I pursued a Bachalor's degree in Physics for one and a half year at the University of Innsburck, Austria. This experience sharpened my analytical and logical problem-solving skills. However, my true passion lay in the field of vision science, leading me to switch to a Bachelor's program in Biology at the same university. Here, I explored the intricacies of life viewed through the lens of various biological disciplines. 

To further my journey in vision science, I continued my studies with a Master's degree in Cell-and Developmental Biology at the University of Innsbruck. During my Master's program, I conducted innovative research for my thesis. This research paved the way for a novel gene therapeutic approach in the future using protein splicing for the treatment of congenital stationary night blindness type 2 (CSNB2), an inherited retinal diease.

My academic journey continued as I embarked on a Ph.D. in the "CavX - Calcium channels in excitable cells" program, alongside my studies in Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of Innsburck. Here, I continued working on the development of a gene supplementation therapy of CSNB2, successfully graduating in January 2023.

Throughout my time in Innsbruck, my insatiable desire to acquire new skills and refine existing ones led me to participate in numerous courses, which focused on enhancing my scientific English proficiency (C1 level). I also discovered the significance of rhetoric and programming. Additionally, I dedicated time to extracurricular activities, gaining experience as a tutor for first-semester students. I played a pivotal role in organizing the PhD Life Science Meetings in Innsburck for three consecutive years, representing the CavX PhD program.

In March 2023, I switched to a new career path, transitioning from wet lab experiments to a role as a bioinformatician, working exclusively with computers. I am currently a Heidi Ras fellow working with Dr. Christian Grimm and Dr. Elvir Becirovic at the University of Zurich. My responsibilities include writing R scripts to facilitate my colleagues' research, as well as reviewing and analysing data obtained from bulk-RNA seq, scRNAseq, and whole-genome bisulfite sequencing. In the upcoming years, I intend to solidify my foundation in computer-based skills and delve deeper into the realm of data science, gaining expertise in data manipulation, analysis and visualtisation, while adding machine learning to my toolkit.

Even though my professional life occupies much of my time, I likewise find passion in physical exercise. I regularly engage in activities such as apparatus gymnastics, running, and cycling. Occasionally, I enjoy bouldering, swimming and conquering via ferratas. Personal growth and promoting mental health awareness stand as my primary life goals.

You can find more about my professional work here:

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Thomas-Heigl

https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1571-8579

https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-heigl/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=Thomas+Heigl&sort=date