Hello! I am Mairéad, a PPE student at Durham University. I am really interested in social justice and how human rights are upheld/fail to be upheld. I have aspirations to work in the international human rights sector. I am excited to hear about other people's research and looking forward to being part of the 2024 cohort of research and leadership scholars!  Outside of academics, I'm quite involved in some charity and activist work, particularly around the protection of refugee rights. I'm also big into netball and run my college's team!

Hello there! I'm a third-year student in Conservation and Biodiversity at the University of Toronto Scarborough campus. My passion for biology stems from research on pollination, insects and biodiversity at my school's gardens since I was seven-years-old. Now, I intend to continue to pursue passion this with a project that has an impact in disadvantaged communities from my home country, Colombia.  I will be studying the pollination networks of cacao trees, which is crucial to contribute to agroforestry systems in tropical Latin America, so that they are a sustainable and productive opportunity for smallholder farmers that want to restore forest areas. On a side note, I'm a curious person by nature and that's why I like to do and learn lots of things. So whether you are interested in my project or not, feel free to reach out! I believe that there are no boundaries when collaborating interdisciplinary. For example, research on cacao trees not only spans biology. There is ongoing anthropological research that is trying to figure out how cocoa got from the Amazon (its biological origin) to Mexico! 

In complex systems, one learns early that the surface can be a weak tutor, and it is often the tide, not the wave, that shapes the course. With my readings in finance at Durham University, combined with leadership training with the Oxford Character Project, I have tried to make my research and work resemble thoughtful oceanography—careful observation, calibrated instruments, and charts that are trusted precisely because they are modest about what they cannot yet claim to know. As a Laidlaw Scholar, my approach across research domains remains grounded in certain core values: to respect complexity without being intimidated by it, to value precision over appearance, and to navigate with integrity.  

Hello! I'm Lizzie, a third year Biological Science student at Durham University currently focussing on biomedicine, genetics, and biochemistry. I have been extremely involved in sports during school and my degree, which inspired my first year research project. I conducted interviews with current student athletes studying and competing at top UK universities to explore hustle culture within university sports and its impact on student athletes' health and wellbeing.  I have spent my LiA at the Cambridge Biomedical Campus creating an Impact Report with Cambridge Global Health Partnerships, a linked charity to Addenbrooke's Hospital. CGHP provides ethical, effective, and sustainable partnerships between the East of England and low- and middle-income countries. My task has been to showcase the incredible impact of these partnerships in strengthening health systems globally. My Laidlaw scholarship has been a great experience so far and has provided me many opportunities. As the Advisory Board is designed to improve scholars experiences during your time with the Laidlaw scholarship, feel free to reach out to me with any questions or feedback or fill out this form: https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=m1iBtASKYUmzmpVa7SUZOYAOFAGNJNdOhV2pziMDdMZURFE0SEkxVTFDSEQ2TjhXR0cwNlNSMUFKUy4u&route=shorturl

Hi there! I’m Maisy and I’m a second year Sociology student at Durham University. I’m passionate about working to make the education system a more accessible and equal environment. 

Hello! I am Emily, a Biosciences student at Durham University with aspirations to become an academic researcher. I am particularly interested in molecular biology and genetics.  I love meeting people and learning new things - I would love to connect with you!