I am a student of History, International Relations, and Arabic Language and Culture at Tufts University in Medford, Massachusetts. My research interests lie in Middle Eastern Studies, studies of Identity and Belonging, modern and historical nationalism, and post-colonialism. Having lived and studied in six countries across three continents, I have extensive multilingual research skills and cultural adaptability. I spent Summer 2022 in Jerusalem performing my Laidlaw research project and in Beirut studying Arabic at the American University of Beirut. I participated in Laidlaw's LiA program with make_sense in Medellín, Colombia during Summer 2023.
Hello! I am currently a second year BSc Psychology student at the University of St Andrews. My research explores the effects of attentional focus as a potential performance anxiety intervention in piano performance. I would love to chat with individuals who have similar research interests as me!
Hi there! I'm Oran, a final year student of International History and Politics. With the Laidlaw Foundation, I completed an independent research project on the history of an early international voluntary organisation in the summer of 2021. Also with the programme, I took part in the 'Youth and Community' project with ThinkPacific in the Fiji Islands in the summer of 2022.
All of this has enhanced my capacity for leadership in a globalising world. Please have a look through my profile to learn more about me and my work as a Laidlaw Leadership and Research Scholar.
Yusra Shafi
MSc Candidate, Columbia University (MSc) The University of Toronto, St. George (HBSc)
Hello! My name is Yusra, and I graduated from the University of Toronto, St. George, in 2023. I'm now currently doing my MSc. in Negotiation and Conflict Resolution at Columbia University.
My Laidlaw research utilizes the concepts of Self-determination theory, and focused on analyzing the biggest barriers to a 'positive' university experience, possible solutions that can be enacted, and how all these factors influenced student mental health.
My work now spans the intersection of mental health, conflict resolution, and social justice. I work as a Case Manager at an anti-human trafficking organization, and also work in the climate justice space with Canadian civil society.
I am currently a fifth year student studying for an MMath Mathematics at the University of St Andrews. During the summer of 2021, I undertook a research project into Algebraic Constraint Geometry and Graph Rigidity. In the summer of 2022, I undertook a Leadership in Action Project in Fiji with Think Pacific.
Alongside maths, I also really enjoy playing around with computers! At the moment, I am learning how to use HTML and Ruby so that I can host and maintain my own website. I also hope to take a course on machine learning soon.
Outside of academia, I am a big fan of the outdoors. For the past two years I have been learning to kayak and have really enjoyed the opportunity to explore Scotland whilst doing so.
Hello fellow scholars!
My name is Thi (pronounced like tea) and I am a sophomore pursuing a degree in Biomedical Engineering and a minor in Computer Science. I look forward to learning more about my research, which is about traumatic brain injury, and connecting with you all this summer!
Hi👋🏾 I’m Pearls
I am a final year Law student at the University of Leeds. I recently completed a placement year at The Walt Disney Company as a CPGP Contract Management Intern (hence the 'industrial' next to my degree title)
My first-year research project looked at the way game-based learning could be incorporated into Multi-Academy Trusts (aka MATs) to improve the academic attainment and classroom engagement of GCSE-year black students. My Leadership-in-Action project was with MakeSense and focused on empowering minority communities within Mexico City.
Hi, everyone! My name is Sarina Zhou, a Class of 2024 student at Cornell University! I am major in Economics and minor in Law and Society. The aim of my research is to implement the UN Convention on Rights of Persons with Disabilities in Barbados, bridge the gap in understanding between legislators and their constituents, and improve the lives of those in disadvantaged and marginalized communities. I always seek opportunities to develop my skills and knowledge in various subject areas, particularly in the fields of law and business. I hope to pursue a career in immigration or corporate law in the future.
Also, fun fact: I am an artist specializing in acrylic landscape painting and graphite portrait drawing!
Please don't hesitate to connect with me! :)
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!
Hi! I'm an undergraduate scholar from the University of Toronto and am interested in inclusion and mental health. With my research project, I hope to explore how we improve mental health support and treatments to make them more accessible and inclusive of Canadian Muslims. Beyond my research interests, I enjoy connecting with people and learning from people's diverse backgrounds and unique experiences. I'm a keen listener and love learning new things!
Hi everyone! I am a recent graduate in BSc Natural Sciences from the University of Leeds and an alumni of the Laidlaw Leadership and Research Scholarship. In my research project, I identified the structural changes in heart muscle cell organisation in a condition called Dilated Cardiomyopathy (see content section). I also completed a placement year at Roche Pharmaceuticals working on data science projects in the pharmaceutical research, early development, and product development departments. For my Leadership in Action project, I went to Mexico City to work on a sustainability project with make_sense (see content section).
I am a rising Junior at Tufts University studying Biology and Computer Science. I tend to get excited about Bioinformatics, computational biology, and data science. This summer my research involves using network propagation methods to determine genes that are associated with Alzheimer's Disease.
In my free time, I like to journal, explore nature, and travel to new places.
Feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions or comments about my work, I am always happy to chat about it!
Pronouns: she/her, they/them
I am an undergraduate scholar and an International Relations and Social Anthropology student at St Andrews. Growing up in various countries across Asia and Europe, I have become particularly interested in global politics, postcolonialism, and social justice. I am also passionate about languages, and speak Chinese, Persian, Urdu, French, and Spanish to varying degrees, in addition to my native Hindi and English.
Hi, I'm Polina and I'm a Biochemstry student at the University of St Andrews. I am interested in the properties of enzymes and mechanism of biocatalysis. It is really exciting to be part of the Laidlaw Network. I had the most amazing summer in my life last year, doing research in MacNeill Lab, St Andrews. Looking forward to my second summer as a Scholar, which I will spend volunteering in Ghana.
I am an undergraduate Economics and Mathematics student in the 2021 Cohort of the University of St Andrews. My research project will be a statistical analysis of the impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on international voting behaviours, particularly regarding the re-election of political leaders (or lack thereof), but my interests expand to anything Econ.
Hi there! My name is Angel (she/her/hers), and I'm first-year and a native New York City resident studying Neuroscience and Behavior. I'm passionate about all things STEM and medicine, and I hope to learn more through research over the next few years. When I'm not in the lab or having my nose stuck in a book, you can find me listening to music, volunteering, exploring the city, and baking too much!