the leader: amit saindane, md, mba
By Sam Marie Engle
Amit Saindane is skilled at herding cats.
That’s not applicable for his work as the new chair of the Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences, nor does it apply to his work as a neuroradiologist. The herding refers to actual animals: he and his family spend their free time trapping the exploding population of community—feral is such a negative word and abandoned is more accurate—cats and dogs, getting them veterinary care, especially spaying/neutering, and then leveraging their extensive network to find as many forever homes as possible. For Thanksgiving, his job is not to carve the turkey, but rather to build shelters the family places around the community to help animals survive winter weather outdoors.
“We’re dog people, but we just had our first foster fail,” he says proudly, and proffers images of a sleek, self-assured grey teen feline in adorable poses. Melvin is learning to share the house with the family’s senior dog, a shepherd mix named Samboo. They both ignore the steady parade of temporary guests in the laundry room.
That’s not applicable for his work as the new chair of the Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences, nor does it apply to his work as a neuroradiologist. The herding refers to actual animals: he and his family spend their free time trapping the exploding population of community—feral is such a negative word and abandoned is more accurate—cats and dogs, getting them veterinary care, especially spaying/neutering, and then leveraging their extensive network to find as many forever homes as possible. For Thanksgiving, his job is not to carve the turkey, but rather to build shelters the family places around the community to help animals survive winter weather outdoors.
“We’re dog people, but we just had our first foster fail,” he says proudly, and proffers images of a sleek, self-assured grey teen feline in adorable poses. Melvin is learning to share the house with the family’s senior dog, a shepherd mix named Samboo. They both ignore the steady parade of temporary guests in the laundry room.
Infinite Potential
Pivoting back to the topic of leadership, Dr. Saindane's normally inscrutable face practically shines. "We have infinite potential as a department, starting with our outstanding culture and amazing people. Even though we face significant challenges, we have the tools, the people, and the support to make the changes that will take us to the next level."
He highlights institutional investments in technological infrastructure like Sectra and Epic, the new Health Sciences Research Building (HSRB)-II, and the university’s, like the department’s, growing prominence in artificial intelligence (AI) and informatics scholarship as significant boons for the department.
More importantly, he emphasizes, “Our people have such great ideas. The EmPower initiative a few years ago really showed everyone how people on the front lines have the best ideas and solutions and it’s up to leadership to implement and support what they recommend. That’s the approach we’re taking, especially with our strategic planning."
Learning from the Past, Leading into the Future
Dr. Saindane served as interim chair for the first nine months of 2022. He shed the interim qualifier after a national search confirmed him as the best candidate for the job in October. When asked about goals he’s set for himself in this leadership role, he says, “It’s so important to step outside your comfort zone. I have lots of clinical experience, so it’s my goal to learn more and grow in my understanding of the job as a whole, not just where I already have strengths."
Asked about his personal slogan, Dr. Saindane tells a story. “When I was preparing for my vision talk (as part of the chair search), I met with a number of people around Emory and I heard the same thing: don’t be afraid to be bold. It’s not something that comes naturally for me. It takes some effort. In the past I moved things forward and made steady progress, but I wasn’t bold. But now, with the challenging financial times and the leadership changes across the institution, now is the time for big ideas, for boldness. So that’s my charge: be bold and be the best."
Already he’s reconfigured the department’s executive committee, launched national searches for three divisional leadership positions, and stewarded an accelerated recruitment campaign that’s lured more than two dozen new faculty members to join Emory Radiology (they start arriving this summer.) Oh, and that department-wide strategic planning process already has more than 100 new ideas for making Emory Radiology better and bolder than ever before. That’s bold.
Dr. Saindane’s bold leadership creates opportunities for others to grow, too. “I’ve brought new leaders into new roles and they are doing a phenomenal job. As a leader, it’s my responsibility to empower people to do the best job they can do. On the one hand, I am teaching others how to do what I was doing well in the past, but on the other hand, I’m stepping back and seeing what new ideas and new strategies they bring to the role. Sometimes it’s a challenge to let go and let them do it their way, but that’s where we all grow—and innovate."
When asked to recall his own lessons in leadership, he brings up the time he gave a talk at a continuing legal education symposium for malpractice attorneys on traumatic brain injury. “It totally flopped.” He winces. “It was way too detailed and overly medical; it went right over their heads. It was a painful but powerful lesson: always know your audience. I can’t assume people know what I know. I have to know who I am talking to and pitch to their level of understanding. I use that even today.”
Going back to school for his MBA a few years later not only introduced him to a new way of thinking, it also inspired a new way of doing. “Seeing how the Goizueta faculty taught made me realize my teaching style and even the way I was trained weren’t ideal. Their stye was more interactive and engaging. I really took that to heart."
The Fruits of Academic Medicine
When Dr. Saindane arrived at the University of Pennsylvania for medical school two decades ago, he didn’t aspire to a career in academic medicine, nor did he know which specialty to pursue. The need for a summer job changed all that.
“At the end of my second year, I was looking for a job and the head of neuroradiology had some money for a research assistant. I made $1,000 for an entire summer’s work. My first published paper was in Neurology. It was so exciting to see how I could contribute to filling the gaps in knowledge. That was the first inkling I wanted to be in academic medicine."
Today, he can’t imagine being anywhere else. “There’s so much variety in what’s going on. The synergy among the missions is what excites me the most: how things can feed into each other in a favorable loop. Clinical operations fund education, education creates a pipeline of talent, research solves problems and creates new opportunities for education. As chair, I can facilitate all the missions without having to be an expert in all of them. I love seeing our people’s accomplishments and knowing I can help move things along."
At the Heart
The job of chair is a demanding one, especially with the challenges wrought by the pandemic, the great resignation and ongoing economic and sociopolitical turmoil. To recharge his batteries, he turns to family. “I’m fortunate to have a really understanding family. Particularly when I went for my MBA while also being a division director and a vice chair, they were so supportive. They are a lot of fun to be with and we really enjoy doing things together. I look forward to going to work and I look forward to going home, too."
When asked where his heart is, it’s no surprise to hear family is one of the answers. The surprise comes with his next breath. “My heart is also with my department. My first job out of training was here at Emory, I’ve grown up at Emory. The department has done a lot for me and my family. I have so many mentors and friends here.”
Bold leadership from the heart: that's exactly what Emory Radiology needs and Dr. Saindane is off to a great start.
Pivoting back to the topic of leadership, Dr. Saindane's normally inscrutable face practically shines. "We have infinite potential as a department, starting with our outstanding culture and amazing people. Even though we face significant challenges, we have the tools, the people, and the support to make the changes that will take us to the next level."
He highlights institutional investments in technological infrastructure like Sectra and Epic, the new Health Sciences Research Building (HSRB)-II, and the university’s, like the department’s, growing prominence in artificial intelligence (AI) and informatics scholarship as significant boons for the department.
More importantly, he emphasizes, “Our people have such great ideas. The EmPower initiative a few years ago really showed everyone how people on the front lines have the best ideas and solutions and it’s up to leadership to implement and support what they recommend. That’s the approach we’re taking, especially with our strategic planning."
Learning from the Past, Leading into the Future
Dr. Saindane served as interim chair for the first nine months of 2022. He shed the interim qualifier after a national search confirmed him as the best candidate for the job in October. When asked about goals he’s set for himself in this leadership role, he says, “It’s so important to step outside your comfort zone. I have lots of clinical experience, so it’s my goal to learn more and grow in my understanding of the job as a whole, not just where I already have strengths."
Asked about his personal slogan, Dr. Saindane tells a story. “When I was preparing for my vision talk (as part of the chair search), I met with a number of people around Emory and I heard the same thing: don’t be afraid to be bold. It’s not something that comes naturally for me. It takes some effort. In the past I moved things forward and made steady progress, but I wasn’t bold. But now, with the challenging financial times and the leadership changes across the institution, now is the time for big ideas, for boldness. So that’s my charge: be bold and be the best."
Already he’s reconfigured the department’s executive committee, launched national searches for three divisional leadership positions, and stewarded an accelerated recruitment campaign that’s lured more than two dozen new faculty members to join Emory Radiology (they start arriving this summer.) Oh, and that department-wide strategic planning process already has more than 100 new ideas for making Emory Radiology better and bolder than ever before. That’s bold.
Dr. Saindane’s bold leadership creates opportunities for others to grow, too. “I’ve brought new leaders into new roles and they are doing a phenomenal job. As a leader, it’s my responsibility to empower people to do the best job they can do. On the one hand, I am teaching others how to do what I was doing well in the past, but on the other hand, I’m stepping back and seeing what new ideas and new strategies they bring to the role. Sometimes it’s a challenge to let go and let them do it their way, but that’s where we all grow—and innovate."
When asked to recall his own lessons in leadership, he brings up the time he gave a talk at a continuing legal education symposium for malpractice attorneys on traumatic brain injury. “It totally flopped.” He winces. “It was way too detailed and overly medical; it went right over their heads. It was a painful but powerful lesson: always know your audience. I can’t assume people know what I know. I have to know who I am talking to and pitch to their level of understanding. I use that even today.”
Going back to school for his MBA a few years later not only introduced him to a new way of thinking, it also inspired a new way of doing. “Seeing how the Goizueta faculty taught made me realize my teaching style and even the way I was trained weren’t ideal. Their stye was more interactive and engaging. I really took that to heart."
The Fruits of Academic Medicine
When Dr. Saindane arrived at the University of Pennsylvania for medical school two decades ago, he didn’t aspire to a career in academic medicine, nor did he know which specialty to pursue. The need for a summer job changed all that.
“At the end of my second year, I was looking for a job and the head of neuroradiology had some money for a research assistant. I made $1,000 for an entire summer’s work. My first published paper was in Neurology. It was so exciting to see how I could contribute to filling the gaps in knowledge. That was the first inkling I wanted to be in academic medicine."
Today, he can’t imagine being anywhere else. “There’s so much variety in what’s going on. The synergy among the missions is what excites me the most: how things can feed into each other in a favorable loop. Clinical operations fund education, education creates a pipeline of talent, research solves problems and creates new opportunities for education. As chair, I can facilitate all the missions without having to be an expert in all of them. I love seeing our people’s accomplishments and knowing I can help move things along."
At the Heart
The job of chair is a demanding one, especially with the challenges wrought by the pandemic, the great resignation and ongoing economic and sociopolitical turmoil. To recharge his batteries, he turns to family. “I’m fortunate to have a really understanding family. Particularly when I went for my MBA while also being a division director and a vice chair, they were so supportive. They are a lot of fun to be with and we really enjoy doing things together. I look forward to going to work and I look forward to going home, too."
When asked where his heart is, it’s no surprise to hear family is one of the answers. The surprise comes with his next breath. “My heart is also with my department. My first job out of training was here at Emory, I’ve grown up at Emory. The department has done a lot for me and my family. I have so many mentors and friends here.”
Bold leadership from the heart: that's exactly what Emory Radiology needs and Dr. Saindane is off to a great start.