Directory

I began my undergraduate degree at Brigham Young University in Utah as a Conservation Biology major with the goal of intimately understanding the natural world and contributing to its protection in the face of rapid environmental change. As I delved into research topics such as plant community shifts with climate change, I learned how crucial computational tools and approaches are in addressing the complexity of global change, and as result, added a Bioinformatics major. At the same time, doing field work in the deserts and mountains of the American West reaffirmed to me the importance of close contact with the ecosystems we seek to understand in order to better protect and manage them. As a Plant Sciences PhD candidate at Cambridge, I plan to leverage both computer modeling and empirical field approaches to predicting the biogeography and resilience of alpine plants in the face of climate change. My research aims to inform both eco-evolutionary theory and conservation efforts for sensitive alpine systems. I care deeply about cultivating our human relationship with nature, making it one of my goals as a scientist and a citizen to help engage others in conservation through outreach and education. I am thrilled to join and learn from the vibrant, interdisciplinary Gates Cambridge community as we do our part to address complex global issues.

Previous Education

Brigham Young University Utah

Pursuing an MPhil in Medical Sciences (Oncology) at Cambridge will provide me with enormous academic, cultural, and personal opportunities. I will be studying in the laboratory of Dr Doug Winton, who investigates the connection between stem cell development and carcinogenesis. After completing my term I plan to pursue an MD/PhD degree with an emphasis on the interaction between cancer and the immune system.

I completed my undergraduate degree in Global Health and English Literature at Arizona State University. I then spent two years as a Post-Bachelor Fellow at the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington. At IHME, I worked primarily on two projects: the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study and Medtronic Philanthropy’s HealthRise Project. Through this work, I grew to understand the power of quantitative methodology to answer global health’s most pressing questions. Following my MPhil in Epidemiology at Cambridge, I moved to Oxford for a DPhil in Population Health with the support of a Nuffield Department of Population Health Scholarship. My DPhil research examined lifestyle risk factors (such as smoking and drinking) and premature mortality in Mexico, Cuba, and the United States.

I am now Principal Scientist, Cancer Disparities Research at the American Cancer Society. The aim of this research is to highlight opportunities to improve cancer prevention and control, particularly among groups that are falling behind. Everyone deserves to live a long, healthy, cancer-free life.

Previous Education

Arizona State University

I am a current MD/PhD student split between the University of Colorado-School of Medicine and the University of Cambridge. As an applied mathematician/software engineer turned future physician, I am excited to apply my computational and mathematical background to help in the discovery of mechanisms behind inflammatory diseases of the gut.In my PhD portion of my training in Biotechnology and Mathematics/Statistics where I work with Dr. Roisin Owens and Dr. Sergio Bacallado on developing a mathematical/statistical tools for validating bioelectronic models of the gut. Previously, I worked as a Software Engineer at Uber in San Francisco for 3 years. I have my MPhil at Cambridge working at the Sanger Institute. I completed my BS in Applied Mathematics at University of Colorado-Boulder, where I am originally from.

Previous Education

University of Colorado at Denver Medicine 2026
University of Cambridge Biological Sciences 2018
University of Colorado at Boulder Applied Mathematics 2013

Links

https://www.linkedin.com/in/kumarthurimella
http://kumarthurimella.com

I have been working internationally with historic objects and cultural heritage for more than 20 years. Following my PhD in History of Science at Cambridge I held positions at the Chemical Heritage Foundation (now Science History Institute) in Philadelphia, PA; worked on the digital edition of Bess of Hardwick's correspondence at the University of Glasgow; and researched scientific manuscripts and introduced medical students to the history of their discipline at the Medical University of Vienna.

In 2013-14 I was the Munby Fellow in Bibliography at Cambridge University Library, and then launched a career as an antiquarian book specialist at one of the oldest antiquarian booksellers in London, Bernard Quaritch Ltd. Since 2018 I have been the co-founder and -owner of Type & Forme Rare Books & Manuscripts in Isaac Newton's hometown, Grantham.

I serve on the Council of the Bibliographical Society (UK) and am also a judge for the Rose Book Collecting Prize (Cambridge University) and the David Murray book collecting prize (Glasgow University). Alongside my work with institutions and collectors I also write on book history and related subject.

IN THE MEDIA

Darwin Notebooks returned:
https://www.typeandforme.com/index.php/2022/04/11/charles-darwins-notebooks/

(see also my interview with the University Librarian Dr Jessica Gardner and the Director of the Darwin Correspondence Project Prof. Jim Secord in Fine Books & Collections: https://www.finebooksmagazine.com/issue/darwin-notebooks-and-letters-reunited-anniversary-year)

Why Rare Books Matter to a Younger Generation: https://ilab.org/article/new-to-ilab-speaking-to-anke-timmermann-of-type-forme-and-why-rare-books-matter-to-a-younger-generation

Gates Cambridge mentorship programme:
https://www.gatescambridge.org/about/news/gates-cambridge-mentors-forging-bonds-and-giving-back/

Previous Education

Trinity College Dublin
Heidelberg University
University of Glasgow

Links

https://www.typeandforme.com
https://www.facebook.com/TypeAndForme

Evolutionary science and medicine are becoming increasingly intertwined. Human bodies are not merely a product of our current biology, but also of deep evolutionary history that informs an understanding not only of how they work but why they developed this way. My main interests lie in the evolution of bipedal locomotion and how this relates to the modern human body. At Cambridge, I undertook an M.Phil. in Human Evolutionary Studies within the Division of Biological Anthropology examining evolutionary relationships between bipedality, energetics, encephalization, and cephalopelvic disproportion with the hope of applying the research to the pressing global health issue of maternal morbidity and mortality. I am also very interested in pediatrics and ontogeny, particularly in order to understand how to harness a child's natural growth patterns to treat or prevent skeletal disorders.

Understanding the deep foundations of our universe has excited me since before I can remember, and as I grew and developed, so did my affinity for science. Physics in particular has and continues to captivate me as it tackles the most fundamental principles governing the natural world. Bridging the antipodean gap from New Zealand to study for a PhD in physics at Cambridge is a childhood dream come true.My project will use state-of-the-art photonics to observe interactions between metals and molecules in real-time, giving unprecedented insights into catalysis and other essential reactions on which our world depends. Expanding our understanding in these areas can open new avenues toward improving energy efficiency and minimising waste in ubiquitous industrial processes. I hope to use the gifts granted to me to meaningfully contribute to this field.I am especially excited to live and work at the centre of a multidisciplinary intellectual and cultural hub. Grappling with critical contemporary issues requires more than just advances in physics or engineering, but the best ideas from all disciplines. As a Gates Scholar, I get to be a part of a diverse community in which this collaboration can happen, and I could not be more thrilled.

As far back as I can remember, I have been captivated by poetry. As a child, I was enthralled by its otherworldly images and charming prosody. This passion, which is the ultimate definition of freedom for me, has been with me ever since. I was born and raised in Kyiv where I studied international law at Kyiv Institute of International Relations. Studying and practising law proved to be a unique experience that has significantly broadened my intellectual horizons, enabled me to develop my reasoning skills and made me aware of the possibility to directly improve the lives of others. Having gained this invaluable experience, I made up my mind to pursue my innermost passion for poetry and, more broadly, for culture and its potential to change society in the long run. The Revolution of Dignity has further ignited my determination to work on Ukrainian literature and culture. For my MPhil in European Literature and Culture at Cambridge, I have been working on twentieth century Ukrainian poetry. I am truly honoured to continue my research at Cambridge as a PhD student under the supervision of Dr Rory Finnin. In my PhD dissertation, I intend to explore the questions of selfhood and nationhood in the works of Ukrainian modernist authors, and Vasyl Stus, whose exceptional poetical self-introspection has been largely undiscovered. I also believe that my research will offer important insight into European literary Modernism, and the exploration of subjectivity and the new poetic language in twentieth century poetry.

Previous Education

National Taras Shevchenko University of Kyiv
University of Cambridge

I grew up in Bila Tserkva, Ukraine and at the age of 15, I was one of three students from the country to win a full scholarship to study A-level studies in the UK (HMC Projects 2017-2019).With an interest in molecular medicine, I decided to pursue BSc Biochemistry at the University of Bristol, where I was ranked as the best student (n>120) for three consecutive years.For my masters, I explored the intersection between genetics and data science at the University of Oxford where I was awarded a full-ride academic scholarship (Clarendon Scholarship). Throughout my studies, I developed a keen interest in biotechnology and enterprise..Nevertheless, as much as I am passionate about biotechnology, what I ultimately care about the most is people. After Russia invaded Ukraine, I have been leading various large-scale fundraising events and educational projects to support Ukraine.At Oxford, I became the Vice-President of the Ukrainian Society and together with friends raised over £150,000. My ultimate goal is to contribute to the reconstruction of Ukraine by developing a strong biotech community there. In the future, I hope to establish incubators for rising start-ups and inspire the next generation of young scientists.

Previous Education

University of Oxford Genomic Medicine 2023
University of Bristol Biochemistry 2022

For my doctoral research, I am studying industrial upgrading that makes it possible for developing countries to create and capture higher value added in agro-commodity global value chains (GVCs), based on a case study on the Malaysian palm oil industry. The research is important for developing countries because most of their populations live in rural areas and rely on agriculture for livelihood, and because two-thirds of these countries have commodity export revenues contributing to more than 60% of their total goods exports earnings. I was the Research Manager at the Hong Kong-based Fung Global Institute (now Asia Global Institute at the University of Hong Kong), where I managed operations of the research department and oversaw production of research outputs. I previously worked as the Research Team Leader at the National Economic Advisory Council at the Prime Minister’s Office of Malaysia, where I led research support to the Council and co-authored the key reports outlining strategies and policies for achieving the national goals of high income, inclusiveness and sustainability by 2020. I have extensive experience of providing independent consulting to industry and government projects in over 5 countries since 2010. My current research interests are GVCs, agro-industrialisation, industrial upgrading, industrial and trade policy and emerging multinational corporations, with a regional focus on East Asia.

Previous Education

Universiti Sains Malaysia
University College London

Applications of control theory to economics.

I have always been interested in how peoples/nations struggle to determine their own political status, including constitutional and governance configurations, through the mechanism of self-determination. My research at Cambridge focused on the evolution of self-determination, its political, philosophical and cultural tensions, and how struggles negotiate constraint and mobilise activism - all towards describing an ethics of self-determination. The model was then applied to the case of Palestine.

As a Gates Cambridge scholar I hope to make a difference in the lives of children and adolescents who have experienced early-life adversity. At the age of 16, I moved from a small town in Georgia to New York City. Living in New York opened my eyes to the diversity of human experience and made me realise that I could make a meaningful difference through education, commitment, and collaboration. Later, while studying at Columbia University, I became fascinated by the science of psychology. I began working with children and adolescents exposed to trauma, which sparked my passion for understanding the ways in which adversity in early life affects mental health outcomes. In my doctoral research at Cambridge, I aim to investigate the mechanisms by which adolescents learn from their environment, and how early life stress affects the development of these mechanisms. In addition, I am interested in how individual differences in these learning mechanisms relate to mental health across the lifespan. By better understanding how adolescents learn, we will be better able to develop interventions to improve the education and mental health of adolescents and children around the world.

Previous Education

University of California Los Angeles Social Science 2019
Columbia University Psychology 2018

I am studying chemistry because I want to do research and discover new things to improve the lives of the community. My ambition is to lead a University research group. Pursuing a PhD course in Cambridge means working in an environment of excellence and allows me to do research in an international and interdisciplinary team. Being a Gates Scholar helps me to meet people from around the world with different academic specialisations and will therefore broaden my horizons beyond my own field.