Participating in the Laidlaw Scholars Programme has fundamentally changed how I think about research, leadership and my responsibilities as a future healthcare professional. Through my research on CAR-T cell cancer immunotherapy and the Oxford Character Project, I have begun to understand that ethical leadership is built not on certainty, but on humility, patience and a commitment to learning from both success and failure. With my Leadership in Action project still ahead of me, this first stage of the programme has helped me identify the kind of leader I want to become and the values I want to carry into that work.
This journey began with my research project, which focused on CAR-T cell therapy for cancer treatment. I was drawn to this area because of the promise it holds for patients whose cancers have not responded to conventional treatments. CAR-T therapy involves engineering a patient's own immune cells to recognize and attack cancer cells more effectively, offering a personalized approach that can be transformative for some patients. Coming into the project, I had never conducted research before, and I quickly realized how much I had underestimated the complexity of scientific work. What appeared straightforward in journal articles turned out to be an intricate, time-intensive process prone to setbacks and requiring constant problem-solving. There were moments when I felt discouraged and questioned whether I was capable of contributing meaningfully to the project. However, these setbacks taught me that research is not about achieving perfect results immediately. It is about persistence, careful observation and the willingness to learn from what goes wrong. I began to see failure not as a personal shortcoming but as an essential part of the scientific process. This shift in perspective strengthened my resilience and taught me that leadership often means continuing forward even when progress feels uncertain.
The research also deepened my understanding of patience and open-mindedness. CAR-T therapy can produce remarkable outcomes for some patients, but it also carries risks, including severe immune reactions and limited effectiveness against certain tumor types. This complexity made me more cautious about making definitive claims and more attentive to the nuances in the data. I learned to approach problems with curiosity rather than assumptions, to question my own interpretations and to remain open to alternative explanations. These habits of critical thinking have become central to how I understand ethical leadership in healthcare: it requires intellectual humility and a commitment to evidence over convenience.
The Oxford Character Project gave me clearer language for the values I want to embody as a leader. The session on courage particularly stayed with me, where I came to understand that it is not about the absence of fear or doubt, but about discernment. It emphasied knowing when to push forward despite uncertainty and when to pause and reconsider. In research, this meant having the courage to try new approaches when experiments failed, but also the wisdom to stop and reassess when results did not make sense. I also learned that courage without humility can become recklessness, especially in fields like medicine where decisions directly affect people's lives. The sessions on humility and collaboration also resonated deeply. My research would not have been possible without the guidance of my supervisor, the support of lab colleagues and the contributions of patients who participated in studies that generated the data I worked with. This reminded me that leadership is not just about individual achievement, but also about creating environments where people can contribute their best work and where diverse voices are valued.
As I prepare for my Leadership in Action project, which will focus on improving health literacy and healthcare access among refugee and migrant communities in East London, I see clear connections between what I have learned through research and the work ahead of me. Both cancer immunotherapy and refugee health involve populations facing significant barriers to effective care. My research taught me to work carefully with uncertainty, to value incremental progress and to prioritize evidence over assumptions. These skills will be essential as I work with community organizations in London to co-design health education initiatives. I wish to listen, learn from local leaders, and build partnerships based on mutual respect.
At this stage of the Laidlaw programme, the main lesson I will carry forward is that leadership begins with accountability, from the evidence, to the people I work with and to the communities I hope to serve. I now think of global citizenship not as a distant aspiration but as a daily practice of using knowledge responsibly, staying attentive to others and acting with care to create conditions in which people can thrive. I am eager to continue learning, to lead with integrity and to contribute meaningfully to health equity both locally and globally.