I am a second-year student at Harvard College double concentrating in Chemistry and Economics, driven by a desire to explore how scientific innovation and economic structures must align to expand global access to medicine. This summer, as a member of Harvard's inaugural Laidlaw Scholar cohort, I am conducting faculty-mentored research in the Richard Liu Group, focusing on the design and synthesis of light-activated molecules (photocages) to improve the efficiency of drug delivery in water.
Through the Laidlaw program, I am combining this rigorous laboratory research with leadership development and an upcoming international Leadership-in-Action project, all to build a foundation for a career bridging the pharmaceutical, biotech, and finance sectors.
Beyond my research, I love exploring foreign languages, skiing, and traveling. I am also an avid sports fan and player, particularly when it comes to volleyball and soccer (football).
I look forward to connecting with fellow Scholars who are passionate about combining scientific discovery with leadership to drive real-world healthcare and economic solutions.
BEng Biochemical Engineering Student at UCL
Hello there!
I'm a history major at Columbia University. I spent 14 years as a border-crossing student, living in mainland China and commuting to Hong Kong every day. I spent my high school years in Houston, Texas. My primary focus is transnational Asian history, though I am also broadly interested in philosophy, IR, and political theory.
I spent my freshman year at Rice and transferred to Columbia as a sophomore. I'm currently a rising junior.
I speak English, Mandarin, and Cantonese. I am currently unsuccessfully acquiring Japanese and French.
Hello
I'm Ameesha, I study BSc Sociology at LSE. I quite enjoy reading, and my favourite genres are historical fiction, postcolonial texts in West Asia and mystery thrillers.
I have a specific developmental interest in child safety and sexual health.
Hello! My name is Lauren Suh and I am a rising sophomore at Columbia University from San Diego, California. I am majoring in Neuroscience and Behavior on the pre-medical track and plan to minor in Music (I play the flute!).
This summer, I will be working at the Columbia University Irving Medical Center under the supervision of Dr. Yousin Suh. My research project delves into ovarian aging, a critical marker of systemic body aging as one of the first organs to exhibit signs of aging. I will be researching whether DNA Helicase B, or HELB, delays or impacts ovarian aging.
I love yoga, running, thrifting, and baking! I am hoping to learn pottery this summer, so please reach out if you would like to join!
Dia dhuit! My name is Seán Radcliffe and I am an Economics and Mathematics student at Trinity College Dublin. Outside of my studies, I am a political campaigner, pro-Palestine activist, and the Housing Rights Officer of my student union. I love to sing, travel, and have a laugh!
This summer, under the academic supervision of Trinity Fellow and Associate Professor Dr. Davide Romelli, I will be conducting research at Trinity College Dublin on the effects of economic conditions, shocks, and crises on cocaine-related harm and deaths in Ireland between 2004 and 2024;
"Reading Between the White Lines: An Investigation into Cocaine-Related Harm in Ireland During Periods of Economic Change and Crisis, 2004-2024."
Using statistical analysis and interviews with experts, policymakers, and activists, my project aims to challenge damaging assumptions around drug addiction and harm in Ireland, particularly narratives that simplistically link economic growth and employment with reduced harm.
Grateful for this opportunity and excited for what lies ahead.
Hi, I’m Isabella! I am a rising third year student at Georgetown University studying American Studies and Women’s and Gender Studies with a research focus on sexual violence, Christian nationalism, and gender policy. I am an educator and advocate for sexual violence prevention at both a cultural and legislative level.
This summer, I will be working with Dr. Nadia Brown and a fellow scholar to understand the occurrence and effects of violence against local-level women politicians. I am particularly interested in the influence of digital abuse involving AI and the effect that sexual harassment has on women’s political participation.
Please feel free to reach out!
Email: ibw9@georgetown.edu
Hi! My name is Daohui and I am a first-year Mathematics and Physics student at Durham University (2026). I look forward to being part of the 2026 cohort with my project about prevention and mitigation strategies of future global outbreaks by simulating and analysing the effects of COVID-19! I am particularly interested in applied mathematics and I believe that as the world becomes more and more interconnected, simulatory data will become increasingly important and impactful on global health. After the recent pandemic, there is undoubtedly still work to do in field of epidemiology, which is what I hope to contribute to.
I am currently the Associate Director and Senior Lecturer of the Common Core, the interdisciplinary curriculum at the University of Hong Kong. As a Principal Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, I am passionate about creative leadership and administration of higher education that expands both students' and teachers' capacities. My research is focused on Education Futures in the university and pre-tertiary context, exploring transdisciplinary learning, innovative curriculum and pedagogies, international and comparative education, and artificial intelligence in education.
Prior to academia, I worked in business banking, corporate learning and development, and leadership and performance consulting. I also co-founded and led a luxury goods distribution start-up, scaling it into a HK$300 million turnover business upon exit.
Hello! My name is Lilly Heffernan and I'm a 2026 Laidlaw Scholar from Trinity College Dublin. I'm interested in the way in which human effects on animal behaviour influence their disease spread. 75% of emerging diseases are coming from animals, and I believe that we can manage this in an effective and humane way.
I'm exploring this topic by investigating how artificial light changes how bats use space, and stresses their immune systems. I suspect that artificial light negatively impacts bat immunity, making them more likely to spread disease. This may be a reason we are seeing more human pathogens which originate from bats, such as SARS-CoV-2, and Ebola virus.
I strongly believe that we can curb the spread of these diseases by understanding how our behaviour is affecting our ecosystem. We cannot have healthy humans without healthy animals. This approach targets new pathogens before they spread to humans. If we focus on this angle, we can prevent the inefficient and cruel practice of culling sick animals for our own benefit.
I'm entering my second year at HKU this fall. It wasn't until now that I have somewhat solidified my interests to be at the intersection of Sustainability, Conservation, and Urban Planning of Asian Cities.
Before joining uni, I took over three gap years working around the world and reflecting on my many identities. My work has spanned across Edtech, Heritage Conservation, Food Security, Nature Conservation, Policy Analysis, and Social Impact Sectors across the Global South.
Beyond my work and research, I love to listen to music produced during from the 60s to 80s in anywhere around the world. I also love doing crafts as it notoriously saves me from supposed doomscrolling on Instagram. Also, I am secretly considering to debut as a private chef someday... who knows!?
Hello! My name is Lochlann, and I am a student at Trinity College Dublin and part of the 2026 cohort of Laidlaw Scholars.
My Summer 1 research project focuses on the role of private supplementary tuition (“grinds”) in the academic achievement gap between public and private schools in Ireland. Using quantitative analysis of Irish educational data, I aim to investigate whether access to grinds contributes to differences in examination performance and broader educational inequality.
Through this research, my overarching goal is to contribute to conversations surrounding fairness, access to opportunity and educational policy. By examining how socio-economic advantage may shape educational outcomes, I hope to better understand the structures that influence inequality within education systems.
If you have any questions or would like to connect, please feel free to reach out!
I am currently a junior at Barnard College of Columbia University studying Computational Biology with a minor in Economics. Through my coursework and research experiences, I have developed a strong foundation in data analysis, quantitative modeling, and computational approaches to complex biological and social systems. My background in economics has further shaped how I think about resource allocation, structural inequality, and policy impacts at scale. I am particularly interested in applying data science and computational methods to questions in public health, migration, environmental justice, and global health systems. Much of my work focuses on how large-scale systems, whether healthcare infrastructure, environmental conditions, or social policy, shape health outcomes for marginalized populations. I am especially drawn to research involving spatial analysis, longitudinal datasets, and health data infrastructure, as well as projects that bridge technical analysis with real-world policy and community impact.