Hi! I’m Sophie Kleina, a Psychological and Behavioural Sciences student at the University of Cambridge. I’m passionate about language learning and preservation, which is why my Laidlaw research project focuses on the Kashubian language- a regional and Indigenous language of northern Poland, and a heritage I’m proud to be part of. My academic interests span sociology, linguistics, psychology, and education, and I’m especially drawn to work that supports cultural diversity, educational access, and meaningful social change. I care deeply about doing work that helps people, strengthens communities, and protects the richness of human language and identity. I’m always eager to learn from others and collaborate on projects that make a difference- feel free to connect!

Hi! I am an undergraduate sociology and social anthropology student at the University of Cambridge, with a passion for the study of social movements and research into how activists and organisers can meaningfully effect change. 

Currently at the University of Cambridge studying Human, Social, and Political Sciences, specialising in Sociology. Experienced in law, politics, and campaigning. Interested in pursuing equality through social policy and human rights law.

Hi! I'm Naviya, an Engineering undergraduate at the University of Cambridge (Newnham College). My passion is biomedical engineering, particularly the applications of technology in medicine and public health. I am interested in medical devices, drug delivery, nanotechnology to name some of the very significant (and cool!) technologies being developed and implemented in the field today. My research this summer investigates hydrogel systems that permit acoustic patterning of cardiomyocytes in the pre-crosslinked, fluid state, while providing sufficient structural integrity post-crosslinking to preserve alignment and support tissue maturation. These objectives will be achieved via an acoustic patterning setup including CMs embedded in various hydrogel concentrations as well as comparative mechanical testing of these hydrogels as a “synthetic cardiac slice” to closely mirror native characteristics.

Hey!  I am an undergraduate student at the University of Cambridge studying Geography.  My project looks at agricultural systems that use cooperative practices (cooperatives, CSAs, intentional communities). I want to use Ostrom's eight design principles as a framework to understand similarities in their success stories. I want to understand how they operate alongside and within a capitalist economic system and how law and land policy shape their systems. Though I am realising this is perhaps way too much for one 6-week research project, the hope is that this can serve as a framework to upscale Commoning practices in Cambridgeshire. If you have any knowledge about land-use (policy + law), community economics, Commons and cooperation send it my way! Equally, if you have an LIA suggestion that can build on these interests that would be fab.  Whilst my project is very food and community focused, I am fascinated by all things geography, with a passion for social justice. My interests are definitely multidisciplinary and I am jealous of every project on here. 🦎

Hi! My name is Amalina, I'm a Psychological and Behavioural Sciences student at the University of Cambridge. I am particularly interested in social and developmental psychology. My research project aims to examine gender and racial stereotypes in children and how the salience of these identities and prototypicality impacts self-perceptions of intelligence. I'd love to talk about this topic or anything else to do with psychology, gender equality or travel! 

Hello! I recently graduated with an Honours Bachelor of Science in Psychology Research from the University of Toronto. I’m passionate about youth mental health and how humour can be used to support resilience after adversity. My Summer 1 research project explored the relationship between childhood adversity, aggression, and self-regulation — deepening my understanding of the psychological impacts of early trauma. In Summer 2, I led a Leadership-in-Action project at SOS Children’s Villages in Cape Town, where I designed and facilitated a comedy-based mental health program for teens. That experience led me to found HaHaHelps — an organization that uses improv comedy to support youth mental health through accessible, community-led workshops. I'm currently piloting the full program in South Africa, with plans to expand to more communities globally. Please feel free to connect :) Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/younessrobert-tahiri Email: youness@hahahelps.org

I am a second year medical student at the University of St Andrews, with a keen interest in microbiology. After completing my first year research project looking at the induction of genes involved in antibiotic resistance, I am now looking to apply the skills I learnt through a healthcare-related LiA project. 

Hello! I’m Trisha, a fourth-year student at Cornell University from Texas, USA. I’m majoring in Environment and Sustainability with a dual focus on food systems and wildlife conservation, and minoring in International Relations. My interests in combining my enduring passions for writing and wildlife conservation have driven me to explore multiple perspectives on highly-controversial issues such as trophy hunting, retaliatory animal killings, and illegal wildlife crime. Thus, during my first summer as a Laidlaw Scholar and as a member of the Morally Contested Conservation team, I wrote a literature review on the interconnectedness of climate change and human-wildlife conflicts in East and southern Africa. In June and July 2024, I furthered this research by traveling to the University of Oxford and to the Burunge Wildlife Management Area in Tanzania. I will be returning to Oxford and Burunge in June and July 2025 to report my results.  As an aspiring environmental policymaker and journalist, I am passionate about making technical scientific information more accessible to the general public. At Cornell, I am an Institute of Politics and Global Affairs Scholar, through which I interact with policymakers monthly to discuss pervasive issues in international politics. I also speak Marathi, Spanish, and Swahili at varying levels of fluency and plan to continue to grow my language skills to communicate environmental issues across continents and cultures.  For fun, I love to turn even the most mundane materials into recycled art, spend hours on end working through jigsaw puzzles, and go for runs while listening to podcasts. And as a diehard foodie who loves to travel, I’m always looking for recommendations of places to visit or new recipes to try!  The Laidlaw Scholars Program has been an invaluable component of my undergraduate experience. The friendships I’ve made, as well as the research and language skills I’ve begun to develop, have encouraged me to continue to ask and seek answers to complicated questions about global affairs and environmental science. If anyone has questions or feedback about the Laidlaw Program, is interested in collaborating, or just wants to say hello, please feel free to email me at trb238@cornell.edu. I hope we can meet in person someday!