As a Tufts Laidlaw Scholar, I researched arts education access for autistic students and later supported Youth Work Ireland's 2022 Pride initiatives for my Leadership In Action project. These experiences were foundational to my Master's thesis research and have shaped the early stages of my career, as I pursue my long term goal of becoming a clinical psychologist supporting neurodivergent youth.
Hi! My name is Andra, and I am a graduate of the Laidlaw Scholars program in the 2021 cohort. I am currently working in clinical psychology research, which I also pursued during my time as a Scholar. For my first summer, I completed my research on a project studying racial discrimination as a traumatic stressor, and my second summer, I traveled to Dublin, Ireland to work with Youth Work Ireland on Dublin Pride arts programming. Happy to connect with current and past scholars :)
Hello fellow scholars! My name is Irene Pantekidis and I am a sophomore at Tufts University. I am looking forward to completing my research this summer which is focused on an antibody treatment for a rare genetic bone disease in zebrafish. I am also excited to meet many of you! In my free time, I enjoy singing and swimming, and I am also passionate about volunteering at Boston Children's Hospital!
My name is Jackson Lubke, and I am a sophomore at Tufts studying economics and math. My research is centered on wealth economics and equity. I am very excited to get to know other Laidlaw scholars!
Hello! My name is Morgane Dackiw, I am a senior at Tufts University studying Biology from Montreal, Canada. I am super excited and honored to be a part of this Scholars program and this fantastic cohort! The research that I worked on with Laidlaw was on Primate Conservation and more specifically on extinction risk. I currently am doing my Senior Honors Thesis on Chimpanzee Ecology.
Hello all! My name is Shubhecchha Dhaurali (pronounced Sue-betcha Dur-all-e). I am a first-generation student originally from Nepal double-majoring in Community Health and Biology at Tufts University. My research is housed in the Tufts University School of Medicine with Dr. Ndidiamaka Amutah-Onukagha who is an Associate Professor and Assistant Dean of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at the Medical School's Department of Community Health & Medicine.
Hi there! I am studying the Bachelor of Science in both Molecular Biology & Biotechnology and Food & Nutritional Science. Doing and learning from research are of interest to me for better understanding of the world and unprecedented benefits to humanity of all kinds. Feel free to exchange knowledge and ideas with me!
I was a member of the Tufts undergraduate research and leadership program in the cohort of 2021-2023. I studied biochemistry and worked in the Kumar lab, investigating novel antibiotics for Tuberculosis.
After graduation, I came to the National Institutes of Health as a postbaccalaureate fellow, where I studied cell biology in the Lyme disease pathogen Borrelia burgdorferi.
Currently, I am a PhD student at Harvard Medical School, in the Biological and Biomedical Sciences program, within the Graduate Program in Bacteriology. I am interested in molecular microbiology and bacterial pathogenesis, and I aim to pursue a career in academia after my graduate studies.
Hello everyone, my name is Cesar Urzua and I am a current sophomore at Tufts University studying Biology and Child Study and Human Development. I am very excited to be a part of the Laidlaw Scholars Program and hope to be able to talk with so many other scholars soon. For my research, I will be focusing on brain response when presented to adverse childhood experiences, and how to possibly develop optimal strategies to combat chronic neural perturbations following these adverse childhood experiences.
Hey! I am a senior at Tufts University majoring in Biochemistry. I am beyond excited to complete my research project this summer at the Molecular Cardiology Research Institute at Tufts Medical Center, where I will be studying the impact of autophagy regulating miRNAs in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a cardiovascular disease.
Mindy Duggan
Youth Transition Services Facilitator at Boston Center for Independent Living, Tufts University
Hi fellow scholars! My name is Mindy Duggan and I am recent Tufts alum. My Laidlaw research was on autism representation in the hit television show The Good Doctor. During my free time, I love to volunteer with kids— especially children with disabilities. I also love escaping to nature, camping, and trying hole-in-the-wall food places :) Feel free to reach out if you ever want to connect!