Hello! My name is Zara Sharif and I am a 2021 Laidlaw Scholar from the University of York, where I study Education! My research topic looks at body hair and racialized bullying of teenage girls in UK secondary schools, and how this interacts with the relationship between misogyny and racism. I chose this research topic because I think we are seeing a cultural shift (in some ways) towards a greater acceptance of body hair, but I've found this shift often leaves out women of colour, and ignores how race and gender can intersect to form teenage girls experiences and their relationships with their body, their sense of self and how they perceive themselves. I also want to see how greater society perceive body hair on women of colour in particular and how social media can influence/shape/change these opinions.

I am a writer and futurist focussing on the geopolitical impact of political polarisation. I have a solid foundation in geopolitics, foresight, and national security strategy, gained through a Master's degree in International Relations from King's College London and experience in research and convening roles. I currently serve as a convenor of the Next Generation Foresight Practitioner (NGFP) Peace & Security Hub at the School of International Futures. In this role, I bring together a global network of strategic foresight practitioners working on conflict resolution and peacebuilding. I also lead a Working Group which explores the impact of political polarisation on peace and security globally. Through advocacy, project collaboration, and policy paper co-authoring, we aim to contribute to a more peaceful global future. I completed my Laidlaw Scholarship at the University of Leeds where I studied Ancient History and Philosophy. My research project was on what impact the UK's membership of the EU has had on the UK's foreign and defence policy. I'm an accomplished participant in leadership training programs like the Laidlaw Scholarship and Mentora Youth Changemaker Fellowship.

I am studying BSc Archaeology at the University of York. My primary interests are working on a ‘large scale’: archaeological field survey, GIS and digital methods, and utilising landscape and multiperiod approaches. Accordingly,  my research combines field investigation and digital analysis in a multiperiod study of the Mid-Cheshire Ridge, testing the potential contribution of comparative viewshed analysis to understanding past reasoning and change in the landscape.

Hi👋🏾 I’m Pearls I am a final year Law student at the University of Leeds. I recently completed a placement year at The Walt Disney Company as a CPGP Contract Management Intern (hence the 'industrial' next to my degree title) My first-year research project looked at the way game-based learning could be incorporated into Multi-Academy Trusts (aka MATs) to improve the academic attainment and classroom engagement of GCSE-year black students. My Leadership-in-Action project was with MakeSense and focused on empowering minority communities within Mexico City.

Hello! I am a third year student studying chemistry at the University of York.  For my research project, I'm interested in ring expansion cascade reactions and how we can effectively synthesise their starting materials.  I'm looking forward to becoming an effective leader who can make a positive impact in whatever industry I end up in, and inspire more women to pursue careers in STEM subjects.   I also love yoga, reading and art history.

I'm a medical student at the University of York interested in immunology, public health, as well as education and leadership within health care! My research project is about understanding how mutations in immune cells impact a certain group of rare bone marrow disorders (MPNs) that can lead to cancer.

Hi, my name is Lydia Haines and I am a second year undergraduate student, studying biology, at the University of York. For my research project I looked at mutations in inflammasome components that are associated with Multiple Sclerosis. For my leadership in action project, I spent 6 weeks on a health promotion project in Jubairata village, Fiji with Think Pacific.

Natural Sciences MSci student at University of York specialising in neuroscience. I am fascinated by the brain and the connections within it, and enjoy combining my knowledge of chemistry, biology, psychology and philosophy to generate new ideas.

Hi everyone! I am a recent graduate in BSc Natural Sciences from the University of Leeds and an alumni of the Laidlaw Leadership and Research Scholarship. In my research project, I identified the structural changes in heart muscle cell organisation in a condition called Dilated Cardiomyopathy (see content section). I also completed a placement year at Roche Pharmaceuticals working on data science projects in the pharmaceutical research, early development, and product development departments. For my Leadership in Action project, I went to Mexico City to work on a sustainability project with make_sense (see content section). 

Hello there! My name is Aly, and I am a British undergraduate student at the University of Toronto, currently doing an International Affairs Specialist, with a Minor in Sustainability. My research project is → Linking Political orientation and Environmentalism: An analysis of changing environmental attitudes and subsequent party support in Canada. In my project, I aim to analyze the changing link between environmental attitudes and party support/political orientation in Canada, using Canadian Election Studies data from 2015 and 2019, and comparing my results with results from a previous study which carried out similar analysis on data from the 2004 and 2006 elections. I also hope to inform my analysis with a discussion of provincial differences in these links, hoping to shine a light on possible avenues towards improving engagement with voters for provincial elections which may help Canada in its terrible track record on improving its environment. 

I was part of Trinity College's 2020 cohort of the Laidlaw Undergraduate Research & Leadership scholarship. My research dealt with European lobbying regulations. I hold a BA in Political Science in 2022 and an MSc in Public Policy from the University of Edinburgh. My current academic interests include foreign affairs and eco-social policies. 

I was part of a team of four scholars who are working together with Durham University to research what makes a successful Multi-Academy Trust serving disadvantaged communities. In particular, we focused on the Laidlaw Schools Trust, which comprises seven schools in the North of England that predominantly serve disadvantaged pupils. Overall, this is part of the effort to reduce the attainment gap between disadvantaged pupils and their more affluent peers. After that, I completed my LiA project by volunteering for the Youth & Community Project with Think Pacific in Fiji followed by a year abroad in Singapore. Driven by my passion for travel and cultural exchange, I love trying new foods and enjoy meeting people to share ideas. Feel free to reach out!

Hello! 👋  My name is Thomas and I am a student at the University of York studying electronic engineering with business management. My Laidlaw research project will be exploring how intelligence augmentation is the future for organisational decision making! Just some of my passions include science and technology studies, business systems, innovation and wanting to see a positive change in the world :)  Feel free to reach out to me for a friendly chat ☕ 

Hi! I'm originally from Hull, East Yorkshire but I'm currently a second year undergraduate student studying for a BA in Linguistics and ab initio Italian at the University of York. Alongside my studies, I am also the current blog coordinator for the University Feminist Society. Being a Laidlaw Scholar allows me to research the success of speech and language therapies in my project entitled 'Hidden behind a smile: acquisition and societal perception of speech sounds in children with cleft lip and palate.'!  My pronouns are she/they, please feel free to use either! 

Graduate Natural Scientist, specialised in Nanoscience. My Laidlaw research project explored thermoelectric materials to biomedical devices with a patient's very own body heat. Now employed as a Consultant Scientist for the EY R&D tax team.

I'm a final year psychology MSci student specialising in developmental disorders. My project focuses around the development attention in infants and if certain maternal strategies scaffold joint attention and how this varies cross culturally in the UK and Uganda. I'm hoping to pursue a PhD in the future!

Hello! I am a second year student English Literature student and a 2021 Laidlaw scholar at the University of York. My research focuses on young adult and coming-of-age literature and my aim is to design an undergraduate module on this genre that could potentially be taught as part of a literature degree.