Jakub Tomek

After studying computer science at the Faculty of Mathematics and Physics of the Charles University in Prague, I ventured to study a PhD (DPhil, to be exact) at the University of Oxford. The support of Bakala foundation allowed me to pursue my dream: to use computer science in biological research, which is why selected the programme Life Sciences Interface, and a project in the physiology department. I focussed at the study of the role of sympathetic nervous system (responsible, e.g., for increased heart rate during a physical activity) in arrhythmia formation after myocardial infarction. We discovered intriguing discrepancies between the established opinion that sympathetic nervous system is purely pro-arrhythmic, and new clinical results that suggest this is not the case. In the end, we (hopefully :)) explained the discrepancy and we’ve shown that sympathetic nervous system is not just a villain. During the studies, I learned several techniques of computer modelling of cardiac cells, as well as some experimental approaches to studying the heart. Together, these methods allowed me to obtain interesting observations and bring mechanistic insight into them at the same time. As I see it, the main advantages of studying in Oxford were the technological possibilities and the high concentration of experts in key fields; without them, we could never obtain such clear results. Beyond my research, I very much enjoy the Chinese tea ceremony gongfu cha, listening to music, and playing uilleann pipes and Irish whistles.