In this episode, Baba speaks with Professor Wayne Mitchell about his dual journey as a scientist and becoming the Provost for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) at Imperial College London. After a brief introduction and reflection on how they first met, Wayne explains his role as Associate Provost for EDI and outlines his day-to-day responsibilities. He shares his path to Imperial—from his upbringing and studies to joining the College in 2005—and discusses how he balances his passion for immunology with his EDI commitments.

The conversation also explores what motivated Wayne to take on the Associate Provost role and the impact of the initiatives he supports, such as Reach Society, the Imperial Sickle Cell Group, and the Race Equity Charter. He highlights the mission of Imperial As One and his “Belonging” podcast series, touching on themes of structural barriers, resilience and dreaming boldly. The episode concludes with advice for students who feel underrepresented, insights on cultural pressures, and ways all students can help create meaningful change.

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Host & Contributors:

• Host: Baba Odumeru
• Host Bio: Baba is a second-year medical student at Imperial College London and serves as the Vice President for Events for Imperial's African Caribbean Society.
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