Alumni Profiles

√Phylogenetics – Carabiner²= Erick Matsen ’92

What did I do after SCDS? A whole lot more school! I attended Lakeside high school, then studied math at Stanford University and University of Paris, followed by a Ph.D. in math from Harvard University. My first position was at the University of Canterbury in Christchurch, New Zealand, which is a fantastically beautiful place with many wonderful people. I’m loving my time at University of California, Berkeley but looking forward to next year when I move on to my dream job at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle.

As a postdoctoral researcher (think: half-way between graduate student and professor), I develop mathematical theory and computer algorithms to help understand evolutionary biological data. Recent advances in technology mean it's possible to sequence ("read") the DNA of organisms very quickly and cheaply; I create methods to put this sequence data into an evolutionary context.

My work involves questions ranging from "how can we better understand the evolutionary history of HIV" to "what microbes are out in the ocean and what are they doing?" I'm constantly solving problems, and frequently recall a poster in Dr. Guldberg’s classroom at SCDS about how to move forward when solving a problem. The line I remember best was "solve a simpler problem." Indeed, when working on a difficult problem, I always try to solve the simplest version I don't already know how to do. I also loved learning computer programming from Lisa Lewis - programming is a crucial tool in contemporary scientific work, and I feel very lucky to have had exposure at such an early age. Of course, I also remember "Doc O's" science classes, where she showed us that science was something weird, wonderful, and fun! All of these experiences influenced the paths I’ve taken into math, science, and research.