Jia Ross Nicdao (She/Her)

Hi everyone! I'm Vivian, an undergraduate junior at Tufts University majoring in Biomedical Engineering. My interests lie in neuroscience and bridging the gap between vulnerable populations and healthcare access. I enjoy listening to music, reading, and taking walks (in the summer)! If you're interested in any of this too or would like to chat, reach out! I'm excited to get to know everyone. 

Hello! I’m a psychology researcher and the founder of HaHaHelps, a nonprofit organisation developing and delivering a comedy-based psychosocial programme designed to support young people in residential care. I am currently completing an MSocSci in Psychology at the University of Cape Town, where my dissertation examines the feasibility of HaHaHelps programme with adolescents in South African child and youth care centres. My broader interests include youth mental health, psychosocial intervention development, implementation, participatory approaches, and the use of humour and play to support connection, emotional expression, self-efficacy, and coping with uncertainty. HaHaHelps grew out of my Laidlaw Leadership-in-Action project at SOS Children’s Villages in Cape Town, where I designed and facilitated an improv-comedy programme for adolescents. Since then, I have continued developing and delivering the programme with young people in residential care and am now studying how it can be refined, evaluated, and ultimately adapted for use in other communities and settings. Before this, my Laidlaw research at the University of Toronto examined relationships between childhood adversity, aggression, and self-regulation. I’d love to connect with other Laidlaw Scholars and alumni interested in youth mental health, social impact, intervention development, social entrepreneurship, or simply finding creative ways to turn research into something useful in the world.

I'm Ryan, a 2026 Laidlaw scholar at Tufts University. I was born in New York City, but my father is from Karachi, Pakistan and my Mum is from Brisbane, Australia. Now my parents' immigrant dreams live on in my 3 brothers and I as we move across the country and pursue our unique interests. I believe it is precisely this complex history of migration in my family that has inspired my passion for migration studies. 

Hello! My Name is Celina Savage (she/her) and I a Laidlaw Scholar in the 2026 cohort! I am pursuing research on direct-to-consumer (DTC) pharmaceutical advertising in the United States, with a focus on how testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) is communicated to post- and peri-menopausal women. I am interested in working in the intersection of health communication and equity, exploring how messaging shapes patient understanding and access. I'm passionate about building transparent, equitable systems of communication across all areas of life. When messaging is clear, honest, and inclusive, it invites people in; when it isn't, it quietly excludes. My goal is to ensure people feel genuinely seen and supported by the systems around them.

Hello! I am a junior, Biochemistry student at Tufts University. I am interested in the health sciences, public health, and civic biology.  In my free time, I enjoy learning how to play different instruments, listening to music, reading, coloring, and spending time with friends and family.  I'm very blessed to be on this journey with you all and can't wait to get to know you better!

Hi! My name is Jayden, and I am a rising sophomore at Tufts University pursuing a double major in International Relations and Sociology, with a minor in Legal Studies on a pre-law track. Originally from Fort Smith, Arkansas, I am deeply interested in and passionate about the intersecting fields of human rights, economics, and justice systems. In my free time, I enjoy exploring, thrifting, and being a foodie! 

Hello! My name is Maiwenn, I am a rising junior at Tufts University studying Biopsychology. I am deeply interested in community health research, particularly strategies that help bridge gaps created by socioeconomic barriers. Through this interest, I hope to learn more about the factors that influence patient adherence and health outcomes. In my free time, I enjoy pursuing my faith, singing, spending time with friends and family, and exploring different facets of the medical field.

Hi there! I’m Nicolly, an undergraduate student from Brazil studying International Relations and Child Studies at Tufts University. I’m passionate about humanitarian work, education policy, and the non-profit sector. Feel free to reach out if you’d like to connect or chat!

Hi everyone! I am a sophomore at Tufts University in Boston, studying biology and environmental science. I am originally from Cape Town, South Africa, and attended high school in Louisiana. This summer, I am working in Tanzania on a coral restoration project, conducting my own experiment to identify which coral species will be most resilient during this year's El Niño and rising sea temperatures. I will also be exploring how to make the coral gardening process more cost-effective and accessible to coastal East African fishing communities. 

Hi everyone! My name is Lauren, I am a rising junior at Tufts University studying Biomedical Engineering and Science, Technology, & Society. I am very interested in neuroscience research, especially neurodegenerative diseases. I am also very interested in learning about the neuroscience of addiction, and how medical research can be used for social good. In my free time, I enjoy reading, live music, and spending time with loved ones!

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 TAP representative on the Students’ Union Equality and Welfare Committee, where I advocate for equity and inclusion within university life. Outside of academia, I’m also a DJ with a love for garage and jungle music, and a very dedicated bird mother 🐥  

Andrew Singleton has recently joined the Tufts-Laidlaw Undergraduate Research and Leadership Programme team as a Programme Administrator and is excited to continue to elevate the Laidlaw Programming for current and future scholars. He joined the programme from Venture Café, which connects and educates the entrepreneurial and innovation community in Boston through programs/spaces/events and many other cities around the world. He has a B.S. from MIT in Biology and a background in social-impact enterprises, wind-power, user-computer-interfaces, as well as computer network design. In his spare time, Andrew enjoys travel, hiking, and wildlife photography.