Erik Donovan Hedegård

Project title

A relativistic, virtual lab for light-driven anti-cancer drugs

What is your project about?

Quantum mechanics has been called the most successful theory of the twentieth century. It revolutionized our understanding of physics in the 1920s and has since been used to predict physical and chemical phenomena with astonishing precision. Unfortunately, the accuracy is insufficient for metal compounds used in chemotherapy. In this project, I will develop new quantum mechanical models specifically aimed at this type of metal compounds. Then, I will apply the methods to the design of new, better compounds for cancer treatment.

How did you become interested in your particular field of research?

I was fascinated by inorganic chemistry already in my first years as a student. Metals show an enormous variety in how they react, and are used in everything from wind turbines to pharmaceuticals. Later in my studies, I discovered how it is possible to calculate properties of chemical compounds, which also fascinated me. In this project, I have the opportunity to combine both calculations and inorganic chemistry, which is fantastic.

What are the scientific challenges and perspectives in your project?

The challenge is to build a quantum mechanical model that is accurate, without the calculations taking too long. Today, calculations can take days or even months. If you have to predict which new metal compounds have potential as chemotherapy, you often have to examine several thousand different compounds. Therefore, the calculation time must be greatly reduced, preferably without compromising the accuracy.

What is your estimate of the impact, which your project may have to society in the long term?

Unfortunately, the chemotherapy in use today is not active against all cancer types and the side effects can be very serious. The predictions from our theoretical models may lead to more effective drugs with fewer side effects. In addition, the methods we develop can also be used to understand a number of other processors where metal compounds are included, such as catalysts or batteries, which can drive a green transformation of our society.

Which impact do you expect the Sapere Aude programme will have on your career as a researcher?

A Sapere Aude grant is a huge boost to my research, and it means that I can now focus on making my group one of the leading in my field. It also means that my research group is expanding, and that I can start more collaborations with internationally recognized research groups abroad.

Background and personal life

Before I moved back to Denmark, I lived for several years in Sweden and I have family in both Sweden and Germany. In recent years, I have therefore started to take an interest in Scandinavian/Germanic languages and try to speak as much Swedish/German as possible.