Danilo Perez looks up to René Descartes, the french philosopher who thoroughly linked mathematics to science. When I spoke to Danilo, he shared his deep love with Applied Mathematics, and explained to me the wonders he has explored. Being only 21 years old, he is already completing his BSc degree in Chemistry, working on projects ranging from astrochemistry of Saturn's moon Titan, Neuroscience, and the metabolic dynamics of glucose and insulin that lead to Diabetes mellitus. He explores these topics from the viewpoint of a mathematician and computer scientist, and launched the "Math is more than numbers" initiative at UPR Cayey to expose local high school students to the diverse potential careers one can pursue when they build strong quantitative skillsets.
Danilo, who became the Chemistry Student of the Year and is the recipient of a NASA research fellowship, is very passionate about communicating important research results to the public, and has given numerous presentations at international conferences. He believes that falling in love with science will lead to long-time success. When you speak to Danilo, you can strongly feel his love and enthusiasm for the wonders of this world.
