Name: Filippo De Luca
Hometown: Rome, Italy, UK
Extracurricular interests: Learning languages, rowing with the St Catharine's College Boat Club and origami
Postgraduate degree: PhD in Applied Mathematics & Theoretical Physics
Life before Catz
“I left Rome in 2016 to study physics at the Ludwig Maximilian University (LMU) in Munich. After completing my undergraduate studies, I stayed for a Master’s in Theoretical and Mathematical Physics, which combines courses from both Physics and Mathematics at LMU and the Technical University of Munich. In the meantime, I also pursued a Bachelor’s degree in Historical and General Linguistics, a subject I have always found fascinating."
Life at Catz
"Before coming to Cambridge, I was unfamiliar with the collegiate system and felt a bit overwhelmed when I had to choose a college. Fortunately, I joined St Catharine’s, known as the ‘friendly college’, and quickly realised how lucky I was. Its truly welcoming, close-knit community made me feel at home right away. The college genuinely cares about students’ welfare, offering various forms of support. The MCR (postgraduate student association) enhances the day-to-day life of Catz postgrads by organising numerous events, both academic and leisurely. Additionally, I took the opportunity to learn rowing at Catz boat club, which has an amazing atmosphere and provides a great way to relieve some of the stress of doing a PhD."
Postgraduate studies
“Active matter systems break the constraints of thermal equilibrium by consuming energy at the local level. Examples are motor proteins walking on cytoskeletal filaments, colonies of swimming bacteria, active colloidal fluids, but also schools of herrings and flocks of birds. The nonequilibrium character of these systems allows them to exhibit a range of complex collective phenomena that have no equilibrium counterpart. In my research, I take a field-theoretic approach to these systems, which focuses on the collective degrees of freedom by describing them in terms of stochastic partial differential equations. I investigate the mechanisms that govern their collective behaviour at the continuum level, studying properties such as hyperuniformity, nonequilibrium instabilities and rare events."
The Harding Distinguished Postgraduate Scholars Programme
“Pursuing a PhD at Cambridge would not have been possible for me without the support of the Harding programme. The programme offers much more than just funding: it sustains a vibrant community of postgraduate students from a wide range of backgrounds, across many Cambridge colleges. This gives me a unique chance to interact with people doing research in fields both close and very far from my own. The programme also organises interesting seminars and workshops on various aspects of academic life. Moreover, its very generous research allowance enables me to attend conferences and summer schools without worrying too much about financial constraints. Finally, as an international student, I am particularly grateful that the programme covers the costs of the UK student visa and healthcare surcharge.”
Advice for undergraduates thinking of applying for postgraduate studies
“Embarking on a PhD is a unique opportunity to conduct in-depth research on a topic for a long period of time, but it is also a significant commitment. Given that you will be spending several years working closely with your supervisor and colleagues, I think it is crucial to make sure the research environment suits your needs. If you get the chance, it’s a great idea to visit the research group you are applying to in person, and talk to current students and other researchers before you
make a decision.”
