Mary Friend (She/Her)

Natural Sciences Student, University of York
Alixe Kirbihler

Bioengineering Student, EPFL

Hello :)  My name is Alixe Kirbihler and I am a 2023 Laidlaw scholar. I am currently a third-year Life Sciences engineering bachelor student at EPFL & an exchange student at KTH in Stockholm. I am really interested in neurosciences, the biomedical field and, more generally, anything related to engineering.  Confirmed enthusiast of any outdoors activities, I am willing to discuss with you about any subjects, should it be STEM or climbing-hiking-skiing-diving related ;)  My research during 2023’s summer focused on characterising a novel D.Melanogaster mutant that perturbs synapse arborisation. It took place in Professor McCabe’s laboratory (for more information: https://www.epfl.ch/labs/mccabelab/research/).  My leadership in action last summer consisted of developing and implementing projects aimed at supporting emerging local cooperatives, women’s entrepreneurial initiatives, educational excellence, and improving the employability and mental health of young people. I am really glad to be part of this community that gathers such inspiring and dedicated scholars and can’t wait to meet you !
Alice O'Neill

Student, University of Leeds

Hi, I'm Alice, a Biochemistry student at the University of Leeds. I love science as I am fascinated by understanding how life works at a chemical and cellular level, but I also have a very arty side, with passions including painting and music.   This Summer I will be doing a research project into improving the efficiency of pig-feeding methods, to decrease environmental impact and reduce waste. I will be looking into how current phase feeding methods can be optimized by more closely meeting the nutritional requirements of the pigs at each stage. 
Abijuru Antoinette

Student , University of Rwanda

I'm chemist undergraduate student from UR-CST .Currently, I am conducting a research on how humic acid can be extracted from compost materials which are disposed at landfills .Humic acid is known to be used as soil amendment in soil with low organic matter but also to improve both quality of soil and production from agriculture sector.
Capone

Administrative Coordinator, Tufts University

Research and Academic Administration
Melissa Rose

Development Partner - Laidlaw Scholars, University of York

I am a Chartered Occupational Psychologist and the lead for the Laidlaw Scholars Leadership and Research Programme at The University of York.  Prior to joining the University of York, my career was in policing focusing on selection and assessment, leadership development, organisation change and culture, and diversity, equality and inclusion.  I completed my BSc Psychology course at The University of Manchester and went straight on to complete my MSc Occupational Psychology course at Northumbria University. I then completed the Qualification in Occupational Psychology (QOccPsych) with the British Psychological Society (BPS) to become a chartered Occupational Psychologist. 
Anna Lysenko

Fourth-Year International Relations Specialist Student, University of Toronto

Hi everyone! I'm Anna Lysenko. I'm a fourth-year undergraduate student in the International Relations Specialist program at the University of Toronto. I'm passionate about cyberpolitics and cybersecurity: my Laidlaw research project is about the effect of cyber-attacks on democracy.  My hobbies include reading, writing, travelling, drawing, horse riding, meeting up with friends, and watching movies. I'm excited to connect with new people who share my passions and interests :) 
Irene Monreal Campos

Student, University of York

Hi! I'm Irene.  I'm studying chemistry at the Uni of York. I'm really interested in environmental chemistry and atmospheric sciences (and anything that involves the sea!) .  In my free time I do triathlon and Waterpolo.
Alicia Sanz Maestro

Student, University of York

Hi! I'm Alicia and I am a fourth year Chemistry student at the University of York. I'm especially interested in the development of new materials for biomedical applications but I'm always open to learn about different areas of research in Chemistry!
William Nyss

Student, University of York

Hiya! 👋  My name is Will and I am a student at the University of York studying Politics and International Relations. My Laidlaw research project looks at the extent governments are punished for the handling of the Covid pandemic and how governments utilise blame avoidance strategies.   I enjoy mountaineering around the UK and getting involved in youth politics such as with the British Youth Council and similar institutions. My passions would fall into having a love of reading and learning new things focusing on topics of self-development and psychology. 
Louisa Janice Kamajaya

PhD Student, King's College London

I'm a PhD student under the Wellcome Trust Neuro-Immune Interactions in Health and Disease Program. I am an alum of the Undergraduate Leadership & Research Programme in University of York.
Zara Sharif

Student, University of York

Hello! My name is Zara Sharif and I am a 2021 Laidlaw Scholar from the University of York, where I study Education! My research topic looks at body hair and racialized bullying of teenage girls in UK secondary schools, and how this interacts with the relationship between misogyny and racism. I chose this research topic because I think we are seeing a cultural shift (in some ways) towards a greater acceptance of body hair, but I've found this shift often leaves out women of colour, and ignores how race and gender can intersect to form teenage girls experiences and their relationships with their body, their sense of self and how they perceive themselves. I also want to see how greater society perceive body hair on women of colour in particular and how social media can influence/shape/change these opinions.
Gracie Daw

Student, N/A

I am a first year History and Politics student. My research project is titled 'How has devolution affected the UK's coronavirus response?'  I will be trying to understand which factors change the public's perception of their government. I will do this by comparing the devolved administrations in the UK around a specific policy, which was broadly similar despite being devolved, and then understanding which factors affected a change in perception. 
Munashe Rumhuma

Student , University of York

I'm an undergraduate student at the University of York studying Biomedical Sciences. I am originally from Zimbabwe. I have a wide range of interest including Art, Literature and Psychology but Health science is my absolute favourite.
Thomas Mason

Engineering Student, University of York

Hello! 👋  My name is Thomas and I am a student at the University of York studying electronic engineering with business management. My Laidlaw research project will be exploring how intelligence augmentation is the future for organisational decision making! Just some of my passions include science and technology studies, business systems, innovation and wanting to see a positive change in the world :)  Feel free to reach out to me for a friendly chat ☕ 
Emily Shepherdson (she/they)

Student , University of York

Hi! I'm originally from Hull, East Yorkshire but I'm currently a second year undergraduate student studying for a BA in Linguistics and ab initio Italian at the University of York. Alongside my studies, I am also the current blog coordinator for the University Feminist Society. Being a Laidlaw Scholar allows me to research the success of speech and language therapies in my project entitled 'Hidden behind a smile: acquisition and societal perception of speech sounds in children with cleft lip and palate.'!  My pronouns are she/they, please feel free to use either! 
Aya Hammad

Medical student, University of York

I'm a medical student at the University of York interested in immunology, public health, as well as education and leadership within health care! My research project is about understanding how mutations in immune cells impact a certain group of rare bone marrow disorders (MPNs) that can lead to cancer.
Sara Rahmani

Psychology Student, Trinity College Dublin

Hi there! I am a psychology student interested in psychotherapy, computational psychiatry, trauma and stress-related disorders, and the prevention of domestic and sexual violence.  I am currently working with the Gillan Lab at Trinity College Dublin which has allowed me to explore my research interests further and led me to my research topic where I want to explore factors that may be of use for individualising treatment of psychiatric illnesses.
Sarah Heptinstall

BSc Psychology Student, University of York

I am a first year psychology undergraduate and I love the mind in all it's complexity. I am a mother of 3 children, ranging in age from 6 to 15. I was self-employed, successfully and solely running a barber shop for 6 years prior to starting university. I volunteer with HEY MIND as a peer support worker usually, for either teens or adults, but I am taking a break at present, in order to volunteer with SEED (an eating disorder charity) as an email buddy for a lady with anorexia. My upcoming research revolves around linking memory with internal experience: we think distractions like mind-wandering and intrusive thoughts will negatively affect how much we can remember! I am very much looking forward to getting started :)
Inkindi Mutoni Sabine

STEM Subject Lead, University of Rwanda

I am a graduate of Electronics and Telecommunication Engineering at the University of Rwanda. I am also the STEM Subject Lead. My Laidlaw research project is about bringing a system that could help minimize the number of high-school and primary students who bring cell phones to school since it's one of the major sources of distraction. I did my Master's degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University Africa, majoring in Cybersecurity and Data Science.
Andrew Hill

Student, University of York

I am studying BSc Archaeology at the University of York. My primary interests are working on a ‘large scale’: archaeological field survey, GIS and digital methods, and utilising landscape and multiperiod approaches. Accordingly,  my research combines field investigation and digital analysis in a multiperiod study of the Mid-Cheshire Ridge, testing the potential contribution of comparative viewshed analysis to understanding past reasoning and change in the landscape.