PASSPORT People: Meet Dr Tom Solan – Clinical Lead

Paediatric Emergency Medicine Fellow, Royal Children’s Hospital, Melbourne (Australia)

Dr Tom Solan is a Paediatric Emergency and General Paediatric Fellow at The Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne and a Research Fellow with the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute’s Paediatric Sepsis Group. Originally from the UK, Tom has been based in Australia since 2017.

What is your lived experience of sepsis?

Sepsis has been a central part of my clinical work, caring for children and families in emergency and general paediatric settings where rapid recognition and treatment can be lifesaving. Through this work I’ve seen the profound impact sepsis has on patients and their families, from critical illness to long-term recovery challenges. These experiences have driven my commitment to research and collaboration in the paediatric sepsis space, aiming to improve care and outcomes for children worldwide.

What motivated you to Co-Lead the PASSPORT PSP?

Part of my broader research in paediatric sepsis and to help develop research priorities for larger scale trials.

What do you see as the biggest challenge in caring for children with sepsis in Australia?

Early recognition.

What do you hope this global project will achieve for children and families?

To develop priorities for research that are relevant, consumer and clinician focused so that we can hope to improve the journey for these families.

What’s something people might be surprised to know about you?

I always wanted to be a sprint hurdler, and somehow ended up in medicine!

Do you have a favourite quote that inspires you?

When you can’t see the way, all you need is enough light for the next step. (C.S. Lewis)

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