Shreyak Banhatti has travelled a long way from India to Germany to be a part of EUROPAH. A man of few words, here is what he answered to the questions we put forward to him about his work and himself.
What did you study before joining EUROPAH for your PhD?
I did my Masters in Physics in India at the Indian institute of technology, Madras.
What is your role in the network?
I am working in experimental physics at the University of Cologne under the supervision of Prof. Stephan Schlemmer and Dr. Sandra Bruenken. My current research is on spectroscopy of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons.
What is the best thing about your current job?
The best thing about my work is that I get to travel around Europe for workshops and conferences, learn about research that other people are doing.
Who inspired you to follow this career path?
I was inspired by great scientists of the 20th century like Einstein and Feynman.
What is your typical day like?
A typical day for me would be to experiment on some interesting PAHs, building instruments, fixing issues with the experimental setup I am working on and drinking coffee.
Where do you live now? What do you like about this place?
I live in two cities now as a part of my work and I spend a lot of time at FELIX laboratory in Nijmegen in Nehterlands and Cologne where I officially work.
Which languages do you speak? Are you learning a new language now?
I speak 3 languages, Hindi, Kannada and English and currently I am learning German.