Hi, I’m Florrie, an undergraduate Neuroscience student at the University of Leeds and a part of the 2025 Cohort of Laidlaw Scholars. I’m from a seaside town in Essex and my hobbies include playing volleyball, cooking and socialising with friends.  Academically I’m interested in biological research into disease prevention and management with my part-time job working in a pharmacy I see many different conditions and hand out many different medications daily - so I take great interest in understanding these drugs. This summer I will be pursuing this interest through research into cardiovascular disease.  I’m so excited to be a part of the Laidlaw community and would love to connect! My email is qmwv8834@leeds.ac.uk 

Hello! I’m Angela, a first-year Business Management student at the University of Leeds and part of the 2025 Laidlaw Scholar cohort. This summer, I’ll be researching the pre-defined project “The Past, Present and Future of Latin America and Leeds.” In my free time, I love reading, painting, and exploring poetry. I'm also an active person and enjoy sports such as cross-country running, swimming, and football. I'm currently learning French and love travelling as a way to explore different cultures. I'm always excited to learn, grow and connect with people from everywhere.  

Ciao! I'm Leonardo, a Laidlaw Scholar passionate about entrepreneurship, leadership, and creating meaningful change in this world. I come from Italy, and at 17, I took an uncomfortable step by moving alone to the UK to pursue my studies, determined to gain access to an English university, networks, and growth opportunities. My research title is: "Using Points of Interest Data to Understand Retail Change in Great Britain, 2015 – 2025", which deeply connects with my entrepreneurial objectives. Through Laidlaw, I'm excited to expand my leadership capabilities, refine essential entrepreneurial skills and find new people within this amazing network! I'm passionate about engaging with Laidlaw's diverse global community, exchanging perspectives, and fostering long-lasting connections. I look forward to contributing my experiences, collaborating with fellow scholars, and continuously growing as both a leader and an individual. Please feel free to connect; I’m genuinely excited to share ideas, collaborate, and explore innovative solutions together! Leonardo Linkedin  leonardogareri05@gmail.com

Hello! I'm Eleanor, currently an undergraduate student of French and German at the University of Leeds and a 2025 Laidlaw Scholar.  My research project focuses on 'Telling the stories of Colonial Populations in the French Resistance through podcasts'. This forms part of Professor Wardleworth's larger ongoing research project to identify members of the French Internal Resistance in WW2 who were from the French Empire, in an effort to diversify and decolonise knowledge about this period. I am fascinated by the global impact of colonialism and inter-colonial perspectives, and aim to work in the politicial field in the future. I am incredibly excited to bring my interests alive through this project. Outside of academia, I love to hike, travel and meet new people.  Feel free to get in touch!

Hi, my name is Matt and I am the Global Leadership Programmes Officer at the University of Leeds. I help to manage and run the Laidlaw programme at the university.

I am currently a undergraduate student at the University of Leeds pursuing a degree in International Business. With the Laidlaw Scholarship I have participated in two leadership development residentials with the Laidlaw team at Leeds along with my cohort. My research project was titled "Exploring the Most Efficient Mapping Techniques and Platform to Map Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)"  which was a insightful exploration of curriculum mapping and the possibilities for artificial intelligence to assist within the mapping process. My Leadership-in-Action was with make_sense americas & Rennueva taking place in Mexico City over 6-weeks, with a focus on climate impact. My team focused on implementing improvements to the companies website such as displaying the amount of carbon saved through the amount of plastic donated.

Hello!  I’m Xanthe Hudson, a Geography BA undergraduate at the University of Leeds and a 2025 Laidlaw Scholar. My academic interests focus on global geopolitics, climate change and the intersection of human and physical geography. This summer, my research project explores academic censorship and self-censorship across disciplines, examining how legal threats, intimidation and professional retaliation impact academic freedom. Through surveying researchers, I aim to identify vulnerable fields, underlying power dynamics and explore the wider implications for knowledge production in biodiversity conservation. Beyond academia, I’m driven by a strong curiosity about global issues and love to meet and learn from new people. During my time spent in rural Nepal, I supported initiatives addressing period poverty and improving education in communities still affected by the 2015 earthquakes. These experiences deepened my understanding of how grassroots education can help to drive sustainable change. Before university, I took a gap year, travelling to Morocco and Nepal and spending three months solo in Namibia, where I worked on a remote horse ranch and a cheetah conservation project. These experiences challenged me and have shaped my global perspective by exposing me to new cultures and narratives.   I am excited to be a part of the Laidlaw community and open to connecting with other scholars!

Hi, I’m Katie McGowan, a Psychology undergraduate at the University of Leeds and a 2025 Laidlaw Scholar. My academic interests centre around human behaviour, social influence, and cultural psychology. This summer, I’m researching how cultural background and perceived empathy in artificial intelligence influence consumer trust — a project that brings together my fascination with social psychology and cross-cultural dynamics. Outside of academia, I’m passionate about women’s rights, youth leadership, and community impact. I’ve volunteered with organisations including Let Me Know (LMK) and Jewish Women’s Aid (JWA), helping to raise awareness around healthy relationships and gender-based violence. I’m also a Holocaust Educational Ambassador, committed to promoting dialogue, reflection, and education around collective memory and human rights. I currently serve as a School Representative for Psychology, advocating for students and working with staff to ensure that student feedback leads to meaningful change. Leadership, empathy, and representation are values that guide everything I do. Outside of my academic and voluntary work, I love travel and adventure — I hold an Advanced Open Water Scuba Diving certification, and I’m always looking for new ways to explore both above and below the surface. I'm especially interested in how research and leadership can create real-world change, and I’m always open to connecting with others who share those goals.

Hello! I am Harry, a first-year student at the University of Leeds, UK. I am currently studying a joint-honours undergraduate degree in Law with Hispanic Law. For my first summer of research, I will be delving into a project titled 'Education for Sustainable Development: Scoping Animal Welfare Legislation and Policy across North Africa and the Gulf'. This project will aim to take a collaborative, cross-disciplinary approach as I research into complex problems that have both legal, ethical, and biological levels to it. I am looking forward to expanding my range of knowledge and my networking across studies. Originally from Sussex, I moved to Leeds for university, though have family in Liverpool for a set of familiar faces nearby. In my spare time, I enjoy listening to music, having played piano for nearly ten years. I particularly enjoy any pop music and anything by ABBA. I have struggled to continue playing whilst being at university, so if anyone has any tips then please get in touch, even if it is just your comfort piece to play! I also enjoy going out with my friends, long hikes in the countryside, and doing my best attempt at cooking. Academically, my love for law and politics began at A Level. My law teacher at sixth form was the key to purusing this as a career; I would not be here today if it weren't for the impact he had on my life. I have participated in subject activities, including the final of the senior mooting competition through my university's Law Society. Even though I didn't win, I enjoyed the chance to participate in competition against peers whilst being judged by solicitors at a law firm in London. I am hoping the coming years of university bring similar chances. I am looking forward to seeing the opportunities and chances the Laidlaw Scholarship affords me. If anyone would like to stay in touch and discuss experiences of university, the Scholarship, or anything in between, feel free to email me at lnsz4031@leeds.ac.uk.

Hi! I'm passionate about using the elegant and sometimes insane theories in physics and using them to contribute to healthcare. Currently I'm looking at a career treating cancer by using targeted ionizing radiation to skilfully shrink tumours. I'm fascinated at how physics can be used to harness the beautiful complexity of nature to transform lives. I sincerely hope I have a long career of contributing to this effort in any way I can, from being a clinical scientist to conducting own my research to helping other researchers receive patents for their work. The title of my Laidlaw research project is 'Evaluating Current Methods for Enhancing Clinical Computer Tomography Imaging Using Contrast Agents'. This beautifully ties my expertise with improving patient outcomes and innovation within healthcare. Another aspect of my journey so far has been navigating pursuing higher education in physics as a Muslim woman. Although challenging at times, I've learnt of ways to overcome my fear of failure and imposter syndrome, and I would love to help others to do the same. Whether I create a small group or kickstart a network, I'm not too sure, but if you've ever been in the same position please reach out! Who knows where it could lead us and who else we could help :) As for my hobbies and interests, that list is extensive and everchanging, but my current fixation is gardening. Nothing can quite describe the joy you feel after seeing a tiny dot you nurtured for 3 months turn into prolific blooms. If anyone would like to collaborate or just say hi then please do! 

Hi! I’m Katya, a third-year English and French student at the University of Leeds and part of the 2025/26 Laidlaw Scholar cohort, currently completing a year abroad at the University of Montreal.   My research project topic this summer was titled ‘Distinctiveness in the Poetry Activity of the Leeds City Region’. I worked in partnership with the National Poetry Centre to conduct interviews with key stakeholders in the poetry scene, which allowed me to draw conclusions about the levels of connectivity and accessibility of poetry in Leeds. I’m originally from Russia but moved to Slovenia for political reasons when I was 15 and then to the UK at 19, so I’ve had a fair share of adapting to new places. Moving countries meant leaving behind everything I knew, including eight years of acrobatic gymnastics, but it also helped me become more open to change. Currently on a year abroad in Canada, I see each new chapter as a chance to grow, connect, and tell meaningful stories. Outside of uni, you’ll probably find me at the gym (a post-acrobatics obsession), with my nose in a book, or planning my next trip—I’ve been to 34 countries so far and don’t plan on slowing down!