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The Australian Tim Lynagh arrived in snowy Bergen mid January. How did he end up here?

-When did you decide that biology would be your path in life? -Did any person or event influence your choice?

Probably one Thursday morning at 8 am in 2001,听sitting in a physics lecture wondering what the hell was going on. I arrived at university interested in both听physics and the brain... I soon chose to study听the latter!

So I suppose you could say that听those physics lecturers played a big part in my decision to study neuroscience.听But my honours supervisor, Lesley Bryan-Lluka, and my PhD supervisor Joe Lynch, in very different ways showed me the kind of听thinking that gets research done. As for the subjective听stuff, my experience is that it听has to come from within.

-Tell about your career so far.

I did all of my studies in the one place in Australia and was keen to make a big move for my听postdoc work. It took me a while to realise that hard work was not enough, you need ambition or creativity. So I had some lowpoints to go with the highs.听The good thing is that听resources are听unlimited in terms of creativity, and I think my career has improved when I've tapped more into that. (The necessary听tedium of labwork etc goes without saying!)

-What would you like to achieve during your stay at the Sars Centre? -And later on, when you will have succeeded?

My background is mostly studying听proteins in the nervous system on听a biophysical or biochemical level, how they work, how they are modified by drugs, etc.听Recently,听I've learnt that some of these questions are answered most effectively听through an evolutionary approach. So at Sars, I hope I can absorb some of the cutting edge biological/evolutionary听approaches of others to answer some of these biophysical questions. And I hope that some of the biophysical work can help explain some evolutionary processes!

-What is your main interest in science? -And outside science?

It fascinates me that听human听experience derives from electrical current across the cell membrane. The tiniest amino acid difference in membrane proteins, say, can change this and thus throw the nervous system听completely off-kilter, in either physiological or evolutionary terms. I'm lucky to be studying the biophysical听basis underlying听this.

I think that actually听fascinates me outside of science too听- everyone听questions their own听health, perception, consciousness听at some stage! But if I had to name a particular love, it's probably music. The good stuff, like Kate Bush, David Bowie,听Radiohead.听馃槂

-Name one attraction in Bergen that you wish to explore in the future.

Whatever's over those mountains that I keep seeing from my window!