Henrik Andrén

Since I have just graduated after some 20 years of school, the last consisting of PhD work, research sounds like a very interesting field to try my theoretical knowledge at. In my PhD work of developing measurement methods for Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) I did look some at molecular modelling and computational chemistry. Such a course was not considered interesting enough for my diploma though, so I never really had the time to finish it. I did get some hands on experience with NWChem and read up a bit on the theories behind such computations. Since I have always had a keen interest in three dimensional engineering this work sounds very promising and I would feel a fool if I didn't try and apply for it.
I studied engineering physics at Luleå University of Technology, a sound theoretical base to stand on with plenty of depth in mathematics. But since I have always had a keen interest in chemistry, I took the opportunity to pursue a PhD career. Too bad the founding of the project forced me to finish ahead of schedule and only gave me a licentiate, which is not too far from an actual PhD, depending on how you compare the Anglo Saxon to the Germanic school system.
Apart from chemistry, mathematics and other natural sciences I have a keen interest in cooking. Something I actually think of as a melting pot of all of the above, and I have found use for my understanding of heat convection, protein coagulation, enzyme digestion and mathematical scaling in my hobby enterprises. Right now I'm reading up on how taste buds work and react. Moreover I train martial arts, or rather, instruct, since I have a severe lack of masters where I live at the moment. But I think the moderate exercise I get from this pursuit is good both for my soul and body.
As a person I am considered calm and tranquil, I am positive and has a tendency to not lot let mistakes burden me more than as a learning experience. This is from a philosophy an old teacher taught me 'Don't look at your mistakes, you should only focus on what you did right, not what you did wrong'. I might be considered a bit eccentric, but I don't think that is such a bad thing, since it means I have to be open minded to my pears and how they act and react. Otherwise I would be a hypocrite.