Christian Contarino

His opinion

1. What’s your name and where are you from?

   My name is Christian Contarino. I am of Sicilian and Romanian heritage, born in Biella, grew up in Albenga, and have been residing in Bolzano since 2012.

2. What did you study before the master?

   Before starting my master’s degree, I completed a Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics in Genoa and obtained an equivalent Master’s degree in Piano. My Bachelor’s course provided a comprehensive overview of mathematics.

3. Why did you choose this master?

   When I moved to Bolzano, I was torn between continuing my journey in Mathematics or advancing my Piano concert performances. After much contemplation, I decided on the former. My initial plan was to specialize in Cryptography. However, upon taking some courses in Scientific Computing and Computational Haemodynamics, I discovered my true passion. The field of medicine, particularly human physiology, intrigued me due to its limitless possibilities for study and application. The fact that mathematical equations could simulate and explain physical laws captivated me, motivating me to delve further into this area.

4. What do you consider to be the strong points of the master?

   The master’s program was a comprehensive one, covering a wide array of subjects, from mechanics and fluid dynamics to numerical analysis and scientific computing. It laid a strong foundation for me to build my future applications. Every topic that I learned during my Master’s degree turned out to be crucial in my ongoing work. Therefore, I consider the variety of subjects taught and the professors’ ability to share their extensive experience as the strongest points of the program.

5. What did you like about the masters?

   I appreciated the diversity of the courses offered. Even though initially I did not expect all of them to be directly applicable, I found everything I learned to be extremely useful in my professional journey.

6. What did you do immediately after the master?

   Immediately after completing my master’s, I embarked on my Ph.D. journey at the University of Trento under the guidance of Prof. Eleuterio F. Toro. He was an inspiring mentor, encouraging me to nurture my creativity while also instilling in me the ability to be an independent researcher in the field of computational medicine.

7. What are you doing right now in terms of work?

As I neared the completion of my Ph.D., I decided to follow my dream of making a difference in the world. Intrigued by the immense potential for applying mathematics in the medical field, I co-founded a startup called Computational Life. Currently, I serve as the Chief Technological Officer and Board Director. Our primary project is developing a clinical decision support system that employs computational modeling and machine learning to assist doctors in making critical decisions for patients in shock conditions.

1. Would you recommend the Masters to someone? To whom in particular?

Absolutely. I would strongly recommend this Master’s program to anyone interested in exploring the infinite potential and applications of mathematics in the medical field. As we move towards more clinical applications of mathematics and use it for research and development of medical devices and drugs, the world is getting prepared for this transition. This Master’s program is a great starting point for anyone who wishes to be part of this exciting journey.