Luke is a PhD candidate at the University of Oxford, where he works at the intersection of neuroscience and psychology. In his research, Luke combines cutting-edge brain imaging, brain stimulation, and quantitative modelling techniques to understand how brain activity gives rise to fundamental aspects of cognition and behaviour. Before studying at Oxford, Luke completed a B.A. in Philosophy and Psychology at the University of Sydney. Outside of work, he enjoys spending time on the tennis court, playing and listening to music, and contemporary art.

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WHAT IS A HEALTHCARE ADVANCEMENT YOU HOPE TO SEE IN YOUR LIFETIME?

I hope to see individualised phenotyping and treatment become standard in all fields of medicine. I think that this will be particularly important for psychiatric and neurological disorders, where patients with the same diagnosis often exhibit strikingly divergent symptom patterns.

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WHAT EXCITES YOU MOST ABOUT TECHBIO?

Everything! But in particular, I'm excited about novel computational techniques that can capture and predict biological processes 'in silico'. Better models of biological phenomena will facilitate the design of more effective experiments, provide deeper insights from the data we have, and ultimately drive the development of superior medical therapies at faster rates than ever before.

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WHAT IS THE MOST INFLUENTIAL CONTENT YOU READ LAST YEAR?

“Why Trust Science?”, by scientist-turned-historian, Naomi Oreskes. It is a timely and erudite history of science as a form of human activity: how it works, why it works, and the social and political responsibilities of scientific practitioners to ensure that public trust is not broken.