Hello! I'm an incoming PhD student at the University of Toronto. Prior to this, I earned my HBSc at the University of Toronto, studying biology, anthropology, and business.
For my first summer research, I examined what environmental variables influenced sleep patterns in children located in the Republic of Congo. I will be extending this research, with a focus on how sleep is affected with the extent of market integration.
I've done research ranging from biomedical physics to pedagogy studies. I'm very passionate about interdisciplinary research, and currently have many research projects intersecting numerous aspects.
For my Leadership-in-Action project, I was in a tiny island in Japan called Yoron, There, I helped out as an Assistant Language Teacher, piloted a Pen Pal project, and helping the science camp students affiliated with the University of Tokyo by teaching academic writing and by extension, academic presentation skills. The last goal was an extension of research I conducted with another professor outside of Laidlaw, on pedagogical implications of expert writers' citation practices. I would also like to take this time firsthand to understand cultural differences in academic writing.
I'd love to chat more! Please don't hesitate to send me a message.
Let's connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aisha-mir-903354403/
Hello! I'm Imogen, a second-year Law LLB student at Durham University. My research for this summer centres around the European Convention of Human Rights and the European Court of Human Rights. The project evaluates the Court's current approach to the balancing act required between the right to free and fair elections and the right to freedom of information, to discover if the Court's methodology is appropriate in the digital age.
Outside of Laidlaw, I am part of the Durham University Bar Society, and I am the Internal Competitions Officer for Durham Mooting Society. I am an aspiring Barrister with particular interests in EU law and domestic civil law.
Hi! I'm Eedha, a rising sophomore at Barnard College, Columbia University, where I’m majoring in English with a concentration in Creative Writing (and maybe minoring in French, too!). My love for storytelling has shaped both my academic journey and my Laidlaw research. I'm exploring the role of happy endings in children’s literature: can stories that end well do more than comfort? Can they spark resilience, hope, and a sense of agency in young readers facing an uncertain world? Through this project, I hope to better understand the quiet power of optimism in shaping childhood and how literature might offer more than escape.
I am a rising Junior, pre-law student at Barnard College, Columbia University intending to major in History and minor in Philosophy . My academic interests are civil rights law, ethics, intellectual history, education policy, and disability studies. As a Laidlaw scholar I draw from my academic interests and personal experiences to conduct research on the use of restraint and seclusion in special education. I am eager to use my research experience and education in my future law career to further social equality. For my LiA I am worked at Disability Rights International.
Hi, everyone! I'm Martin. I'm a third-year student at Georgetown majoring in Biology (with a concentration in Molecular Bio), and I'm planning to minor in Japanese. My focus has always been on cancer biology; so many people I've known have been affected by it, and my life's goal is to contribute to a cure. I'm half-American, half-Bulgarian, the child of two diplomats; I speak English fluently, and intermediate Bulgarian, Japanese, and Spanish. I have a lot of different interests outside of science: basketball and baseball, chess, politics, music, literature, and a whole list of other things that's way too long for this blurb. Here's a random fact about me which I think is kinda cool: I once saw the tallest manmade thing on Earth (the Burj Khalifa) and the tallest thing on Earth, period (Mt. Everest) from the window of the same flight!
Hi! I'm a student in micro-engineering at EPFL, interested in nano-science. I love travelling, biking and film-making.
I am a junior at Georgetown University double-majoring in History and Linguistics.
For my research project, I am assisting Dr. Edna Bosire and Dr. Emily Mendenhall with their research into perceptions of aging in informal settlements in Nairobi, Kenya.
Hi everyone, I'm Dan-Thi and I am the Laidlaw Program Manager at EPFL. I've been working for more than 10 years in the higher education industry and I love all aspects related to my work, but especially the interactions with the students, helping and seeing them grow personally and professionally.
I've lived in fast-paced environments in Asia (Hong Kong, Japan) and I'm now based in Lausanne, Switzerland. I enjoy travelling and always looks for discovering new cultures!
Please get in touch if you want to discuss about anything regarding food, sport and travel, or if you want to have more information about EPFL and studying there! :o)
Hello, I am a Laidlaw scholar at EPFL. I study Environmental sciences and engineering and I am passionate about sustainable development, high and low tech. I did an internship in the laboratory of soils mechanics during past summer.
In my free time, I love doing all kind of sports like running and hiking. I also enjoy improv theatre, literature and cooking.
I am always happy to meet new people so don't hesitate to write me!
Hello! I’m a Philosophy student at Durham University, with academic interests in applied ethics, decision-making and sustainability. My broader aim is to use interdisciplinary research to drive measurable, socially meaningful change.
My summer research explored barriers to public transport adoption, with a view toward long-term policy implementation. This project combined behavioural science, psychology, urban planning, and design to contribute to more sustainable and inclusive transport policies.
For my LiA, I will be travelling to Kerala for the central CraftHER project, where I will undertake four consulting projects with local female-led businesses and a research project.
Hi! I'm Lizzie, a second-year Biological Sciences student at Durham University. Deeply passionate about advocating for and taking action to maintain environmental health and sustainability, I aim to contribute meaningfully to these efforts by expanding my understanding of such challenges and collaborating with like-minded individuals who share a dedication to environmental conservation.
I have a particular interest in conservation strategies that focus on umbrella species, such as the macaw, where protecting one species can generate wider ecological benefits for entire ecosystems. This interest has been deepened through my current summer placement with the Macaw Recovery Network in Costa Rica, where I am contributing to species recovery and environmental education. My work includes practical conservation tasks at the breeding centre and reserve, supporting welfare and maintenance, developing resources for volunteers, and collaborating with staff and community members to strengthen outreach programs.
Alongside this, I am documenting activities and recommendations to create a volunteer guide, ensuring future interns and volunteers can contribute effectively. These experiences are helping me explore how conservation initiatives can balance ecological impact with community engagement, while also testing and developing my leadership capacities and character.
In my free time, I actively participate in environmental volunteer work and love to do anything creative, from painting to crocheting and reading. I also enjoy spending time outdoors, particularly dog walking, and practising karate with my university club.
Hi there! I'm an incoming 3rd year BSc Psychology student at Durham University.
The question "why does sad music help us feel better sometimes?" sums up my first year research project. I investigated how international students interact with music to make themselves feel better in different contexts. It is important to investigate cross-culturally as our world becomes more globalised. Moreover, I believe music can transcend geographical and cultural boundaries, as it seems to have such a profound effect on everyone, regardless of where they’re from. Not only may music connect us all, but it can also connect us with ourselves.
For my Leadership-in Action I worked on Body & Soul Charity's You Are Not Alone (YANA) research project: Evaluating the longitudinal effectiveness of Group Dialectic Behavioural Therapy and ongoing trauma-informed community support for young people aged 16-35 at high risk of suicide. I formed a data management framework to automate data entry with R and made the corresponding tutorials for research volunteers.
Ultimately, my involvement in mental health research builds onto my future career aspirations; I aim to be a Clinical Psychologist while encouraging the integration of arts and culture into mental health interventions.
I'm deeply interested in the interdisciplinary nature of music and psychology; however, I’m also excited to hear how other academic disciplines may interact and merge. Likewise, I enjoy multiple hobbies like playing the piano and ukulele, singing, cooking, crocheting, and reading. I think being a nerd about your interests is really cool, so if you’re like-minded, I’d love to chat with you!
Hi everyone! My name is Hannah and I’m the Marketing Manager at the Laidlaw Foundation.
I was previously a UCL Laidlaw Scholar in the 2022 cohort, where I studied English Language and Literature. It’s a real privilege to now work with the community as part of the Foundation team.
My role focuses on building and nurturing an engaged global Scholars network, creating events that strengthen connection, and shaping how we share the Foundation’s work and impact.
In my spare time, I love cooking new dishes, reading, going to the theatre, and café hopping around London.
Please don’t hesitate to reach out or connect with me on LinkedIn. I’m always happy to chat!
Swara partners with women led enterprises and artisan communities to create income opportunities through ethical fashion and community based tourism. CraftHER is a six week leadership journey in Kerala where scholars learn alongside makers, co create designs, and reflect on community and craft with cross cultural learning. Visit the LSN room for activity posts, resources and programme updates.
. Visit the LSN room for activity posts, resources and programme updates https://laidlawscholars.network/rooms/swara?
Terrah is a rising senior at Barnard College of Columbia University whose work focuses on educational equity, financial literacy, and college access. At 17, she founded Danalize, an initiative that helps students navigate financial aid offers, advocate for appeals, and build financial literacy skills. Through this work, she has supported more than 500,000 students worldwide.
Terrah currently serves as Director of Financial Education at College for All, where she mentors students and develops resources reaching over 15,000 learners globally. She also contributes to the Academic Social Contract with Class Action, collaborating with students and legal professionals to advance equity in higher education. As Director of Operations for Connect on Campus, a nonprofit she helped found, she has supported fundraising and operational efforts that have helped students cover essential educational expenses.
As a Laidlaw Scholar, Terrah researched the relationship between financial literacy and college access. Her work was selected as one of 25 projects across North America for publication through the 2025 Laidlaw Conference and Taylor & Francis. She has since presented her research at Harvard University and served as a student advocate on issues of economic opportunity and mobility at Barnard College faculty events.
Her work has earned her a Truman Scholarship nomination, recognition as a Yale Launchpad Scholars finalist, and the Rising Star Leadership Award for her commitment to educational equity and student success.
In her free time, she enjoys café hopping, coloring, and playing Tomodachi Life.
She can be contacted at: tdg2124@barnard.edu for any inquiries or requests for mentorship! :)
Hi! I'm Alina, a Biochemistry undergraduate fascinated by health sciences, my long-term goal is making healthcare more accessible, equitable, and effective. For my Laidlaw research, I stepped outside my home School of Biology into the School of Medicine to study direct-to-consumer health screening (think at-home genetic tests). These tests promise autonomy but risk misinformation, false positives, and overdiagnosis; so my work pushes for a shift from early diagnosis to optimal diagnosis, where a result is only useful if it's actually clinically actionable.
For my Leadership in Action project, I co-led When Science Dances; using Scottish ceilidh dance to teach gravitational-wave physics to children in underserved communities across Glasgow and Shetland, in partnership with Science Ceilidh, Wild Skies Shetland, and the University of Glasgow's Institute for Gravitational Research. It was a joy to take something as abstract as spacetime and turn it into something kids could dance out and giggle through, and to watch the project grow from a Glasgow workshop series into a Shetland outreach programme along the way.
Outside of "work hours", I'm always on the move. In uni I picked up judo, which has since become kind of my whole personality (big shout out to USTA Judo, I love you). I also absolutely love cycling; started as a way of coping with not having a car, ended as a full-blown addiction. Beyond sport, I've got a soft spot for anything creative: embroidery, crochet, photography, and losing hours to discovering electronic music. Basically: endlessly curious, always chasing whatever new thing has caught my eye.