Andrew Krahn is a Professor of Medicine and Head of the Division of Cardiology at the University of British Columbia. We asked everything from why he chose his field of study to what’s on his playlist in hopes of giving you a better understanding of what goes on outside the lab for one of the best minds in Canadian research.
What inspired you to become a scientist?
I was always curious about why things were the way they were, and noticed that we have a lot more questions than answers in clinical medicine.
What do you read?
I am a tech person and a bit of an ADHD luddite. If I read, it’s fluff beach books or the odd stuff like Richard Dawkins (you might get that with a Mennonite last name).
What’s on your iPod?
I’m old school: I play Bejeweled most days to relax.
My music is mostly rock, both old and new: Collective Soul, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Maroon 5, Lorena McKennitt – and I will tolerate a bit of rap and hip hop – weird but I like Eminem, for example.
Shows: Criminal Minds, Elementary, Blacklist is my current favourite; I also watch basketball, NFL (Seahawks), and occasionally golf.
If you could meet any historical figure who would it be and why?
DaVinci – my daughter is an artist and DaVinci is a merger of science and art – light years ahead of his time. Also maybe Picasso or Dali.
What advice would you give young researchers?
Follow your interests. Solve problems. It has never been more possible or important than now to improve healthcare.
