I’m a first-year Aerospace Engineering student at the University of Leeds and a proud 2025 Laidlaw Scholar. I’m actively involved with the Leeds University Rocketry Association (LURA), where I work as a Recovery Engineer and Operations Coordinator. Outside of academics, I’m passionate about adventure and personal growth - I’m currently training for my solo skydiving licence, I practice kickboxing, and I’m always up for a thrill. I’m a people person who loves connecting with others, learning new things, and making the most of every opportunity. My research project is 'Development of High-fidelity Underwater Recording system for Capturing Coral Soundscape'.

Hi! My name is Sam (he/him) and I am from the UK. I am in my first year of studying Arts and Sciences BASc at UCL, majoring in Engineering and minoring in Cultures. My Laidlaw research focuses on understanding the emotional experiences of students in university education under different teaching methods and assessment formats. By providing a platform for students to authentically voice their opinions, I hope to make actionable recommendations through my project that will enhance the university learning experience and ultimately improve student satisfaction.  In my free time, I enjoy playing the guitar, going on runs with friends, and visiting new places. I am very grateful to be part of the Laidlaw programme and I would love to connect with other scholars, so please feel free to get in touch!

Hi! I’m Bruno, an undergraduate in Life Sciences Engineering at EPFL, and I am from Hungary, France, and Italy. I’m interested in many things, from Classical Rome and Greece to mountain bike, psychology, neuroscience, medicine, and engineering. I’m still exploring whether my path will lead more toward medicine or engineering, so if you have any thoughts or advice, I’d be very happy to hear from you!

Star Top Community School is an educational venture in Zambia aiming for academic excellence while building learners spiritually and morally. Responsibilities & Ideal Background Teaching-focused work that lets Scholars test and improve leadership through classroom practice. A good fit is someone ready to bring creativity, hard work, and perseverance to supporting children’s learning; strong personal growth is expected. LiA Champion Our LiA Champion is Cothney Lasaracina. Curious about this project but not sure where to start? Cothney can share candid insights from their experience—what the work involved, skills that proved useful, and pointers for exploring a good fit. Please contact them via the Laidlaw Scholars Network: https://laidlawscholars.network/users/cothney-theresa-lasaracina Organisation Contact Star Top Community School Email: mercymsakala@gmail.com

A current researcher with a diverse research background, industry experience and youth engagement portfolio. Interested in developing a career which combines teaching and research, whilst maintaining public engagement with STEM. Recently employed as a placement year student as an Inclusive Education Project Coordinator at the University of York with emphasis on Decolonising the Curriculum and Staff & Student Partnerships. Considered to be an interdisciplinary researcher with wide-ranging research interests, including: agricultural threats due to climate change, especially in international relations and geopolitics economics. AI implementation in driverless electric vehicles in stage 4 and stage 5 systems. Youth empowerment in sustainability and national/international challenges. Mental health in farmers and healthcare; Irish and Balkan history and ecology (particularly in relation to arable and pastoral farming); and sustainable rural practices.

Hi! I'm Amanda, a third year Neuroscience student and Laidlaw alum from UCL. I'm Swedish-Persian and grew up in Sweden before moving to London for uni. These days, alongside my studies, I work for the Foundation as a Marketing Assistant. For my first year research project, I worked on optimising alginate hydrogels for 3D astrocyte culture systems. In simpler terms, I was figuring out the best way to prepare a jelly-like scaffolds so that star-shaped brain cells called astrocytes could grow in three dimensions rather than flat on a dish. This matters because 3D environments mimic the brain more realistically, which could help researchers develop better treatments for neurological disorders!  For my Leadership-in-Action project, I co-created Beyond the Books, a resource designed to help students from underrepresented backgrounds navigate the unwritten rules of university life, from internships and networking to professional opportunities that aren't always obvious if you're the first in your family to go to uni. Always happy to connect, whether you want to chat about neuroscience, widening access, the Laidlaw experience, or just say hello! One of my favourite things about this community is getting to meet people from different universities and backgrounds, so please do reach out! 🌟

Hello! My name is Eoin; I am from Southampton in the UK with most of my family being from Ireland. I am currently studying neuroscience at University College London (UCL). It has been a lifelong ambition of mine to become a researcher and I am grateful to have been part of the Laidlaw Scholarship program to help me achieve my dreams.    I spent my first-year research project working at the UCL Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, under the supervision of Doctor Sarah White. My project investigated the Theory of the Mind as a potential cause of discrimination against individuals with depression. I used an eye-tracking paradigm on human participants as a measure of intergroup bias between depressed and non-depressed participants. The study concluded, contrary to expectations, that Theory of Mind was most implicated in discrimination of non-depressed subjects by depressed subjects.    For my second-year leadership in action project (LiA), I taught primary school children in Zambia while living with the family of the school's headteacher (Mercy Sakala). I chose this project as it was a chance to see the world and experience a different culture. Moreover, it gave me the privilege of teaching some of the most enthusiastic young learners I have ever known. I spent most of my time teaching and helping with the logistics of building a new library for the school. My time in Zambia was made much easier by the kindness of Mercy and her family who were more than accommodating to my needs.    At the moment I am studying in the third year of my Msci neuroscience degree while working on my dissertation. I am more than happy to discuss any topic, whether it regards neuroscience, biosciences more generally, psychology, Laidlaw, or anything you think is pertinent. I generally respond to emails within a day so please message me if you wish. :) 

Hello! I'm Cate, a fourth-year undergraduate student originally from Connecticut in the US, and I study English and Political Science at Brown University. I'm interested in human rights, social movements, US constitutional law, and comparative law. As you might have already guessed, I'm considering going into the legal field after undergrad.  In 2025, during my first summer as a Laidlaw Scholar, I participated in an ongoing research project at Brown University called "In the Wake of George Floyd." This project is about documenting current and past protests across Rhode Island in the aftermath of the police killing of George Floyd and writing about them in the context of social movements, racism, and police violence in the state of Rhode Island and throughout the country.  In Summer 2026, for my Leadership in Action project, I am working with the NGO Bibliothèques Sans Frontières in Dakar, Senegal. I am working on expanding access to BSF's educational resources and solar-powered, offline Wi-Fi hotspots to more schools in rural areas across several countries in Western Africa. 

I'm a Computer Science student at EPFL with a strong foundation in mathematics, physics, and interdisciplinary thinking. My academic path includes distinctions such as the Laidlaw Leadership and Research Scholarship and hands-on research experience in computational neuroscience, where I explore biologically plausible reinforcement learning. Beyond academics, I have practical experience ranging from electronics diagnostics to web development for social initiatives. I'm passionate about educational outreach—leading workshops for children, tutoring young students, and promoting inclusive learning. I’m also active in sports and the arts as a football player, pianist, and chess enthusiast. With fluency in Italian, French, and English, and a growing command of German, I enjoy connecting across cultures and disciplines to solve meaningful problems.

Hello there! My name is Gabrielle Dumé, from the University of Toronto! I am majoring in Biology, with a double minor in Immunology and English. I was a Laidlaw Scholar from the 2023 cohort, and I conducted my research and my LIA surrounding childhood obesity prevention initiatives in Barbados. Outside of my studies, I love writing, reading, running, and, most recently, scuba diving!

Hey! It's so nice to connect with you. I'm a Business Management with Marketing Student at the University of Leeds and in the 2025/2026 Laidlaw Scholar Network. My research project is 'Exploring Student Perceptions and Experiences of Experiential Learning at the University of Leeds', and I'm so excited to be a part of this programme! I'm extremely passionate about leadership, creative problem-solving and driving impact through everything I do. Alongside my studies, I'm a highly productive individual who balances multiple part-time jobs such as being a Marketing Executive, Podcast Director for Women in Leadership Society and a Social Sciences Student Ambassador. I also love creating content around personal growth, student life and career development and utilise my platform (on TikTok and Youtube) to connect, inspire and share value. As an extrovert, I love spreading positivity both in person and online and look forward to getting to know you!

Hi! I'm passionate about using the elegant and sometimes insane theories in physics and using them to contribute to healthcare. Currently I'm looking at a career treating cancer by using targeted ionizing radiation to skilfully shrink tumours. I'm fascinated at how physics can be used to harness the beautiful complexity of nature to transform lives. I sincerely hope I have a long career of contributing to this effort in any way I can, from being a clinical scientist to conducting own my research to helping other researchers receive patents for their work. The title of my Laidlaw research project is 'Evaluating Current Methods for Enhancing Clinical Computer Tomography Imaging Using Contrast Agents'. This beautifully ties my expertise with improving patient outcomes and innovation within healthcare. If anyone would like to collaborate or just say hi then please do! 

Hi! I’m Katya, a third-year English and French student at the University of Leeds and part of the 2025/26 Laidlaw Scholar cohort, currently completing my LiA in Auckland, New Zealand.   My research project topic last summer was titled ‘Distinctiveness in the Poetry Activity of the Leeds City Region’. I worked in partnership with the National Poetry Centre to conduct interviews with key stakeholders in the poetry scene, which allowed me to draw conclusions about the levels of connectivity and accessibility of poetry in Leeds. I’m originally from Russia but moved to Slovenia for political reasons when I was 15, then to the UK at 19, and just completed an academic year abroad in Canada, so I’ve had a fair share of adapting to new places. Moving countries meant leaving behind everything I knew, including eight years of acrobatic gymnastics, but it also helped me become more open to change. I see each new chapter as a chance to grow, connect, and tell meaningful stories. Outside of uni, you’ll probably find me at the gym (a post-acrobatics obsession), with my nose in a book, or planning my next trip—I’ve been to 36 countries so far and don’t plan on slowing down!

With a passion for IT and finance, I bring over five years of consulting experience where I’ve led, mentored, and trained diverse teams on large-scale projects in risk advisory, ITGC, and financial systems. At Deloitte, I became the youngest senior consultant, managing complex international projects while actively mentoring junior consultants. I am deeply committed to developing others, empowering my team members to take ownership of their growth, and creating a collaborative environment that fosters excellence. Beyond my professional role, I am passionate about gender equality and giving back to my community. As an active mentor with the Kav Mashve foundation, I train and guide young Arab women, helping them overcome barriers in the Israeli labor market and secure positions in leading firms. My mission is to empower women in underrepresented communities, helping them realize their full potential.