Department of Physics, Chemistry and Biology (IFM)

Andreas Ekström

Ödegårdsgatan 13

58724 Linköping

Email: andek735@student.liu.se

University degrees 

August 2007 – June 2010. Bachelor program in Biology (180 ECTS), Linköpings Universitet, Linköping, Sweden. Basic education covering the main disciplines in biology and basic chemistry.

Bachelor thesis

Year: 2010

Title: “Effects of the NO donors Sodium Nitroprusside and S-nitrosoglutathione on oxygen consumption and embryonic organ growth in the domestic broiler chicken, Gallus gallus domesticus.”

Supervisor: Dr. Jordi Altimiras,

Associate professor, IFM Biology, Linköping universitet

Email: jordi.altimiras@liu.se  

Tel: 0046 013 285824

 

August 2010 – June 2012. Masters program in Molecular genetics and physiology (120 ECTS), Linköpings Universitet, Linköping, Sweden. The program treats the functional aspects of the organism from genes to the whole body with focus on molecular genetics and physiology.

MSc Thesis

Year: 2011-2012

Title: “ Indications of metabolic and morphological adaptations in the Ornate tinamou, Nothoprocta ornata.”

This study was partially conducted in La Paz, Bolivia in collaboration with Universidad Major de San Andrés, La Paz.

Supervisor: Dr. Jordi Altimiras,

Associate professor, IFM Biology, Linköping universitet

Email: jordi.altimiras@liu.se  

Tel: 0046 013 285824

Studies abroad

Visiting MSc student at Universidad Major de San Andrés, La Paz, Bolivia as a part of performing experiments for Master thesis project and participating in courses at the university.

Previous employments (a selection)                          

March 2005- August 2008, Industrial consultant, Lernia bemanning, Motala.

During these years I was a part of a pool of consultants that were hired by numerous companies to manage various assembly line duties ranging from assembling electronic boards of automobile airbags systems to assembling large scale street sweepers. The work was very diverse with a lot of different types of work duties. I also assisted as a CNC programmer which included programming horizontal and vertical milling machines for large scale production of metal products of different kinds.

Contact: Maria Nilsson

Email: maria.nilsson@lernia.se

Tel: 0046 0722-54 15 03

April 2009 – present: Animal caretaker and exhibition technician at Fenomenmagasinet, Linköping (Swedish Science Centers, http://www.fssc.se ).

Fenomenmagasinet is a part of the Science center community of Sweden of which the main focus is educating and increasing public interest and awareness in natural science. My main responsibility is the general maintenance of the reptiles, amphibians and fresh-, and saltwater aquariums that is held for exhibition at the facility and to monitor overall health status of the animals. Included in this work was providing technical solutions to maintain vivariums with conditions that reflects natural conditions for the animals. Part of the job also included overseeing breeding progams of snakes and amphibians and to taking care of the offspring from the egg and during postnatal development.

In addition, I also managed the facilities during the summer vacation period when the ordinary staff was on vacation. This included maintenance and service of the facility and the exhibition objects which demands some technical skills and ingenuity.

Contact: Jan Engqvist, Head manager of Fenomenmagasinet and Chairman of FSSC

Email: jan.engqvist@linkoping.se

Tel: 0046 013145230

Skills

Languages

Swedish – Native language

English – Very good

German – Very basic skills

Spanish – Very basic skills

Miscellaneous

I have a class B drivers license

I have a PADI Open Water Scuba Divers license

I have some technical skills as my previous education was within micromechanics and watch making i.e. handling and assembling small mechanical objects.

I have some electrical experience with soldering from my education and pre-education work experiences

I have some surgical experiences from my MSc thesis work in Bolivia where I implanted subcutaneous electrodes for monitoring of heart rate and ventilation in chickens and in the Ornate tinamou, Nothoprocta ornata. A similar system was also used in Sweden for heart rate monitoring in red jungle fowl by using an implanted telemetry system. In previous work I have also performed catheterization procedures to determine blood pressure in chorioallantoic blood vessels.

I also have a lot of experience with keeping and breeding animals, mainly reptiles, amphibians and fish.

Other Interests

I have always been fascinated by all kinds of wildlife and for me that fascination led me to bring that wildlife into my home. This has been the case for me all my life and I have always had some type of animal at home from meters long monitors to thumbnail sized poison dart frogs. The term “hobby herpetologist” applies well to me.

The profound fascination of wildlife has also led me to explore the underwater world and scuba diving is one of my newly found interests. Currently I have a PADI Open Water Scuba certificate