Biomedical Engineer and Expert Rower: Jose Gomez-Feria Ferreiro
After graduating Florida Tech last year with his B.S. in biomedical engineering, Jose Gomez-Feria Ferreiro moved to Spain to complete his master’s degree and participate in a highly regarded rowing club.
What was the favorite part about studying biomedical engineering at Florida Tech?
For me, it was the opportunity to combine both fields of biomedicine, physics and electronic in the same career, learning a great deal by combining all of them. It was also a great opportunity to be a part of a new degree program.
Who was your favorite professor at Florida Tech?
All the professors were awesome and that is one of the reasons of why I’m starting my Ph.D. next year — to become a good researcher and professor like the ones I met at Florida Tech. I would like to mention Dr. Carroll (biology department) and Dr. Fenn (biomedical department) as two good mentors that guided me through my career.
What is your favorite Florida Tech memory?
Definitely graduating and winning the Dad Vail Regatta stroking the V8+ (it was the first time in the last 28 years for FIT). Also, meeting all my very good friends from the crew and the coaches.
Is your master’s degree also in biomedical engineering?
Not really, it is more focused on biomedicine, although it has an engineering component of software processing to analyze certain images from the microscope.
Can you tell us a little about your thesis at the Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocío?
It is based on the role that neuronflamation has in Parkinson’s disease (activation of microglia and astrocytes). It also discusses treating Parkinson’s with cell therapy.
How did you get into rowing?
I started with a group of friends from my high school, Colegio San José SS.CC. We signed up to row in my current club, Real Círculo de Labradores de Sevilla, where I keep practicing and rowing to this day. It is considered the best rowing club from Spain, winning the national championship the last 13 years in a row.
What’s your training schedule like to prepare for the summer Olympics?
In the morning, I practice from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m., then I go to the lab for work. In the afternoon, I do a second practice from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. It averages to around 7 hours of practice from Monday to Saturday. On Sunday I only practice in the mornings.
What are you most excited about competing in the Olympics?
We still have to qualify to get in at the end of May at the World Rowing Cup in Lucerne, Switzerland. It would be exciting being surrounded by so many talented athletes that have put forth the same effort in order to be there.
