Hello! I am an incoming third year Mathematics student at the University of St Andrews, and my Laidlaw research project is geared at investigating the intersection between coloniality and mathematics and its impacts on students from the Global South. It is the product of my (rather polar) interests in English Literature and Mathematics!

Hello hello! I am an incoming third-year student at the University of St Andrews pursuing a degree in biology. Originally from Kyiv, Ukraine, I moved to Italy in 2013 and have been living there ever since. Growing up in the birthplace of the Renaissance, I wanted to pursue higher education in a place with historical significance and somewhere where I could take walks in nature between classes; hence my choice of the University of St Andrews that is situated on the beautiful Scottish coastline. Over the course of my academic journey I have had the chance to explore numerous areas in biology, ranging from evolution to bacteriophage discovery to cell systems, out of which epigenetics and gene regulation during development have piqued my interest.  My primary research interest is developmental biology, which arose from my fascination with how multicellular organisms originate from a single cell. Therefore, my research focus for the first summer of the Laidlaw Scholars programme was the investigation of abdominal metamorphosis in Dipteran insects. To do so, I used fixation and Hoechst staining in addition to microscopy to study cell movement during several developmental stages in 2 species of flies. As for my leadership in action (LiA) project, I would like to make a meaningful contribution to an ongoing project related to wildlife conservation.  If I am not in lectures or studying in the library, I can be found working on a short story, watching films (and logging them on Letterboxd), reading old science fiction, or on a hike capturing the nature around me through photography. Having grown up in a multicultural setting, I enjoy learning more about the different cultures that exist on our planet, whether it is through cuisine, music, travelling, or linguistics. The latter partially explains my grasp of nearly five languages, though I have to warn you that my fluency differs dramatically. Otherwise, I also love spending time with animals, playing board games, or just talking. More than anything, I am always happy to meet like-minded individuals who are curious about the world. Thus, please feel free to reach out or connect with me on LinkedIn! I would particularly appreciate the input of any scholar who is interested (or has experience) in similar potential LiA areas.

I am a junior at Georgetown University double-majoring in History and Linguistics. Outside of classes, I love hiking in the DMV and acting in student theater groups on campus. 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.

Hello! I recently graduated with an Honours Bachelor of Science in Psychology Research from the University of Toronto. I’m passionate about youth mental health and how humour can be used to support resilience after adversity. My Summer 1 research project explored the relationship between childhood adversity, aggression, and self-regulation — deepening my understanding of the psychological impacts of early trauma. In Summer 2, I led a Leadership-in-Action project at SOS Children’s Villages in Cape Town, where I designed and facilitated a comedy-based mental health program for teens. That experience led me to found HaHaHelps — an organization that uses improv comedy to support youth mental health through accessible, community-led workshops. I'm currently piloting the full program in South Africa, with plans to expand to more communities globally. Please feel free to connect :) Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/younessrobert-tahiri Email: youness@hahahelps.org

Hi! My name is Neasa Nic Corcráin and I’m an Environmental Science and Engineering student at Trinity College Dublin. My research project is titled “Investigating the link between heavy metals in menstrual hygiene products and hormonal reproductive health" This research aims to explore how heavy metals commonly found in menstrual products,  like lead and arsenic, may impact hormonal health in the short term. I’ll be testing a range of products in collaboration with an analytical laboratory, running a survey to assess self-reported hormonal symptoms, and analysing the data to understand potential risks. I’m also interested in how aware consumers are of these risks and hope the project will help advocate for safer product formulations, clearer labelling, and stronger regulations. I look forward to meeting other members of the Laidlaw community, feel free to contact me!

Hello, I'm a Chemist at Imperial College London, born and raised in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia 🇸🇦 My research explores ionic liquid-based biomass fractionation in the Hallett research group as a joint study between my home department and the department of Chemical Engineering.  My academic interests are not particularly confined to a particular discipline within chemistry (organic, inorganic etc.) since they're very interconnected and interdependent in the grand pursuit of technologies to sustain people and the planet. I'm interested in chemical applications driving sustainable practices in chemical manufacturing, materials, energy, agriculture and automotive sectors. I am also looking at doing my LiA project in marine conservation and/or water treatment. This is driven by my personal affinity to sea life- as someone raised close to this environment- as well as the critical importance of protecting resources essential for survival of life on this planet.  Happy to discuss ideas and collaborate! 

Hi! I’m Rachel, a 3rd year undergraduate at Trinity College Dublin. I'm a Computer Science major with a minor in Business. My current research focuses on AI-generated content detection in academic writing, and how we can design systems that go beyond surface-level tone analysis and actually look at how something was created, not just what it looks like on the page. I’m particularly interested in where technology meets accountability; whether that’s through blockchain-backed transparency, ethical design, or just building tools that help people do good things better. I think we need to be a lot more thoughtful about how we integrate AI into education, and a lot more ambitious about the kinds of institutions we want to shape in the process. Also, like most people who spend too long on side projects, I occasionally forget how to relax. When I do, though, I read whatever I can get my hands (usually poetry or classic fiction). Or I try baking some treats. Or I go cafe hopping with friends for conversation. If you’d like to chat about any of the above, or anything really, I’d love to hear from you.

A 2nd year Physical Sciences student at Trinity College Dublin. I aim to become a better leader and get a ton of research experience :)

Hello! My name is Meabh, I'm a second year Geography and Geoscience student in Trinity College Dublin. My main interests are igneous petrology and critical raw materials for green technology!

Hello! My name is Bhadra, and I am a second-year Law and Business student at Trinity College Dublin. I have an interest in criminal law, in particular feminist criminology. My Summer 1 research topic is 'Motherhood on Trial: A Comparative Analysis of the Miscarriage of Justice in Infanticide Cases'. I aim to take an inter-jurisdictional perspective in examining three notable cases - those of Joanne Hayes, Sally Clarke and Kathleen Folbigg.  Overall, my overarching goal is to highlight how women exist and are perceived within inherently oppressive social systems. If you have any questions or would like to reach out, please feel free to do so on panickeb@tcd.ie!