Hello! I’m a psychology researcher and the founder of HaHaHelps, a comedy-based psychosocial programme designed to support young people in residential care. I am currently completing an MSocSci in Psychology at the University of Cape Town, where my dissertation examines the feasibility of HaHaHelps with adolescents in South African child and youth care centres. My broader interests include youth mental health, psychosocial intervention development, implementation, participatory approaches, and the use of humour and play to support connection, emotional expression, self-efficacy, and coping with uncertainty. HaHaHelps grew out of my Laidlaw Leadership-in-Action project at SOS Children’s Villages in Cape Town, where I designed and facilitated an improv-comedy programme for adolescents. Since then, I have continued developing and delivering the programme with young people in residential care and am now studying how it can be refined, evaluated, and ultimately adapted for use in other communities and settings. Before this, my Laidlaw research at the University of Toronto examined relationships between childhood adversity, aggression, and self-regulation. I’d love to connect with other Laidlaw Scholars and alumni interested in youth mental health, social impact, intervention development, social entrepreneurship, or simply finding creative ways to turn research into something useful in the world.

Hi! My name is Yanna, and I’m a second-year Psychology student at Durham University. My research project (supervised by Professor Zanna Clay) explores how empathy emerges and matures in young children across cultures. I feel that today, empathy is more important than ever. In an increasingly digital world, social connections are changing and the erosion of deep passions, interests, and morals are leading to more individualistic societies. Understanding how empathy develops could help us to nurture its growth and contribute to more cohesive and compassionate communities. Additionally, I hope to highlight the importance of recognising both the similarities and differences in psychological development across cultures. By doing so, I aim to promote greater inclusivity within the scientific community and support the development of culturally sensitive approaches to research and practice.

Hi, I'm Jia En (Chloe), a first year Pscyhological and Behavioural Sciences in University of Cambridge.

Hello! My name is Lily and I am a 2nd year Psychology student at Trinity College Dublin, and a member of the Laidlaw Leadership and Research Scholars 2026 Cohort. I'm interested in all things early adversity; who experiences it, what it looks like, how it affects people and what can be done to help those who have lived through it. More specifically, my research project in Summer 1 will focus on Environmental Sensitivity theory in a cohort of Syrian refugee children in Jordan. My goal with this research is to identify whether interventions may uplift children who have experienced adversity, and actually help them to thrive above and beyond their peers! I am especially interested in connecting with anyone involved in research into early adversity, Environmental Sensitivity theory or any related topics. I would also love to explore volunteering opportunities in this space!

Hi, everyone! I'm a second-year student at MIT majoring in bioengineering and women/gender studies. I am a pre-med student, passionate about women's healthcare and accessibility. I am currently doing a research project on related to early endometriosis lesion formation at the Babraham Institute in Cambridge, UK. Outside of the lab, I love fashion (even though I mainly wear sweatpants) and literature. I've been really into beading and embroidery this summer, and am currently reading Women Who Run with the Wolves by Clarissa Pinkola Estés. I have loved getting to know the Laidlaw cohort at MIT and Cambridge University, so please reach out with any questions or to say hi!

Undergraduate Historian at the University of Cambridge. Keen interest in Social Justice, Democracy and Representation, Electoral Politics and Political Economy. Founder of Per Capita Media - Journalism, for all.

After a year of studying English Literature at the University of Cambridge, I have recently changed degree to History of Art. I undertook my LiA project at Cambridge Junction, a charity, social enterprise and leading cultural venue in Cambridge, UK.

Hi, my name is Carys and I am going into my second year studying Medicine at the University of Cambridge. My interests mainly lie in public health, preventive medicine and infectious diseases, however I find all aspects of clinical and community healthcare interesting. I am interested in potential research into antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and other pressing global issues, and seeing how we can ensure access to appropriate healthcare systemically by reducing inequalities. This summer I am completing my Leadership in Action project with the Red Hen Project in Cambridge - a charity dedicated to helping children and families facing hardship. The charity hopes to expand to a deprived region in Cambridge and I will be evaluating the current services available for children, and where the charity can create the most long standing impact. The project is focussed on preventative measures to ensure children can live happier and healthier lives by reducing barriers they may face. This project is solidifying my current hope to work in paediatrics or public health.

Hi, I'm Anushka, a third-year at Duke University studying chemistry, medical sociology, and global health. I'm passionate about leveraging scientific techniques in order to advance health equity, especially for rural and underserved populations. My Laidlaw research at the University of Leeds' Department for Nuclear and Chemical Engineering is about addressing the public health challenge of fluoride-contaminated drinking water in Tanzania by developing a novel, sustainable ion-exchange model to selectively remove fluoride from groundwater.

Rosalind Howell