Physicist Matilda Backholm and mathematician Sylvester Eriksson-Bique are awarded Väisälä Prizes by the Finnish Academy of Science and Letters. Väisälä Prizes are worth €15,000 and are awarded annually to young, already distinguished scientists in the field of mathematics and natural sciences.
Matilda Backholm’s research deals with the physics of soft matter, with the aim of solving major challenges in physics and biology. Backholm’s research focuses on the effects of physical forces in soft, fluid and biological systems, which she examines both experimentally and using theoretical modelling.
Backholm, who works as an assistant professor at Aalto University, has studied the movement of microscopically small organisms, such as tiny nematodes and brine shrimp, and the forces they require for this movement, as well as the movement of water droplets on hydrophobic surfaces.
According to the award citation, Backholm’s research has significantly increased our understanding of how small organisms adapt to their environment. Understanding the movements of organisms and living things is essential, for example, in the development of future biomedical applications. One example of this is so-called swallowable surgery, where the aim is to develop extremely small, swallowable swarms of robots, known as mesorobots, as a biomedical tool.
Backholm has also developed a highly sensitive micropipette force sensor method that can be used to measure the viscoelastic properties, movement dynamics and interactions of small organisms.
Fractals and geometry
Mathematician Sylvester Eriksson-Bique studies fractals, i.e. self-repeating geometric patterns or shapes, as well as geometry and basic analysis theory. A special feature of his research is finding surprising connections between different phenomena. These connections lead to new methods, and using them, he and his collaborators have succeeded in solving long-standing questions related to fractals and geometry. The most recent of these is the energy image density conjecture of Bouleau and Hirsch in the field of stochastics. These results have been published in leading mathematics journals.
Eriksson-Bique, who is an associate professor at the University of Jyväskylä, has distinguished himself as a researcher, teacher and member of the scientific community, according to the award citation. Among other things, Eriksson-Bique has been the main organiser of several national and international scientific events.
“Ever since I was little, I have been really interested in mathematical challenges and wanted to find solutions to them. You also need passion to be able to do high-level mathematics,” says Eriksson-Bique with a smile.
Eriksson-Bique is inspired by the diversity of his work as a researcher and teacher.
“I am lucky to be able to work with extremely talented students. My dream is to see them succeed, achieve great results and find solutions to difficult, unsolved questions.”
Finland has a long tradition in mathematics, and we have a lot of high-level expertise in the field.
“I would still argue that the level of mathematics is currently higher than it has ever been in Finland. It is really exciting to be part of this journey,” Eriksson-Bique continues.
The Väisälä Prizes were awarded at the Evening Dedicated to Science of the Finnish Academy of Science and Letters on 8 December at the House of Nobility in Helsinki.
Sylvester Eriksson-Bique
· Works as an assistant professor at the University of Jyväskylä
· Competed his PhD at the Courant Institute in New York in 2017
· Worked as a postdoctoral researcher at the University of California, Los Angeles, from 2017 to 2020
· Member of Young Academy Finland in the period 2022–2026
Matilda Backholm
· Works as an associate professor at Aalto University
· Completed her PhD in physics at McMaster University in Canada in 2015
· Worked as an Academy of Finland postdoc researcher in Professor Robin Ras’ Soft Matter and Wetting research group at Aalto University
· Alumni member of Young Academy Finland
Väisälä Prize
The Finnish Academy of Science and Letters awards the Väisälä Prize annually to 1–3 already distinguished scientists in the active parts of their careers. The awards are granted by the Board of the Academy from the Väisälä Fund to fields supported by the Fund. Väisälä Prizes have been awarded since 2000. The prize is worth €15,000.