Hello! I'm Yoshino, a third-year student majoring in International Relations and Spanish. I love learning languages, travelling and meeting new people :)

Hi, I'm Ele, a University of St Andrews Scholar. Primarily, my studies are in psychology but I am undertaking research in biochemistry and biophotonics. The aim of my project is to understand the effect of alpha-synuclein aggregates on astrocyte Calcium signaling in neurodegeneration (more precisely Parkinson's disease). This research has not been conducted before and the aim is to understand astrocytic calcium waves with the hopes of finding an aid to therapeutic targets for Parkinson's. My future research and ambitious lie in clinical and forensic psychology as well as gender psychology. I am also a mental health advocate and I am extremely passionate about raising awareness about mental illness.  Outside of my academic pursuits I enjoy music (especially drums), writing, any and all forms of art, being with my family and friends. and most of all traveling. I am also a die hard football fan and avid watcher.  I also love most things to do with Spanish and Latin American cultures as I am from Madrid myself. If you would like to chat about practically anything, I would be very excited if you sent me a message! I would love to connect and understand your project and personal interests! Have a great day!

Hi there! My name is Finn Smyth and I am a final year student in Modern History at the University of St Andrews. For the Laidlaw programme my research focused on how Left political organisations across Scotland have performed, organizationally and ideologically, since devolution. I am also interested in modern political economy, and the emergence of modern political communications strategies and how they have been used in political campaigns since the 1980s.  My dissertation this year focuses on the modernisation of the Labour Party in the 1980s, and among recent projects I have been awarded grant funding to research the rise of populism in Europe alongside colleagues at Charles University, Prague.  

Hello! I'm Noura, a University of St Andrews student heading into third year. I study International Relations and Modern History, and I particularly am interested in migrant rights and decolonial histories. My project aims to examine the experiences of children in the trans-Atlantic slave trade, pinpointing the uniqueness of those experiences and utilizing both data and autobiographies of enslaved people in order to come to new conclusions regarding our understandings of the slave trade.  Outside of my studies and project I love the outdoors, baking/cooking for my friends, art in all forms, and cultural exploration!  If you want to chat send me a message! I would love to connect with you about your project or interests, or if you have any knowledge that could contribute to my work!

Hello! I'm Heather, a third year student at the University of St. Andrews studying marine biology. As you might imagine, I am interested in almost all topics sea-related and have been enjoying spending my summer researching marine-mammal tracking technology in southern Iceland. The aim of my research has been to quantify the performance of certain aspects of this technology for the first time, the results of which will be used to inform design and procedure of future projects.

I am currently at the University of St Andrews studying towards a Bachelor of Science with Honours in Neuroscience. I am committed to increasing my knowledge of the brain and its function, with a particular interest in neurodegenerative disease research. As such, my Laidlaw research project will explore the potential of neurochondrin as a therapeutic target for Spinal Muscular Atrophy and other Motor Neurone Diseases.

Hello! I'm Ami, a fourth year English and Art History student from Upstate New York. My research interests include contemporary British and American drama, creative writing, Anglo Saxon, Older Scots, medieval folklore, Renaissance painting and the Dutch Golden Age. For my research project, I examined uses of anthropomorphism, or nonhuman voices, in Old and Middle English dream poetry. In my Leadership in Action project, I am now a Summer Teaching Fellow at the Los Angeles chapter of the nonprofit organization 826, which provides free writing workshops, tutoring and other educational opportunities for kids ages 6-18 around the US. I am assisting with teaching the 2024 Summer Writer's Workshops, as well as working individually with students on their creative writing pursuits.

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! 

I am a fourth-year English and Modern History student at the University of St Andrews. My research looked at the intersection of gender history and transnational history by examining women's involvement in the Esperanto movement in Scotland and the Midlands, and my leadership-in-action was the Think Pacific Health Promotion project. I'm interested in all things art, history, literature, and social change! 

I am a former Laidlaw Scholar (University of St Andrews, 2021 cohort) with a background in Philosophy and Mathematics. My research project focused on the Philosophy of Space Exploration and Exoplanet Science, and for my LiA project, I worked together with Think Pacific on a Youth and Development project in Fiji.  After my undergraduate studies, I went on to do a master’s degree in History and Philosophy of Science at Cambridge (yet another Laidlaw partner university!), building on my previous Laidlaw research.