Mona Bafadhel

In her footsteps…

Associate Professor Erika Mancini interviews Professor Mona Bafadhel.

Introduction

This is a podcast of the Nuffield Department of Medicine as part of the "in her footsteps" series. We're speaking today to Dr Mona Bafadhel.

Erika Mancini: Hi, Mona. Can you tell me a little bit about yourself?

Mona Bafadhel: I'm Mona Bafadhel, and I wear two hats where I work within the university; I also work within the NHS, where I see patients in the wards and the clinic. Within the university, I have a small team, and we're looking really to understand why patients develop lung diseases and how we can improve their treatments and help them feel better.

Erika Mancini: What has been your career highlight so far?

Mona Bafadhel: I think my career highlight really is when you get data and when you get results so that you can start seeing what the answers are. But I think the career highlight that I would have is when I've generated results. I've been able to actually share them with the population of participants and volunteers who came and did the studies, so they could understand why they helped, how they helped, and what this meant for them and the future.

Erika Mancini: Mona, what has been your biggest challenges so far?

Mona Bafadhel: As a new investigator, I think it's always seeing what the landscape is and how the research landscape is. I think there are lots of challenges to face, but the greatest thing is that you're surrounded by people who have the expertise, who have done it before; your peers and your colleagues and I think being in a centre, such as this, you have access to all of that. So I know we'll have lots of challenges as I go through my research career, but I'm excited by all the challenges I'll face.

Erika Mancini: So why did you choose an academic career, and would you do anything differently?

Mona Bafadhel: I think as a clinician, we see patients with problems, and where we're seeing patterns and recognising these patterns and following guidelines. I think, as an academic and a clinical academic, I'm able to impart further knowledge into producing these guidelines, and I think that's the biggest challenge that I accept, and I think it's important to be challenged every day in what you're doing.

Erika Mancini: And Mona, what makes your brain tick outside work?

Mona Bafadhel: Well I've recently taken up playing the cello, and I'm just about to take my grade one musical theory, so we'll see how that goes.

Erika Mancini: Good luck with that.

Mona Bafadhel: Thank you.