Q1. Who inspired you to become a scientist?

I was inspired by scientists like Alexander Fleming—one of my childhood heroes—whose discovery of penicillin changed medicine forever. Early on, I became fascinated by the dream of fusing computation with biology. Even as a teenager I sensed algorithms could illuminate life’s code and fight disease. That conviction, despite early skepticism, has shaped much of my scientific journey.

Q2. What drives your research interest?

Antimicrobial resistance is an existential, yet chronically under-funded, threat. The urgency to invent new antibiotics—and the possibility of compressing discovery with AI—drives me. Turning biology from observation to prediction and design is both a moral imperative and an intellectual thrill.

Q3. What is your current research focus?

We build AI that designs antibiotics in hours, not years. Our “molecular de-extinction” program mines extinct genomes for forgotten antimicrobials, while generative models create novel molecules—several already curing infections in animal models. The goal: a real-time pipeline that outpaces superbugs.

Q4. Who are your current scientific influences?

I draw energy from boundary-breakers who meld computation, biology, and engineering. Their courage to traverse disciplines and tackle grand challenges shapes my own research. Our lab has many such brave people!

Q5. If you hadn’t become a scientist, what would your dream job be?

I would be an inventor or engineer—something that let me explore ideas and solve problems. I need intellectual stimulation and purpose.

Q6. What are your hobbies?

Outside the lab, I enjoy reading, watching films, and playing soccer. I also value spending time with my family.

Q7. What books influenced you the most?

So many. Recently, The Maniac by Benjamin Labatut. Growing up: Dawkins’ The Selfish Gene, Darwin’s On the Origin of Species, Hofstadter’s GEB, Schrödinger’s What Is Life?, Crick’s What Mad Pursuit. Also: Neanderthal Man, Time, Love, Memory, The Last Lone Inventor, Prisoner’s Dilemma: John von Neumann, Game Theory, and the Puzzle of the Bomb, and works by Feynman, David Deutsch, Cormac McCarthy, and Jacques Monod. 

Q8. What are your favourite movies?

Blade Runner is one of my all-time favorites. I am drawn to films that explore futuristic ideas, scientific imagination, and the human condition. 

Q9. What advice would you give your 18-year old self?

Trust your vision even if others doubt it. Stay persistent, embrace interdisciplinary thinking, and remember that breakthroughs often come from believing in the impossible before anyone else does.

Q10. What, in your opinion, is the “next big thing” in the field of scientific research?

Biology is going digital. Soon, we will predict and design biology entirely on computers. As AI models grow more powerful, the need for physical experimentation will decrease. Human scientists will focus on creativity and hypothesis generation, collaborating with machines to accelerate discovery. It is the dawn of a new partnership—human ingenuity meets machine intelligence.