Starting again in a new company and role can be exciting, but it can also be pretty daunting when you think about the new teams and new cultures you'll be joining. To show what it's like to be part of ours, we've interviewed Elvijs Sarkans, Machine Learning Engineering Lead, who joined us last September.
Hi Elvijs! Tell us more about yourself.
Well, originally from Saulkrasti, Latvia, I came over here to learn Maths at the University of Cambridge. Upon completing a further Ph.D. in mathematical control theory at the University of Bath, I decided to explore the Cambridge startup scene briefly whilst looking for the right post-doctoral lab. As it happens, I absolutely fell in love with the startup life and have been neck-deep in it ever since. Highlights include working at TAB where we built the world’s most comprehensive crowd finance database and used it to do a consulting piece for the European Commission. More recently, I worked at Secondmind, specifically on automating Gaussian Process model selection as well as applying mathematical models to make internal combustion engines more efficient.
When away from my desk, I spend most of my time negotiating broccoli into my 15-month old son’s diet. On the rare occasions, I'm allowed out of the house, I run to sports pitches to play football and floorball.
What does your role at BIOS involve?
As the Machine Learning Engineering Lead, I try to make sure that our talented Machine Learning team has everything they need to excel. My day-to-day typically involves meeting with the team to discuss the latest challenges and successes, evading the office dog, Gus, and coding up new useful tools. My favourite parts of the week are our “datascrums” where we talk about the latest developments in our understanding of how we can interact with the nervous system.
What made you decide to become a BIOneer?
The problem. Working on understanding the peripheral nervous system well enough to build novel therapies was too exciting to pass up!
How would you describe the culture here?
It’s a modern startup culture. - A fun environment where people try to solve hard problems and make the world a better place.
Can you tell us about the part your role plays in achieving our mission?
As a Machine Learning Engineering Lead my day-to-day is all about making sure the ML team is firing on all cylinders. I’m doing my job well if we are constantly pushing the state of the art in digital interaction with the peripheral nervous system.
Is the team at BIOS growing?
Yes! See our careers page - we are hiring for a bunch of key positions. We’re also always willing to consider exceptional candidates who are passionate about building neural digital therapies.
What are the coolest perks about working at BIOS?
The bicycle ambulance allowance! As an avid cyclist, it’s really great to know that my bike is kept in tip-top shape by the company.
What are you looking forward to in the next 1-2 years of your career here?
Building an amazing new neural digital therapy! - Neural digital therapies (NDTs) can be classed as any therapy that takes insight from the nervous system in real-time. If you would like to read more ‘Life @ BiOS’ articles, visit our blogs page. Interested in joining us? - Check out our careers page.
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