Emma Cox (She/Her)

Trinity College Dublin joined the Laidlaw Network in 2018. The Laidlaw Programme offers undergraduate students at Trinity the opportunity to develop the knowledge, skills, and experience to become active global citizens and future leaders. Laidlaw Scholars work with an academic supervisor on a self-directed, independent research project and take part in a suite of integrated leadership development activities which culminate in a challenging applied leadership experience. Laidlaw Scholars join a community of learning, driven by curiosity and collaboration, which enables diverse voices to make a meaningful impact. The Laidlaw Programme at Trinity is open to undergraduates in the second year of a four year programme or the second/third year of a five year undergraduate/integrated masters programme.

Hello! I'm Crystal, a current third year medical student from Trinity College Dublin, and originally from Yangon, Myanmar. I think physicians are in a unique position where they are entrusted by patients, understand firsthand the shortcomings in patient care, and possess the biomedical knowledge and skills needed to drive meaningful change, placing them at the forefront of cutting-edge research that can directly benefit patient care. I would love to be a physician-scientist one day who can bridge scientific discovery with clinical practice.  My research explores the effects of smoking on innate immunity and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). I am fortunate to be part of a great research lab that allows me to explore my own ideas, design my own experiments, and, most importantly, keep moving forward when things do not go as planned!  I also love cooking and baking -- I am always thinking of what I should have for my next meal! 

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.

I am the Programme Manager for the Laidlaw Scholars Leadership & Research Programme at Trinity College Dublin. Before joining the Careers and Development Service at Trinity College Dublin, I have been looking after a portfolio of open enrolment short executive education courses at Trinity and have over 10 years of experience in admissions, event coordination and higher education management across Ireland, United Kingdom and Ukraine.

Joel was the Laidlaw Programme Coordinator for Trinity (2018 - 2024). In this role he managed leadership development activities, student coaching, programme design, and the day-to-day support of the Laidlaw Scholars. He is currently the Equality Officer for Trinity, and works to promote equity, belonging, and non-discrimination for Trinity staff, students, and the wider Trinity community, in all areas of university life and with particular regard to the protected grounds in equality legislation. He has previously worked in a range of higher education development roles including student services and global engagement. In 2026 he is a supervisor for a Laidlaw Scholar research project entitled 'A Class Education: How does Trinity engage with class and socioeconomic status in 2026?'. He is a founder and current Co-Chair of Trinity's LGBTIQ+ Staff Network and is committed to Trinity's mission of fostering excellence and creating social good by championing an accessible, diverse higher education environment. A graduate of Trinity, he holds a B.A. (Mod.) in English Studies, and further qualifications in Learning, Development and Coaching (CIPD), EDI Policy and People; Teaching, Learning and Assessment for Academic Practice (TCD), and as a Certified Student Affairs Educator (HECSAC).

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 Speech and Language Therapy student at Trinity College Dublin and a member of the 2026 Laidlaw Scholars cohort. I returned to education as a mature student and single parent after experiencing firsthand the impact that Speech and Language Therapists can have on people’s lives, which inspired me to pursue the profession myself. My research interests focus on socioeconomic inequality, access to education, inclusion, and student belonging within higher education. Through the Laidlaw Programme, I’m exploring how historically elite institutions such as Trinity engage with class and socioeconomic diversity, and how universities can move beyond widening access towards creating genuinely inclusive environments for students from all backgrounds. Alongside my studies, I’m involved in student representation work as the Student Parent Officer in the Students’ Union Equality, where I advocate for equity and inclusion for student parents within university life. Outside of academia, I’m also a DJ (briongloid on instagram and soundcloud x) with a love for garage and jungle music, and a very dedicated bird mother 🐥