty, and courage, and applied them to everything from complex endovascular cases to how you show up for the people around you. It's a conversation about psychological safety, emotional regulation under pressure, and what it actually takes to build a team that performs when it matters most. Shah is candid about his mental health in a way that people at his level rarely are, and it makes for one of the most genuinely human conversations we've had on this podcast. Shah also brings serious depth to the AI debate. Having spent years researching AI algorithms for high grade brain tumours at Imperial College London, he has a uniquely grounded perspective on where the technology actually is versus where people assume it to be. He's clear that the next real leap forward is coming, but equally clear that we're further away than the hype suggests, and that the biggest work still to be done is in educating both the public and the wider healthcare workforce on what AI's role in their care actually looks like day to day. And then there's UKIO 2026. As president, Shah embraces "Putting Humanity at the Centre of Healthcare in the Age of the Machine" as this year's theme. He wants to hear the stories of the frontline workers and teams doing remarkable things quietly, without the platform or the voice to tell them. His vision for the conference is less about keynotes and more about genuine connection, fireside chats, a new awards programme, and the kind of conversations that spark something real in the people listening. Throughout all of it, one thing comes through consistently: Shah is someone who has done the inner work. He talks openly about mental health, about the pressure to conform to what a successful radiologist is supposed to look like, and about the long process of learning, slowly, through experience, to separate his own happiness from what the world tells him he should be chasing. He talks about operating in black and white, never grey zones, and why holding hard to your principles is both the most difficult and the most freeing thing you can do in a career like this one. Whether you're clinical, commercial, or sitting somewhere in the middle of the imaging world, this is a conversation that will stay with you.

Bob Childe: Insights from 36 Years in NHS Health Tech

Veteran digital imaging leader Bob Childe (Philips, Soliton IT, AXREM) shares hard won lessons from leading NHS digital transformation. From the transition from film to digital in NHS trusts under NPfIT, to the ongoing challenges around procurement, leadership, and AI adoption, Bob offers unmatched insider insights. Key takeaways: * How every English NHS trust went fully digital in three years under NPfIT * Why the Richards Report's imaging networks stalled despite top-level approval * Persistent organisational silos hindering trust collaboration and slowing progress * Leadership lessons like respect everyone, from cleaner to director * What to look for when hiring and nurturing health tech talent * Bold ideas for central NHS delivery teams to streamline tech rollout.  Bob shares his journey from credit control and local sports clubs to leading digital change, the risks of inaction, and the advice he would give his younger self. This episode is essential listening for NHS radiology managers, health tech suppliers, procurement professionals and AI innovators seeking to understand why progress is slow and what can break the cycle.

Imaging Journeys: Sally Edgington on Purpose, Patients and Progress

Resilience & Journey: Sally Edgington’s Path to Leading the Voice of UK Imaging From enduring multiple surgeries as a teenager to becoming the CEO of AXREM, Sally Edgington’s career has been anything but conventional. In this episode of Imaging Journeys, Sally shares the raw reality of her personal and professional life, revealing how early challenges forged the resilience that defines her leadership today. She opens up about leaving school with no GCSEs, her time managing a busy restaurant at 18, and the pivotal moment she found her calling in trade associations. We explore how she transformed AXREM from an exclusive "old boys' club" into a diverse, influential powerhouse with over 100 member companies, driving 500%+ growth by listening rather than dictating. We also discuss her relentless campaign for a "One NHS" procurement model, the impact of regulation on UK MedTech, and her vision for a more inclusive industry. This is a candid conversation about finding your voice, empowering your team, and the true meaning of patient focused leadership. Listen to learn: * How resilience shaped her journey from 17 surgeries to the boardroom. * The strategy behind AXREM’s explosion in membership and influence. * Why she is fighting for standardised procurement to help suppliers and patients. * Her advice on authentic leadership and overcoming "impostor syndrome."