Wole Solana
AIMS Alumni, University of Cape Town, South Africa.
AIMS: Engaging women and men in the promotion of gender equality and inclusion in science
Knowledge Exchange Forum: Youth Engagement in STEM
Wole is a Nigerian graduate of AIMS-South Africa in 2007. Currently completing his PhD in Bioinformatics at UCT, he also works fulltime as a Software developer at ThoughtWorks, based in Johannesburg. Wole applies Mathematics and computational skills in his research work while developing a clinical diagnostic model for Latent Tuberculosis Infection. Over and above employing mathematical and statistical modelling techniques in analysing and understanding complex data sets, Wole utilises his Mathematical problem solving skills on a daily basis to help solve problems for clients in the business sector. Being able to think in a logical fashion is a critical skill for a software developer as it helps in breaking down complex problems into smaller modules that can be solved more easily.
Being an alumnus of AIMS helped in connecting Wole with his current supervisor at the University of Cape Town and also played an integral part in getting to ThoughtWorks via an Alumni-recruiting event showcasing the firm and other private sector opportunities. Wole’s focus is to play a critical role in the development of a culture of self-reliance, excellence and integrity on the African continent by building a network of talented people who are willing to invest their time, energy and skills in nurturing the latent potential that abounds on the continent; to have an Africa that fully realises its enormous potential. Wole is a vocal supporter for gender equality in mathematical sciences. Some of the work Wole is involved in revolves around Black Girls Code and working with Ikamva Youth, an organisation for disadvantaged youth in Johannesburg (South Africa). At ThoughtWorks, they are also planning to embark on a number of initiatives to give back to the community.