Meet Your Colleague
Meet Your Colleague: Martin Worm-Leonhard
Meet Martin Worm-Leonhard - Forensic chemist at the Department of Forensic Medicine.
Can you explain what your work involves?
In the forensic chemistry department, we perform analyses of biological material, typically blood samples from autopsies, personal examinations, and motorists suspected of driving under the influence of medication or narcotics. Additionally, we conduct analyses of seized narcotics from the police and customs authorities.
As a forensic chemist, my job is to approve and interpret analysis results, report our findings in a format that the requesting authority can use, answer questions from the requester, and occasionally appear in court to explain our results in more detail.
I regularly give popular science lectures about our work aimed at the public and provide professional presentations for the staff of the authorities we collaborate with.
How long have you been working at SDU? Have you been here "off and on"?
I have been employed here for just over 19 years. It's my first "adult job" after completing my education, and I still enjoy it here.
What is the very best part about your job?
There is a good opportunity to handle a combination of different tasks and vary the workday so that it doesn't become purely routine, even though our department's primary function is to deliver accurate answers on time.
For me, the opportunity to engage in outreach and teaching is a particularly welcome break in the daily routine.
Could you share a work task you've completed that you're particularly proud of?
As a former resident of North Jutland, I still find it a bit difficult to highlight my own accomplishments, but I am daily pleased and proud to contribute to my own little corner of the rule of law.
What is your educational background – how did you end up in this job?
I hold a degree in chemical engineering from Aalborg University and found myself in both forensic science and Odense by chance. After completing my studies, I searched for appealing jobs nationwide, and eventually, Odense and SDU caught my interest.
What other career paths have you considered?
I had envisioned working with organic synthesis, preferably in development, but there is also something intriguing about managing large-scale processes in production. Whether it’s floor varnish or medicine doesn’t matter much to me; it’s the chemistry and the associated challenges that are interesting.
Since outreach and teaching are close to my heart, I have considered moving towards a combination of lecturer / instructor / educational consultant / textbook author a few times, but in reality, I am quite content with the amount of such activities already accommodated by or alongside my current job.
What do you do in your spare time?
I read a lot of books, play board games and occasionally video games, tinker with 3D printing, programming, and a bit of woodworking and metalworking. There are far too few hours in the day relative to the number of subjects I find interesting.
Have you seen/read/listened to anything good recently that you would recommend?
I recently rewatched Battlestar Galactica (the 2004 version). It’s a fantastic science fiction series that is both compelling and entertaining and deals with significant existential questions including "what it means to be human".
If you're into podcasts (in English), I would recommend Tom Scott’s "Lateral", which is a kind of quiz show with delightfully intricate questions and mysterious explanations.
What is your favorite place to visit or travel to?
Locally: Carlsens Kvarter, where one can sort out the world's issues with good friends over some fine beer.
Nationally: The West Coast. I grew up in North Jutland and still find something almost therapeutic about going out and feeling small, confronted with the elements' fury.
Internationally: Edinburgh. It’s a fantastic city with loads of culture, history, and a wonderfully relaxed vibe. Generally, traveling in Scotland feels like finding an old, well-worn pair of shoes that fit so well you hardly notice you’re wearing them.
Do you have any special talents that others might not know about?
Probably, but it’s not as though I have a secret passion that I don’t talk about. What often surprises people who didn’t know is that I have a civil engineering degree in blasting techniques and have, among other things, gone out to blow up tree roots.
Meet Your Colleague
We are spotlighting various employees at the Faculty of Health Sciences (SUND) with a series of standard questions. The aim is to get to know each other better across titles, departments, and tasks. If you have a suggestion for a colleague at SUND whom everyone should get to know better, or if there is someone you would like to learn more about, please write to us at SUND Communications.