Eliza Heaslip (She/Her)

Hello! My name is Lily and I am a 2nd year Psychology student at Trinity College Dublin, and a member of the Laidlaw Leadership and Research Scholars 2026 Cohort.  I'm interested in all things early adversity; who experiences it, what it looks like, how it affects people and what can be done to help those who have lived through it. More specifically, my research project in Summer 1 will focus on Environmental Sensitivity theory in a cohort of Syrian refugee children in Jordan. My goal with this research is to identify whether interventions may uplift children who have experienced adversity, and actually help them to thrive above and beyond their peers! I am especially interested in connecting with anyone involved in research into early adversity, Environmental Sensitivity theory or any related topics. I would also love to explore volunteering opportunities in this space! 

Hi, my name is Sarah McGuire! I am currently studying History and English at Trinity College Dublin and am a member of the 2026 Trinity Laidlaw Scholars cohort.  I am interested in the ways in which literature can be used to construct and convey identity, and in finding ways to interrogate limiting beliefs that influence how we engage with national and cultural identity, gender, and class. With my own background from the North East of Ireland, I believe that it is essential to question the roots of our identities, and more important than ever to push back against exclusionary and arbitrary definitions of who ‘gets’ to identity as Irish.   My Summer 1 research project is entitled ‘This is Your Magazine: Literary Periodicals and Identity in Mid-twentieth century Ireland’, and will focus on short stories published in The Bell Magazine (1940-1954) and what they can tell us about the complexity of Irish identity in this period. This study aims to explore the ways in which people engaged with the literary periodical and short story form as a crucial means of self expression in a period of censorship, and how they wrote back against the dominant ideology which created narrow parameters surrounding the normative portrayal of Irish identity post-partition.    Beyond my research, I love to write short fiction of my own, contribute to college publications as a writer and editor, and read widely on literary, art, and music history.  I would love to connect with fellow scholars, feel free to reach out to discuss research or similar interests!

I am a 3rd year Law and German student in Trinity College Dublin.   My research centres on how the criminal justice systems responds to abused women who kill their abusive partners.  The defences to a charge of killing are usually provocation, self-defence, and diminished responsibility/insanity.  However, feminist legal theorists argue that these defences arise out of a typical male rather than female experience.  Victims of domestic abuse who kill typically lack an obvious imminent threat of violence, which is required to use the legal defences, and instead are responding to a cycle of violent behaviour. I want to understand how these women are treated in criminal justice systems, and how we can improve the law in this area. I am passionate about improving equality and fair treatment in the legal system, as well as gender studies and criminology.  I would love to get in touch if you are interested in any of these areas!

I'm a third year medical student at Trinity College Dublin with a particular interest in neuro-oncology. I'm particularly interested in 'recycling' existing drugs and discovering synergistic drug combinations to treat tumours. I love all things neuroscience, please reach out if you have any questions :)

Hi! My name is Stephanie, and I am a medical student from Trinity College Dublin. I am drawn to how medicine helps us understand our brains, people, society, and systems to improve health and well-being. My research project examines the intersection of climate change and brain health from a policy perspective. Climate change is often framed as an environmental emergency. However, its consequences such as extreme heat, disaster-related trauma, and air pollution have an indispensable toll on brain and general health. Yet, global frameworks and mitigation strategies continue to treat health and neurological wellbeing as an afterthought. My project will uncover how current policy guidelines and interventions lack investment in population wellbeing and health. I aim to work with experts in the field and together build a framework to help countries tailor their climate-health responses with an emphasis on brain and general health. With this interdisciplinary and international approach, I hope to expose and close the gap between policy and wellbeing, translating scientific discovery to real-life health and comfort.  Outside of classes and placements, you can find me outdoors pretending to study in the sun or travelling. I also enjoy Olympic target shooting and hiking.  Very grateful and excited for the Laidlaw journey ahead, feel free to reach out and connect! 

I'm an undergraduate computer scientists at Trinity College with a passion for the environment and sustainability. I'm using my laidlaw project to blend my passion for the environment with my data analysis and data modelling skills to gain some valuable insights from data I will gather in the next 3 weeks and the data already collected by the biodiversity and sustainability team in Trinity which I am now working alongside.

Hello! I'm Milla, a rising third-year student at Trinity College Dublin! I am originally from Sweden, but grew up in Seattle! As an Economics major and Political Science minor, my passions are rooted in macroeconomic policy in relation to immigration and environmental justice.  As such, my research seeks to contextualise the shortcomings in the economic integration of immigrants in Stockholm through an analysis of respective wealth profiles between first-generation immigrants and native Swedes. It additionally cross-references the economic evaluation to their relative access to quality green spaces, assessing the sophistication level of integration as it pertains to public goods. I am excited to connect and learn about all the fascinating research conducted by my fellow Laidlaw scholars! Feel free to reach out-- I'd love to connect!

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!

Hey! My name is Leah Carroll, I am a current 3rd year student of English Studies at Trinity College Dublin and a member of the 2026 Laidlaw Leadership & Research Scholars cohort. After an unconventional path as an early school-leaver, I found my way to higher education through the Trinity Access Programme’s Foundation Course for Young Adults to pursue my lifelong passion for literature. While curious for all facets of the field, I have keen interest in women’s issues and feminist theory.   My research project, entitled ‘"Girls Who Say Nothing and Wear Black": Women of the Beat Generation’, aims to address an important critical gap by examining the continued marginalisation of women Beat poets despite their acknowledged literary and cultural influence. The study aims to contribute a more equitable understanding of the Beat generation as well as a broader appreciation of their influence outside the United States with particular reference to their importance to contemporary Irish women’s poetry.   Outside my studies and research, I love writing both prose and poetry, working on my own creative projects, going hiking with friends, and indulging in sports such as horse-riding and figure skating.  Please feel free to reach out and connect!

Hi, my name is Peter McNulty. I am an Undergraduate Leadership & Research Scholar at Trinity College Dublin. For my research project, I will be "Pricing the environmental impact of AI-related data centre energy consumption in Ireland" as I think that it is important to balance AI's economic benefits with the growing emissions and energy consumption burden that Ireland faces. This will involve a literature review of EU Carbon Policy, research into carbon market trends and computation of AI-specific consumption costs using EU ETS pricing frameworks. Outside of my studies, I play guitar, piano and sing in pubs! I also enjoy running long distances for charity.

I am a second year law student at Trinity College Dublin, conducting a research project on period poverty and how it impacts participation in education in Ireland. I currently work as a Policy and Advocacy Advisor at The Pad Project, and am especially interested in in social justice, access to education, gender equality, sustainability and human rights.

I am a fourth year student in Middle Eastern, Jewish and Islamic Civilizations in Trinity College Dublin. My research focuses on the impact of Covid-19 on the arrival to Europe of Syrian and Palestinian refugees from Lebanon. In the second summer of the scholarship I worked with the Egypt Foundation for Refugee Rights. I am interested in migration, diversity and inclusivity. 

Georgetown University joined the Laidlaw Undergraduate Research and Leadership Scholarship Programme as a partner institution in Fall 2021. The Georgetown University Center for Research and Fellowships announced the university's first Laidlaw Scholars cohort in April 2022.

I am currently an undergraduate PPES student at Trinity College Dublin. I have chosen the Joint Honours Pathway, specialising in Political Science and Sociology.  My research project for summer one, titled "Sporting Bonds: Can sporting programmes properly facilitate the meaningful integration of migrant and host communities in Ireland?", concerns the efficacy of community-led integrative programmes that use sport as a means of blurring inter-cultural barriers and bringing together diverse communities. I will be working with Sport Against Racism Ireland, an established Irish NGO that delivers various sporting programmes aimed at facilitating and implementing anti-discrimination practices in Irish communities.  In my spare time I enjoy playing football and basketball, reading, and wandering around taking photos of things I see. 

Hi! My name is Jimena Alvarez and I am a Peruvian second year student in Trinity College Dublin. I currently concluded my second year studying Political Science and Economics. My research project is titled "Exploratory research into the support worker’s perceptions of the integration experiences of Ukrainian refugees in Ireland".  The purpose of the research is to gather relevant and comprehensive data about support worker’s perceptions of the integration experiences of Ukrainian refugees in Ireland. I will be conducting a focus group and individual interviews with 12 support workers in the field of refugee aid.  I am very excited to connect with other Laidlaw scholars regardless of how different our research projects may be. I am always interested in learning from people with different backgrounds and interests. Feel free to contact me. See you all soon in the Laidlaw annual conference here in Trinity College Dublin!