Born in Austria • Studied Mathematics and Music • PhD in Applied Mathematics from University of Vienna, Austria • Assistant Research Professor at University of Cambridge
It was the beauty of abstract aesthetics that first drew me to Mathematics. Finding calm and excitement in analytical thinking and mathematical problems, it has always been clear to me that I will study Mathematics at the University.
Being from Austria gives you the huge privilege to obtain great education for free at nearby universities. That is how, right after my final high school exam, I enrolled for my Maths undergraduate studies without even thinking about the future. I still remember very clearly one of my first Math lectures at the University of Vienna. In a room with hundreds of excited and nervous students, the professor took us by surprise: “Look left and look right, most of you won’t make it through the first study term!” Back then I encountered that as a challenge I was happy to participate in, today I wonder how such pedagogical manners could be acceptable.
The excitement, the frustration, the joy – it felt like training acrobatics of the mind
A competition – that is how it felt the first years of studying and I dearly enjoyed the long hours studying and solving mathematical problems with my amazing colleagues that soon became close friends. The excitement, the frustration, the joy – it felt like training acrobatics of the mind and I embraced the clarity of pure Mathematics, presenting an undefeatable truth.
What I have not told yet – alongside Mathematics I obtained another degree at a different institution, namely in music pedagogy for violin performance and later also studied early music with baroque violin. (In Austria you cannot obtain two majors or a minor in a different study area; now I think that this system would have fitted me much better.) I did worry a lot that people would not take me seriously either in Maths or in Music when they’d find out, and that is why I kept hiding my respective “second” identity in both communities for a very long time from most people. Luckily, I also met people that inspired me to keep up both interests and I am still very grateful for them. When I received a prestigious research fellowship towards the end of my PhD studies in Mathematics, for the first time I felt strong enough to speak publicly about my two paths. Often, I was asked: “So what will you choose? Maths or Music?” My answer has always been: “Both, of course!”
Maths and Music gave me the perfect balance to challenge both my analytical and creative skills on an emotional and structural level
Maths and Music gave me the perfect balance to challenge both my analytical and creative skills on an emotional and structural level during my university studies. I could not have gone forward and succeeded in one without the other. Later, both activities gave me such amazing opportunities to travel and meet people, where often it benefitted both my professions! And lastly – this brings me right in the present – eventually I have managed to combine both professions in an interdisciplinary research project that I am now carrying out.
But first, back to my path in Maths! My first undergraduate course in mathematical image processing showed me how enjoyable it can be to visually experience the results of a mathematical solution. I began to love the idea of using mathematics to process or even create a digital image, and the satisfaction to see the result of a successful algorithm (for example to make a noisy image clearer). I kept this excitement and was very grateful to find a supervisor for a Master’s thesis on image analysis – the project even included medical images from a hospital! I had not planned to stay for a PhD, but when I was offered to stay in the research project, I felt excited to deepen my understanding of mathematical image analysis and applications further.
The calm that once gave me comfort in pure Mathematics I now found in the compromises that have to be made in translational research
Soon my passion for interdisciplinary research was released, and gradually I started loving the edginess that comes when applying Mathematics to real-world problems. The calm that once gave me comfort in pure Mathematics I now found in the compromises that have to be made in translational research when trying to bridge theory, application and task-based needs.
Many little twists and turns have brought me to where I am now and I am absolutely thrilled about my interdisciplinary research project at the University of Cambridge, working on image analysis and historical music manuscripts. Having encountered various obstacles challenging my unusual path, I still would tell my younger self to delve into both passions, and I would advise everyone to stay true to themselves and feel free to go their own personal, individual path.
Published on October 15, 2025.
Photo credit: Flora Wiederkehr