Elisabeth Cooke (She/Her)

Biological Sciences Undergraduate Student, Durham University

About Elisabeth Cooke

Hi! I'm Lizzie, a first-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 the nuanced, smaller-scale impacts of human activity on the environment, including the unintended genetic alterations that result from human intervention, a focus of the study I will be contributing to this summer, which is exploring the implications of large-scale assisted sowing for the UK’s native plant species within biodiversity management strategies. Specifically, my role in this ongoing study will involve conducting extensive data collection and literature reviews to identify native species most vulnerable to these interventions.

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.

I am a/an:

Undergraduate Leadership & Research Scholar

University

Durham University

Laidlaw Cohort Year

2025

Research Topic

Biological Sciences Ecology Genetics

My hobbies/interests are:

Art Cooking/Baking Hiking/walking Martial Arts Nature & environment

Influencer Of

Topics

Channels contributed to:

STEM Research

Rooms participated in:

Durham University

Recent Comments

Oct 02, 2025

Thank you, I’m really glad the reflections resonated with you! I’m also so grateful for your support throughout the process, which genuinely helped shape the experience into something transformational.

Aug 29, 2025

Thank you so much Amy! 

Aug 20, 2025

Thank you so much, I'm really glad it resonated! India’s biodiversity is extraordinary, and it’s so important to keep highlighting how plant conservation often gets sidelined.
I really appreciate you picking up on the points about transparency and plant blindness, it's encouraging to know those aspects came through. And it’s inspiring to see your commitment to environmental sustainability in your own work. If you ever feel like sharing anything from the biodiversity contexts you're involved in, I’d love to hear more!