Hello! I'm Edie, a Physical Geography student at Durham University, with aspirations to enter the sustainable agriculture and environment world once I graduate. I'm really interested in how we can marry together the developing needs of humanity in a time of climate change and planetary uncertainty. 

Hello! I'm Melissa (she/her), an incoming third-year undergraduate student at Durham University studying BSc Natural Sciences. I am passionate about multi-disciplinary learning, and my range of degree modules across the departments of Biology, Geography and Anthropology allow me to explore my interests across both the sciences and social sciences. I love all things human, and am especially interested in the fields of human biology, equitable healthcare, and public health.  Last summer, I thoroughly enjoyed commencing my journey as a Laidlaw Scholar with my research project focussing on the development of vision in human fetuses, including focussing on how maternal mental health impacts upon this. This summer, I am so excited to travel to Melbourne, Australia, to complete my LiA with the children's charity Big Group Hug! In my free time, I love to spend time with friends and family, bake, go for walks, and play with my cocker spaniel! I am also passionate about volunteering, various sports, reading, and music! Feel free to get in touch! 

Hello, my name is Erin and I am a third year Classics student at Durham University. I am thrilled to have been accepted onto the Laidlaw Leadership and Research Programme as part of the 2025 cohort. I have always been what I consider to be academically curious but what is more colloquially termed as nerdy - especially in regards to Classics (I just love learning new things!). I also have aspirations to undertake a career in humanitarian work, driven by my desire to fight for social justice and empower others to do so. In this way, the remit of the Leadership and Research programme, to cultivate leaders whose actions are both ethical and data-driven, appeared to me to be perfectly aligned with my own interests.  I have had previous experience in the various domains of the programme: in terms of leadership, I was Head Student at my Secondary School in my final year; I completed a 5000 word EPQ research paper two years ago; and I have had some volunteering experience at a local food-bank. However, I am both aware of and looking forward to the fact that this programme is going to really challenge me mentally, emotionally and physically when it comes to the research project, the Oxford Character Project and the LiA, respectively. I am hopeful that the programme will lead to lots of personal growth and assist, alongside my degree and other uni experiences, in equipping me with the tools I need to be the driving force behind the change I want to see in the world after graduation!

Hi, my name is Sophie! I'm a second year Bsc Geography undergraduate at Durham University. My research project this summer is a pilot study investigating the effect of e-cigarette and cigarette exposure on prenatal development, focussing on upper facial movement. I hope to obtain an understanding of the potential implications to healthcare policymaking regarding maternal use of cigarettes and e-cigarettes. I am driven to take action to improve the lives of others, and therefore motivated to understand the impact of maternal actions on the lives of the younger generations and actions that can prevent negative impacts.  I really enjoy spending time outdoors, either walking or running. I also love to travel and explore new places! My favourite way to spend time with friends is to visit a café and have a good catch up over a coffee! 

Hey! I'm Nicole, an oncoming third-year law student at Durham. I have a wide legal and political interest, specifically land law and trusts! I was born in the States but spend most of my childhood in Schiedam, and I have a soft spot for languages and different cultures. 

Hello! I'm Hannah, a second-year Geography student at Durham University. I am delighted to have been accepted on to the Laidlaw Leadership and Research Programme as part of the 2025 cohort. My research last summer focussed on weight discrimination and weight discrimination training among fitness professionals. The project evaluated the nature and extent of weight discrimination within the UK fitness industry, with a specific focus on fitness professionals' roles in perpetuating or challenging such biases. Through both playing and coaching sports in deprived inner-city areas, I have directly experienced the physical, mental and social benefits of sports and fitness on individuals and communities so am passionate about reducing the barriers that prevent individuals from engaging in fitness environments. Furthermore, I have witnessed the negative impact of weight discrimination on young athletes, which motivates my interest in potentially creating a successful weight discrimination training programme for fitness professionals. This summer I am really excited to go to Mexico City with Makesense for my Leadership in Action project.  Outside of Laidlaw, I am part of Durham University Hockey and Netball Clubs and Collingwood College Boat Club. I also love to play the Piano and Cello, as well as being involved in Durham University Concert Band on the Oboe. 

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 a 1st year, soon-to-be 2nd year BSc Psychology student at Durham University. “Why does sad music make us feel better sometimes?” pretty much sums up my interest in music and psychology. On a deeper level, I will investigate 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. The National Health Service in the United Kingdom has been struggling with high demand for mental health services, thus resulting in long waiting lists and inaccessible help when people need it most. I hope to advocate for music as a non-invasive, accessible, and sustainable facilitator of emotional regulation, thereby reducing the overwhelming need for pharmacological treatment. Outside the Laidlaw Programme, I’m also a part of a youth Advisory Group for the ORIGIN project, which involves developing online cultural and art mental health interventions for underrepresented young people experiencing depression and anxiety. Please feel free to drop me a message if you’d like to participate or know more. ORIGIN is always looking for interested people! Ultimately, my involvement in 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!

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 Sophia, an aspiring scientist and philomath. I love learning about everything and anything and delight in spending time with people who are passionate about the things they love! I am really interested and curious about how we can use chemistry to improve processes and products to help society. For example, my research project is looking into the possibility of turning struvite, a mineral which is a by-product of waste-water treatment processes into slow-release nitrogen and phosphorous fertilisers, which would be a green source nitrogen and phosphorous fertilisers and help achieve goals of zero-waste.  If you are researching something similar or are interested in learning more about the project, please reach out! I am super happy to talk about the project and meet other who are doing something similar and possibly collaborate!