Carlos Sanchez: «My heart beats for data»

24 March 2023

This page has been translated automatically.

In the «5 minutes with...» section, we introduce you to the researchers who work with the Paediatric Research Centre (PFZ) at UKBB. This time Carlos Sanchez answered our questions.

As a child I wanted to be...
Architect.

I became...
Project Manager and now Data Manager/Scientist.

What fascinates me about research...
How numbers are grouped and explain things.

I gained my first research experience at / as a...
My master's thesis in statistics: Creating an app to visualise the gene expression profile across different tissues and species.

I would like to solve the following research question...
Alzheimer's because a close family member suffers from it.

In research, I particularly appreciate...
Teamwork and honesty. Accepting that we cannot always achieve the desired result.

My current project is...
Collaboration in several projects on data analysis and statistics.

What I particularly like about my current job...
Data. Thousands and millions of pieces of data.

I don't like my current job that much...
Bureaucracy, even if this is a very small part.

«I would advise my former self: You love numbers? Forget engineering and study statistics.»

Who/what inspires me and why...
The work of doctors. I was already impressed by the work of «Doctors without Borders» back then.

What advice would I give even my 18-year-old self...
You love numbers, forget engineering and study statistics.

After an exhausting day, my favourite way to relax is with...
Sofa and watch a series.

What is important to me...
As Vito Corleone would say: the family.

On Sunday mornings I like to do...
Hiking in the mountains with family or friends.

What's surprising about me is that...
I have run 8 marathons in 6 different countries. I would like to run at least one more soon, although I need to get fit again first.

The best thing that happened to me in 2022 is...
Seeing how well my sons have adapted to their new life at university in the Netherlands. They had to learn a lot of things in a very short space of time, and none of it had anything to do with their studies.

My current wish is...
to be involved in as many different projects as possible... and to wake up one day speaking German.

The last book I read was...
Don Quixote of La Mancha (still in progress).

I would take the following 3 things with me to a desert island...
Music, books and sun cream.