UCL Medical School student selected for prestigious healthcare leadership scholarship

After completing a rigorous selection process, Luke will be joining the academy’s cohort for the 2022/23 academic year.  

Founded in 2016, the HLA scholarship recognises healthcare students and professionals with proven leadership ability and gives them the opportunity to take their leadership skills to the next level. It aims to inspire and support healthcare students and professionals to change the world of healthcare through leadership, one small step at a time. 

Over the past two years of medical school, Luke has engaged in many different aspects of medicine. Alongside their studies, they have been an active member of the research community at UCL, working on projects including investigations into the psychological impact of the pandemic on people living with HIV, the epidemiology of cardiovascular disease and the applicability of specialised cognitive behavioural therapy for children with epilepsy at Great Ormond Street Hospital. Luke’s primary interest is public health, and as a key member of the NHS Youth Forum 2021-22, they worked on a project on healthcare inequalities in the UK, the findings of which have been presented to NHS England.   

Building on this interest, as part of the international Laidlaw Leadership and Research Scholarship, Luke spent six-weeks this summer in the Kabarole District of Uganda, teaching sexual and reproductive health, training Village Health Teams and delivering medical care on a mobile health unit. In addition to this, Luke has a strong interest in Equality, Diversity and Inclusion work, leading UCL Medical School’s LGBTQIA+ EDI Committee next year, and co-founding a student-led volunteering project, Trans Healthcare Now, which aims to educate medical students about trans healthcare inequalities in the UK.   

Speaking about the opportunity, Luke Muschialli, said: “I am honoured to be offered such a prestigious opportunity like this so early in my medical career. It is an achievement that would not have been possible without the help of all my mentors, both within and outside of academia, and I am grateful to everyone who helped me achieve this position. I am excited to work alongside many inspiring individuals who are leaders in their field as part of the programme, and to develop my own leadership and project management skills as an HLA Scholar.”  

The HLA started with the flagship HLA Scholars programme based in London and since then it has rapidly spread across the UK, with cohorts in London, Newcastle, Bristol, Belfast, and Edinburgh, as well as Amsterdam.  

It was formed in response to demand from young clinicians and medical students to learn about leadership. The aim of the programme is to inspire the next generation of healthcare professionals and develop their understanding of leadership.  

Speaking about this year’s cohort, Johann Malawana, Director of the HLA, said:  “After a rigorous and competitive application process, we are delighted to welcome Luke Muschialli to our 2022-2023 HLA cohort. The pandemic has re-inforced the need for leaders who inspire, listen and care. At a time of great global challenge, it is important that the next generation of healthcare leaders are motivated, inspired, and prepared in order to best look after the populations they serve. We look forward to seeing what this generation of Scholars achieve with the platform they are given through the HLA and its community.”  

As part of their role, Scholars are expected to develop a community project over the course of the one-year programme, with previous projects having reached national prominence, winning prizes, publications and presentations at national events including at the House of Lords.  

Further information

• UCL Medical School
• The Healthcare Leadership Academy 

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