Hi! My name is Stephanie, and I am a medical student from Trinity College Dublin. I am drawn to how medicine helps us understand our brains, people, society, and systems to improve health and well-being. My research project examines the intersection of climate change and brain health from a policy perspective. Climate change is often framed as an environmental emergency. However, its consequences such as extreme heat, disaster-related trauma, and air pollution have an indispensable toll on brain and general health. Yet, global frameworks and mitigation strategies continue to treat health and neurological wellbeing as an afterthought. My project will uncover how current policy guidelines and interventions lack investment in population wellbeing and health. I will work with experts in the field and together build a framework to help countries tailor their climate-health responses with an emphasis on brain and general health. With this interdisciplinary and international approach, I hope to expose and close the gap between policy and wellbeing, translating scientific discovery to real-life health and comfort.  Outside of classes and placements, you can find me outdoors pretending to study in the sun or travelling. I also enjoy Olympic target shooting and hiking.  Very grateful and excited for the Laidlaw journey ahead, feel free to reach out and connect! 

Hello! My name is Lochlann, and I am a student at Trinity College Dublin and part of the 2026 cohort of Laidlaw Scholars. My Summer 1 research project focuses on the role of private supplementary tuition (“grinds”) in the academic achievement gap between public and private schools in Ireland. Using quantitative analysis of Irish educational data, I aim to investigate whether access to grinds contributes to differences in examination performance and broader educational inequality. Through this research, my overarching goal is to contribute to conversations surrounding fairness, access to opportunity and educational policy. By examining how socio-economic advantage may shape educational outcomes, I hope to better understand the structures that influence inequality within education systems. If you have any questions or would like to connect, please feel free to reach out!

Hey! My name is Leah Carroll, I am a current 2nd year student of English Studies at Trinity College Dublin and a member of the 2026 Laidlaw Leadership & Research Scholars cohort. After an unconventional path as an early school-leaver, I found my way to higher education through the Trinity Access Programme’s Foundation Course for Young Adults to pursue my lifelong passion for literature. While curious for all facets of the field, I have keen interest in women’s issues and feminist theory.    My research project, entitled ‘‘Girls Who Say Nothing and Wear Black’: Women of the Beat Generation,’ aims to address an important critical gap by examining the continued marginalisation of women Beat poets despite their acknowledged literary and cultural influence. The study aims to contribute a more equitable understanding of the Beat generation as well as a broader appreciation of their influence outside the United States with particular reference to their importance to contemporary Irish women’s poetry.    Outside my studies and research, I love writing both prose and poetry, working on my own creative projects, going hiking with friends, and indulging in sports such as horse-riding and figure skating.  Please feel free to reach out and connect!

Hi, my name is Peter McNulty. I am an Undergraduate Leadership & Research Scholar at Trinity College Dublin. For my research project, I will be "Pricing the environmental impact of AI-related data centre energy consumption in Ireland" as I think that it is important to balance AI's economic benefits with the growing emissions and energy consumption burden that Ireland faces. This will involve a literature review of EU Carbon Policy, research into carbon market trends and computation of AI-specific consumption costs using EU ETS pricing frameworks. Outside of my studies, I play guitar, piano and sing in pubs! I also enjoy running long distances for charity.