
"I Wanted to Do Something That More Directly Helped People" – Bhavana Solanky – More Than Work
In this episode of More Than Work, Rabiah sits down with Bhavana Solanky, a Senior Research Fellow and MRI Physicist at UCL's Queen Square MS Centre. Bhavana shares how a love of astrophysics — sparked by watching Armageddon as a teenager — led her to a career using physics to directly help people living with disease. She opens up about the role of MS patient involvement in shaping research, her family's deep-rooted culture of community service, and the values that guide both her science and her parenting. They also discuss AI's growing role in MRI, the challenges of raising digitally-native kids, Bhavana's unexpected new hobby of playing cricket, and her passionate commitment to inspiring the next generation of women in science.00:00 Introduction to More Than Work00:34 Meet Bhavana Solanky: MRI Physicist & Senior Research Fellow at UCL01:45 What Is an MRI Physicist? The Camera Analogy Explained03:22 15 Years at the Queen Square MS Centre: How She Got There04:05 From Astrophysics to Medical Imaging: An Unexpected Journey05:27 Joining UCL and Discovering the Power of MRI in MS06:39 Rabiah Opens Up About Living with MS08:03 Why Patient Involvement Matters in Research10:29 AI in MRI: Reducing Noise, Boosting Accuracy & NHS Waiting Lists17:07 Family Values: A Community-Minded Upbringing20:27 Balancing Being a Scientist and a Mom31:45 Learning Cricket (and Letting Her Kids Coach Her)34:58 Women in Science: Breaking Stereotypes & Inspiring the Next Generation39:56 Advice: Get Outside Your Comfort Zone40:43 The Fun Five Questions45:08 How to Connect with BhavanaNote from Host:I’m part of the MS Society UK’s Research Network which is a really cool opportunity to learn about upcoming research by working directly with researchers on their grant proposals, participating in focus groups and doing other things. When I met Bhavana on one of those calls, I was so curious about her because she was so “real” for a lack of a better word. And her research was so interesting, as much as I could understand it. I was so glad when she said she would join me on the pod. And what a journey she’s had really from looking at the stars to probably having seen the inside of my brain! Woah. I hope you enjoy listening and thanks for being here.+++++Find BhavanaLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bhavana-solanky/Email: b dot solanky at ucl dot ac dot uk+++++More than Work Social Media: @morethanworkpod (Facebook, Instagram) and @rabiahcomedy (TikTok)Please review and follow anywhere you get podcasts. Thank you for listening. Have feedback? Email morethanworkpod(at)gmail.com!













