Andrew Oates, a Passion for Cycles
© 2020 EPFL / Alain Herzog
Summer series: A calling for research. Meet EPFL professor Andrew Oates, (co-)Director of the Institute of Bioengineering (School of Life Sciences), who studies spinal column development in zebrafish.
He wanted to become a professional cyclist, but a knee injury led him to study the natural cycles of biological systems instead.
EPFL professor Andrew Oates now looks at the biological clocks that regulate the formation of the spinal column in vertebrates. Watch the interview with Andy Oates and learn about how his mum encouraged him to go to University, how deregulated cycles can lead to congenital scoliosis, and see some fascinating footage of spinal columns forming in zebrafish.