Winter attracted – now Antón is developing mathematical models

In the research group at Icelab where Antón Carcedo Martinez is a doctoral student, mathematical modeling methods are used to explain biological processes such as aging and disease development.

Image: Anna-Lena Lindskog

Antón had just started studying physics at home in Galicia, Spain, when the corona pandemic broke out. As soon as it eased and it was possible to travel abroad again, he took the chance. He applied for various scholarships and listed the countries he was interested in. 

“I received an Erasmus scholarship, but also another kind of scholarship to St. Petersburg in Russia. This was before the war with Ukraine, but my grandmother said "I don't trust that Putin". So I ended up in Umeå, a bit of a coincidence, I prioritized the Nordic countries to do winter sports and of course listened to my grandmother, otherwise she would call every single day and be worried about me!”

He had studied for two years in Spain, but when he moved to Umeå, he chose to transfer all his credits from home, write his bachelor’s thesis in Umeå and take a Swedish Bachelor's degree. Then it was straight to the Master's programme in Physics.

Made friends from different countries 

What made you decide to stay? 
“I got a much more active life here and met many people from other parts of the world. I noticed that in Spain I only met Spaniards and even though I have very good friends there, who I am still close to and meet when I am at home, it was something different in Umeå. I got into the student dorm well and made friends from China, the Netherlands and Germany, among others.”

We meet at Icelab, which is an interdisciplinary research environment, where researchers from different disciplines meet. Together they use mathematical modeling methods to understand everything from the origin of life to climate change and disease mechanisms. 

Antón is a doctoral student in professor Ludvig Lizana's research group. If someone had suggested a few years ago that he should research issues related to our genome, biological processes, aging and degenerative diseases, he would have laughed off the idea. 

Simplifying and understanding biological processes 

“I am a physicist! However, what we are doing is not typical “physics stuff” like gravity or mechanics, but biology. We use mathematical equations and models to try to simplify and explain biological processes.”

The research group is working in a relatively new field of research, epigenetics. The word comes from Greek, “epi” means “over” and epigenetics concerns what lies on top of the genes, so to speak. It is about how genes are expressed and affect processes in the body. Not all genes are turned on everywhere and constantly. Hereditary diseases are not always due to mutations in genes, but can be related to whether a certain gene is on or off, which is controlled by other mechanisms in the body. It can also be influenced by environmental factors around us. 

What we are doing is not typical “physics stuff” like gravity or mechanics, but biology

“We write equations and run simulations in the computer to find which mechanisms drive these biological processes. We try to remove everything on the side, to simplify, so that it is easier to see patterns and connections.”

Project courses a path into research life 

Did you know when you started studying that you wanted to continue with doctoral education? 
“Yes, I have been interested in science ever since I was a child, I have liked reading popular science books and wanted to become a researcher. It is part of my personality that I am very curious, and I was drawn to this environment because it felt more fun than, for example, working at a consulting firm.”

The doctoral project involves a lot of work at the computer, but Antón already knew that beforehand. The Master's programme in Physics offers great freedom to choose between all available courses in the subject. After taking a few courses in nano and materials physics, he discovered that computational physics suited him better. For almost the entire second year, he chose to take various project courses in that area and thus joined Ludvig Lizana's research group, where he also did his degree thesis. 

Was it difficult to get a doctoral position? 
“There were quite a few people who applied for the position. I think it helped a lot that I was there as a thesis student, because they see how you can perform, what you are like as a person and what kind of work ethic you have. If you are interested in continuing at university, I think it is a great advantage to do your thesis in a research group instead of in a company. 

Teaches engineering physics 

As a doctoral student, he also does some teaching. He teaches courses in electrodynamics, thermodynamics, advanced fluid mechanics, modeling and simulation. These are standard courses in the Master of Science programme in Engineering Physics. 

What is it like to teach? 
“It is quite fun, of course it depends a bit on how motivated the students are, but most of the engineering physics students are very talented students. It is very fun to sit and discuss with them and see how they think to understand the subject.”

Although the teaching is rewarding, the research project itself is what drives Antón the most. Meetings with other researchers, thinking together and trying out ideas that are then implemented in code are inspiring, but also require patience. 

“Patience is not my best skill, but I want to develop it. Sometimes I can get very frustrated when an idea doesn't work, but it's a very cool feeling when an idea works and something comes out that is either the expected result – or not expected at all!”