My name is Oliver Holme. I was born in Sunderland, United Kingdom in 1979.

These days I live in Geneva, Switzerland.

Professional Life

I trained as an Electronic Engineer and have worked at CERN for several years, working on control systems for some of the largest physics experiments ever built. Through my work for ETH Zurich, I have focussed on the control systems for the Electronic Calorimeter of the CMS experiment. It has been a fantastic experience to work on these projects that expand the boundaries of our knowledge.

My Studies

In 2002 I graduated with a 1st class Master degree in Electronic and Electrical Engineering from the University of Birmingham.

As part of my degree course I worked in the University Racing Team to help produce the electronics required for a racing car (Car 119).

For my final year project, I created a Student Learning Organiser on a Pocket PC. This was part of the HandLeR project of the Educational Technology Research Group.

More recently, I have studied Medical Physics with the Open University, with studies into the main imaging modalities available today and the use of physics in cancer treatments.

Personal Life

I enjoy learning new things about the world we live in. This keeps me busy and forms the basis for many of my interests. I love listening to almost all types of music, dancing, learning new languages and reading popular science and classic novels.

With varying degrees of success, I can speak English, French, Spanish, German and Italian. I wish I could find the time to learn more. I enjoy the feeling of trying out a new phrase in a new language and being understood.

I have a passion for travel. Whether near or far, it is a pleasure to open my mind to something new. Travelling is a great opportunity to learn about all aspects our planet. It offers a chance to celebrate the diversity of people and the fundamental dreams and desires we share. I love to keep a visual record of my travels and some of these pictures can be found in my gallery.

To keep active, I run and dance salsa. I run for pleasure and relaxation and have taken part in many races around Switzerland. I do not enter to win or to beat others, but to take part in a social activity. It is also a great reason to visit parts of the country I have not seen before.

I enjoy working with computers and have been an Apple user since 1991.  In the past, I developed software for Mac OS X. You can see the results on my Mac OS X software page.

Since I was young, I have always been fascinated by railways. I was lucky enough to be able to help with the restoration of the British Rail APT-E - one of the first tilting trains in the world! This train is now displayed at Locomotion, the Shildon branch of the excellent National Railway Museum in the UK.