In one week, Tuesday 11th July, Dr Romain Quidant will receive the I Banco Sabadell Foundation Award for Science and Engineering, in recognition of his contributions in the field of nanophotonics. Amongst them, his development of ‘nano’ tweezer stands out. These tweezers mean it is possible to trap and move particles without modifying them. You can watch it via streaming from 20:00 by clicking here.
Get to know Dr Quidant better through these 11 questions…
1.- If you had not become a physicist, what would you have become instead? A priori there wasn’t anything that was destined to make me a physicist. Until I was 18 I was a national athlete (boxing) so maybe, if I hadn’t been as lucky to have had good teachers who knew how to teach me how fascinating science could be, who knows, maybe I would have pursued a career in sports. The most likely scenario is that I would have pursued a creative kind of job. I’m a restless kind of person, I’m somebody who always needs learn new things and have challenges to overcome. It’s important to my wellbeing and balance.
2.- What is the main characteristic that a physicist/scientific researcher should have? Passion (this job is a vocation), having a clear vision of where to go and where not go, creativity.
3.- When you were little you dreamt of being…? Prior to being an athlete, I dreamed of being a doctor, which came back to haunt me several times whilst I was studying physics. Today, I feel lucky that I am able to combine my passion for physics with medicine, I can interact with doctors through several of our projects.
4.- And now your dream is to… Today, I dream of being able to help society through my job. And it is with this idea in mind that I have spent several years using nano-optics to develop new technologies which have the potential to change the diagnosis and treatment of illnesses. “I dream of one of the technologies which we have developed becoming a game changer in the field of health”
5.- Which quality do you most value in a person? The qualities which I most value in a person are generosity, empathy and a positive attitude.
6.- Which discovery would you most like to announce to the world in a few years? That one of the technologies which we are developing is entering into the market.
7.- What do you need in order to concentrate? Interest.
8.- Do you work whilst listening to music or in silence? Silence.
9.- Where do you like to go in order to disconnect? To the sea.
10.- EBooks or paper books? Paper, the feel of the the paper is part of the experience.
11.- Which headline would you like to read one of these days? That science and high techs have become one of the motors of the Catalan economy.
