The Importance of Radiology in Developing Nations with Dr. Suresh de Silva | Christoph Zindel

07/20/21 • 42 min

Economic disparities around the world are an unfortunate reality. The past year has made it clearer than ever that the availability of quality healthcare for everyone benefits the whole. Globalization has forged a connection that strengthens our sense of humanity. With that sentiment in mind, it’s important that those who can help recognize that they bear a responsibility to lift up the whole.

In this episode, Managing Board Member Christoph Zindel talks to Dr. Suresh de Silva, founder of Radiology Across Borders, a global charity that provides education and programs in radiology to help save lives in developing nations. Dr. de Silva is a fellow of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Radiologists and also an Adjunct Senior Lecturer at UNSW and an Oncological/Urological radiologist.

In today’s conversation, you’ll hear about the positive global impact of Dr. Suresh de Silva’s organization, Radiology Across Borders. Their numerous projects are helping not only with treatment, but also with screening and prevention in populations that need greater access to medical technology and care. You’ll also hear important perspectives on the impact and future possibilities of AI in medical care. Additionally, the conversation covers the realities of starting a global charity from the ground up, and delves into the mindset of a founder who has successfully made an impact on countless lives around the world.

Some Questions Asked:

What projects are you currently focused on? (9:21)
What's your vision of the role of AI-supported radiology in the future? (17:43)
How can other organizations learn from Radiology Across Borders? (26:27)
How have you been affected privately and professionally by this pandemic? (34:56)

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

The important role radiology plays in healthcare (4:52)
The biggest potential impact of AI (20:51)
The realities of creating a charity organization (29:15)
Comparing the differences between recent pandemics (37:20)

Connect with Dr. Suresh de Silva:

Connect with our Managing Board Member, Christoph Zindel:

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Some Questions Asked:

What projects are you currently focused on? (9:21)
What's your vision of the role of AI-supported radiology in the future? (17:43)
How can other organizations learn from Radiology Across Borders? (26:27)
How have you been affected privately and professionally by this pandemic? (34:56)

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

The important role radiology plays in healthcare (4:52)
The biggest potential impact of AI (20:51)
The realities of creating a charity organization (29:15)
Comparing the differences between recent pandemics (37:20)

Connect with Dr. Suresh de Silva:

Connect with our Managing Board Member, Christoph Zindel:

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Previous Episode

Prioritizing Diversity and Inclusion for a Better Workplace with Prof. Dr. Ulrike Attenberger| Christoph Zindel

Diversity and inclusion are big topics in business today. While it’s something many organizations are striving for, it’s not always understood on a statistical or emotional level. When employees don’t feel as though they’re part of the team, the consequences can mount up to something much bigger. Feeling “apart” takes a toll on not only performance, but also the health of the employee. Likewise, a lack of diversity means a lack of varied experience. This can hold the whole team back, and foster a lack of understanding.

Healthcare bears a unique responsibility when it comes to fostering an environment of comfort and consideration. Understanding the needs of patients is much more than tending to wounds and performing surgeries. At its core, it’s about empathy. When empathy and understanding exist within the work environment, only then can they effectively translate to the realm of care.

In this episode, Managing Board Member Christoph Zindel interviews Prof. Dr. Ulrike Attenberger. Professor Attenberger is Director of the Clinic for Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology at Bonn University Hospital in Germany, and a member of the Diversity @ DRG Commission. Her interest in gender diversity led to her contribution to a 2018 special report entitled “Women in radiology: gender diversity is not a metric—it is a tool for excellence”, published by European Radiology.

In today’s conversation, you’ll hear about the positive influence of a diverse workforce within the healthcare sector. Professor Attenberger believes that diversity allows us to embrace dimensionality, and shares how this reflects positively in the workplace. She also reveals the ways in which inclusivity can be achieved through organizational reforms, and how it has the capacity to benefit physicians as well as patients.

Some Questions Asked:

What is diversity and inclusion for you? (2:15)
How should physicians take diversity into account in their work and training? (10:46)
What can be done to increase the representation of women in leadership? (15:22)
How do you foster inclusion at the University Hospital in Bonn, and in medicine as a whole? (22:38)

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

The dangers of homogeneous healthcare (4:49)
The most important aspect of building a successful team (7:35)
What we know about unconscious bias (13:23)
Ideas about how we can close the gap on gender-based career obstacles (19:25)

Connect with Ulrike Attenberger:

University Hospital Bonn

Connect with our Managing Board Member, Christoph Zindel:

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Next Episode

Integrated Diagnostics and the Collaborative Future of Medicine with Prof. Dr. Stefan Schönberg | Christoph Zindel

One of the biggest beneficiaries of technological advancements has been the field of medicine. While vaccines to stop previous pandemics took decades to develop, multiple COVID-19 vaccines were developed within a much shorter time frame. Increased collaboration between players in the industry and those in the tech world promises even more advancements in the near future.

In this episode, Managing Board Member Christoph Zindel is joined by Stefan Schönberg, MD, director and chairman of the department of radiology and nuclear medicine at the University Medical Center Mannheim. He is former President of the German Roentgen Society and a strong proponent of integrated diagnostics.

In today’s conversation, you’ll hear about integrated diagnostics and the benefits that come with it. You’ll learn about the advancements that are being made and the existing gaps that need to be closed to take the medical industry to the next level. You’ll also learn about the role that AI has in advancing diagnostics, treatment, and prevention of diseases. Lastly, we’ll discuss the role of data in medical research and the current barriers to federated learning and research.

Some Questions Asked:

Can you give us a glimpse of integrated diagnostics at University Hospital in Mannheim? (01:11)
Do you see circulating free DNA being used in early cancer detection? (08:39)
Do you believe that integrated diagnostic influences therapeutic decisions? (12:33)
How do you promote cultural change connected to integrated diagnostics? (21:45)

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

How integrated diagnostic can be used to understand a disease’s trajectory (05:56)
What is needed to make integrated diagnostic a success (11:01)
The role of the digital twin in integrated diagnostics (16:31)
How federated learning evidence can accelerate medical research (18:58)

Connect with Prof. Dr. Stefan Schönberg: