I am a second-year student at Harvard College double concentrating in Chemistry and Economics, driven by a desire to explore how scientific innovation and economic structures must align to expand global access to medicine. This summer, as a member of Harvard's inaugural Laidlaw Scholar cohort, I am conducting faculty-mentored research in the Richard Liu Group, focusing on the design and synthesis of light-activated molecules (photocages) to improve the efficiency of drug delivery in water. Through the Laidlaw program, I am combining this rigorous laboratory research with leadership development and an upcoming international Leadership-in-Action project, all to build a foundation for a career bridging the pharmaceutical, biotech, and finance sectors.  Beyond my research, I love exploring foreign languages, skiing, and traveling. I am also an avid sports fan and player, particularly when it comes to volleyball and soccer (football). I look forward to connecting with fellow Scholars who are passionate about combining scientific discovery with leadership to drive real-world healthcare and economic solutions.

Ellis Schroeder is a student at Harvard from Atlanta, Georgia, passionate about health equity. He is studying anthropology alongside art history, exploring how science and visual culture shape understandings of health, illness, and care. Before Harvard, he led the nonprofit DermaTeens and various initiatives for skin cancer prevention and health equity across Atlanta, working with city government and public health officials to install IMPACT Melanoma sunscreen dispensers, promote access to preventative healthcare and sun safety, and educate youth on skin health. He advises the first National Skin Cancer Prevention Youth Council, an initiative he founded, and mentors youth across the country on public health community impact projects. At Harvard, Ellis researches LGBTQ+ population health, eating disorder epidemiology, and medical sociology. Inspired to understand the growing mistrust in healthcare and science in a post-COVID-19 world, as a Laidlaw Scholar, he researches how LGBTQ+ young adults come to trust or distrust healthcare systems, using mixed methods to trace how real experiences shape engagement with care and impact health outcomes. Ellis hopes to pursue a career in medicine and public health leadership.

I'm a second-year at Harvard College concentrating in Neuroscience with a secondary in Psychology, on a pre-med track. My research at Massachusetts General Hospital focuses on cerebrovascular diseases and the early detection of Alzheimer's Disease. As a member of Harvard's inaugural Laidlaw Scholar cohort, I'm combining faculty-mentored independent research with leadership development through Oxford's Ethical Leadership Programme and an international Leadership-in-Action project — all in service of becoming a physician-leader who approaches healthcare with both scientific rigor and ethical grounding. A core conviction of mine is that lifestyle and nutrition are underutilized tools in chronic disease prevention. I hold a Plant-Based Nutrition Certification from eCornell, serve as Treasurer of Harvard Undergraduate Plant-Based, and am a Fellow of Harvard's Food Literacy Project. Outside academics, I'm a Board Member and Company Dancer with the Harvard Ballet Company, continuing a 13-year classical ballet background. I also founded Taylor Bears Inc., a DFW-based 501(c)(3) that donates teddy bears to children at Cook Children's Medical Center and supports pediatric cardiovascular units. Looking forward to connecting with fellow Scholars who are thinking boldly about science, leadership, and meaningful impact.