From SciLifeLab to the Swedish sprint championships: PhD students combine research and rowing

In July, SciLifeLab/KTH PhD students João Varela and Sofie Blahova swapped their lab coats for rowing gear as they represented Akademiska Roddföreningen (ARF) at the Swedish Rowing Sprint Championships (SM Sprint) in Örkelljunga.

The pair won the mixed double, becoming Swedish sprint champions after completing the 500-metre course in 1 minute and 40 seconds. They finished 3.5 seconds ahead of Malmö and six seconds ahead of Mölndals.

There was also success in the individual events. João took bronze in the men’s singles, finishing in 1:55, while Sofie won the women’s singles in 2:00.

For both João and Sofie, however, rowing is about more than medals. The sport has become an important part of their lives as PhD students. It provides structure, perspective, friendships and, occasionally, a welcome excuse to spend several hours doing something that isn’t research.

“I am a PhD student at Scilifelab affiliated to KTH Biophysics. In the lab, I grow tumor models that are biologically similar to real human tumors. These models let us test drugs, immunotherapies and learn about basic biology of cancer and the immune system. During my PhD, I also met João, my crewmate for the Swedish Sprint championships.”, says Sophie.

”Sports have always played a huge role in my life, and they help me a lot when it comes to being organised and organising my time. I started rowing when I was 14 years old, and this sport has been a big part of my life ever since. My teammates really support me a lot whenever I have a bad day at work, and it really helps to keep me motivated, both in and outside of the lab.”, adds João.

João and Sofie agree, rowing provides a structured activity alongside their research and a community outside the laboratory. They hope their involvement will encourage other SciLifeLab colleagues to explore the sport at Akademiska Roddföreningen in Brunnsviken.