Liren Abeyratne (He/Him)

Student Researcher, University of Toronto
Zoe Gardiner

Student, Trinity College Dublin

Hi everyone! My name is Zoe (she/her). I am from Co.Louth, Ireland. I'm in my second year studying Medicine at Trinity College Dublin. My Laidlaw research project is about exploiting the relationship between LPS and capsule for therapeutic benefit against E.coli UTI in sepsis. Sepsis has a mortality rate of 1 in 5 and the majority of sepsis infections originate in the urinary tract (from UTIs). I hope with this research to expand the available therapies for sepsis infections derived from UTIs. In my free time, I like to run, play gaelic football, and I also volunteer with Streetdoctors and Dublin Homeless Awareness. One thing about me that surprises people is that I'm slightly married to my Google calendar.  I'd love to connect with someone who is doing research in similar areas and is open to a collaboration! But also I'd love to connect with anyone and am so excited to meet new people! :)
On weekdays, I'm a microengineering student fascinated by 3D bioprinting of living tissue, wearable devices, electronic skin,  soft robotics and neural interfaces.  On weekends, I'm a House and Freestyle Hip-Hop dancer.
Neha Gupta

Student Researcher, University of Toronto

Hi there 👋 I'm Neha Gupta, a third year student at the University of Toronto.  I'm interested in the law and human health, along with it's intersections. Believing strongly in health as a human right, I am particularly interested in preventing gender-based violence and preserving reproductive health services.  My Summer I project looked at how paediatric oncology patients in nations with universal healthcare plans access psychosocial support. In Summer II, I hope to work with an organization to give marginalized communities (particularly women) the institutional support they need to stand up to injustices they face. 
Sahana Prabhu

Student, University of Toronto

Hello! I'm Sahana (she/her), a electrical and computer engineering student at the University of Toronto. Deeply passionate about sustainability, my goal is to leverage my engineering problem-solving skills to develop solutions that prioritize inclusivity and well being of vulnerable communities and environments. This summer I will be conducting research on the effectiveness of blockchain-backed NFC cards for disaster relief in Vanuatu. 
Kira Jensen

Student, University of Toronto

Hello everyone! My name is Kira, and I am going into my second year of undergraduate studies double majoring in Political Science and Philosophy at the University of Toronto. My research interests focus on climate politics and environmental ethics/governance, which complements my Laidlaw project on climate consciousness in undergraduate students. I enjoy spending time outdoors (when it's nice out) and participating in various extracurricular activities. I am very excited to be part of this 2024 cohort and look forward to seeing what we all accomplish!
Youness Robert-Tahiri

Student, University of Toronto

Hello! I am a senior undergraduate student in the Psychology Research program at the University of Toronto. I am passionate about children's mental health and the many ways that youth can overcome adversity. I am especially interested in developing interventions that promote resilience for survivors of childhood adversity. I balance this emotionally heavy passion with a deep appreciation of the world of comedy. This entails performing comedic improvisations at various venues in the city. As such, I am also fascinated by the relationship between comedy and mental health. My Summer 1 research project explored the relationship between childhood adversity, childhood aggression, and childhood self-regulation. My Summer 2 Leadership-in-Action project involved me independently developing and implementing a comedy-based psychosocial intervention for teenagers experiencing adversity at SOS Children's Villages in Cape Town, South Africa. Please feel free to reach out to connect :) Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/younessrobert-tahiri Email: youness.robert.tahiri@mail.utoronto.ca
Elliot Savin

Scholar, University of Toronto

Hello! My name is Elliot and I am a student at the University of Toronto hoping to study law, history and political science. When I am not frantically writing essays I like to spend my time outdoors skiing, hiking, climbing, biking, running... you name it! I also love reading and writing and I hope to be able to publish some of my work one day! I am really passionate about social justice and advocacy and I hope to be able to use my skills to help those in need, whoever they are and wherever they may be!