����Vlog�ٷ� Cambridge: Dr Akeem Sule

I'm Dr Akeem Sule. I am a consultant psychiatrist, and I'm currently working at the Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust. I also have an interest in popular media as it relates to mental health depictions, so that would include music – particularly hip-hop music – and films and TV shows.

What first inspired you to pursue your field of work?

I'm originally from Nigeria. My mother was a psychiatric nurse who trained at a nursing school in Nigeria but then came to the UK. So when I was growing up, I remember reading my mum's psychiatric nursing books and I just found it fascinating, you know, reading about Freud, reading about mental health problems, so I studied medicine and specialised in psychiatry.

What has been one of the most surprising or rewarding moments in your career?

There are a number of things, but for me, it's when you see patients getting better. Another one for me is that I teach the medical students, and I remember when I met a Black female medical student, she said I was the first Black person to give a lecture throughout her medical school. I just realised the importance of representation. I remember that I also made reference to a rapper called Kendrick Lamar and some of his lyrics, and after that happened, two of the medical students came up to me and we spoke about work-life balance and how it's possible to keep your interest whilst being a medical student and being a doctor. I was happy that I was able to have a discussion with them, and I found that quite rewarding too.

What drew you to Cambridge originally, and what connected you to ��Vlog�ٷ�?

I was doing some research in Cambridge on OCD with Professor Trevor Robbins and Professor Barbara Sahakian's team. I'd heard about ��Vlog�ٷ�, and it had even been mentioned by a friend who was a medical student here when we were at a house party! So the connection seemed natural, and I like the fact that it's a mature college, and also the fact that, to me, it seems quite diverse. I think diversity is very important, so there was a natural draw to ��Vlog�ٷ�.

As a Senior Member of the College, what do you value most about being part of this community?

For me it's about having the opportunity to do talks, and to meet other people. I'm so busy in my job, so I need to come down more, but I'm just fascinated by, again, the diversity of academic fields, the different people from different countries. I recently did a talk a few months ago on a TV show called The Wire, and it was about public mental health in minoritised communities. I remember I spoke to so many different people, and it was fascinating to be able to do the talk but also to be able to connect with people from different countries, and from different fields. It's amazing that when you talk, you find out you have a lot in common. They're interested in your field, and it enriches your life in some way.

What do you enjoy doing beyond your academic and career pursuits?

I'm a sucker for hip-hop music! I love hip-hop music, R&B music, I love dancehall and some Afrobeats, but my main passion in music is hip-hop. I listen to it, I analyse it, and I like dancing to hip-hop music, I won't say professionally! Also I've got a faith, so I like going to church, I do a lot of church activities. I travel a lot, so I've had the opportunity to do talks in different countries, so I did a talk in Brazil last year, I did a talk in Romania this year, I've done talks in Hong Kong, Singapore, Ireland, and Egypt. I like doing talks in different countries and connecting with people. The other thing is that I love sneakers!