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What processes were involved in the evolution of the modern human brain and cognition? How can we study such processes? The material culture studied by archaeologists to understand the cognition and mind of early humans are the art objects left by people of early cultures. Some of the earliest examples of art belong to the European Upper Palaeolithic- a culture spanning between 30,000 to 10,000 years. The human subject in this art has been a controversial topic due to its supposed poor quality of execution and has led to numerous debates about the dichotomy observed in the graphical depiction of animal vs. human subject. Human figure is one of the fundamental subjects in modern society as it is one of the first figures drawn by children. Therefore what can we learn about the perceptual processes of the Palaeolithic people with regards to the human form. Was this schemata stable for the entire Upper Palaeolithic as proposed for the animal figure or did it change from phase to another?

I currently work in the Government & Health Industries practice at Strategy&, where I focus on international development projects.

My PhD research was concerned with the role of health workers, as street-level bureaucrats, in the day-to-day delivery of the Community-Based Health Insurance Scheme in Ethiopia, and how implementation can often diverge from programme design. This study contributes to understandings about how individuals navigate health insurance programmes, how front-line stakeholders interpret policy directives, and how authorities respond to emerging and shifting implementation challenges.

Previous Education

University of Newcastle Upon Tyne
University of Cambridge

Links

https://www.linkedin.com/in/momodou-jack-phd-34451588

While an undergraduate at the University of California, Irvine I have become fascinated with understanding the relationship between human health and disease, both at the population and molecular levels. As we arrive at the precipice of breakthroughs that will revolutionize how we mobilize the forces necessary to fight disease, I want to advance that process, actively aiming to not just treat cancer but also to understand it. I plan to combine my interest in cancer and the immune system to increase knowledge of how immunotherapies leverage the body’s natural defense mechanism and spur the development of personalized combination treatments. Perhaps the most striking place to make these discoveries is at the University of Cambridge working with Dr. Klaus Okkenhaug, where I will pursue an M. Phil in Biological Sciences. This opportunity builds upon my previous experiences working in the PI3K/mTOR field toward a deeper analysis of the molecular mechanisms that promote the formation of diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL). I hope my research will lead to a greater understanding of the mechanisms that influence the development of cancer and elucidate possible targeted therapeutics to combat the disease. As a future physician-scientist, I’m honored to join the diverse Gates Cambridge community and to work together towards improving the lives of others.

Previous Education

Saddleback College
University of California Irvine

I recently graduated from the University of Virginia with concentrations in physics and computational materials science. At Cambridge I will be applying computational methods to the study of molecular recognition and multicomponent mixtures in Professor Daan Frenkel's theoretical chemistry group.

Although born in India, I spent most of my life in Bahrain and Dubai. This made me aware of the inequalities between oil-rich regions like the Middle East and resource-constrained developing nations, in energy security and access to clean technologies. Thus, I developed a passion for energy and environmental sustainability. I knew that I would need a diverse skill set to tackle such complex, multifaceted issues. This is why as an undergraduate at UC Berkeley, I studied both Mechanical Engineering and Economics with a minor in Electrical Engineering & Computer Sciences. By engaging in activities ranging from honors research to environmental consulting, I gained exposure and worked on technologies including (1) Organic solar cells (2) Low-cost home energy monitors for smart, efficient grids and (3) Novel energy storage solutions such as printed batteries and high-capacity Lithium-ion cells. During my MPhil in Energy Technologies at Cambridge, I hope to gain more in-depth technical insight into various energy systems and strategies to combat climate change, spanning everything from carbon capture and abatement to renewable power generation. As part of my thesis, I also plan to specifically research how optimization principles and control theory may be applied to energy harvesting, storage, and distribution. I am honored to be a Gates-Cambridge scholar and grateful for this opportunity to contribute towards more efficient, affordable and globally accessible sustainable energy sources.

Previous Education

University of California, Berkeley

Links

https://www.facebook.com/vineetjnair9
https://www.linkedin.com/in/nairvineet9

What differentiates the truly great people from the rest? I believe it is standing tall in the face of adversity. Growing up in one of the biggest cities (Chennai) in India, I saw the struggle my parents faced to provide a quality education to me. Despite never having been to a university, they strived hard to provide for my university education. To say it in the words of my mom "As humans we don't live forever, why don't we make something that lasts forever". This is my motivation for research. My quest took me from India to the Netherlands and then to UK. Here at Cambridge, I would be working on the entanglement between consciousness and attention. I aim to create a cognitive neuroscience inspired model on the deficits of attention during transitions of consciousness. Further to apply them in patients with attentional deficits like Stroke to predict their recovery prognosis. During my PhD, I would like to combine my expertise in clinical (Maastricht University), cognitive (Radboud University Nijmegen) neuroscience along with my knowledge in mathematical methods (University of Oxford) to provide a holistic approach to the problem in question. I'm truly humbled at this award and would like to thank my friends, family and my teachers for supporting me through thick and thin. I look forward to join the vibrant Gates Cambridge community and contribute my part to this noble cause.

Previous Education

Radboud University Nijmegen
Technical University of Eindhoven

I first developed a passion for the study of human origins and genetics in high school in Westchester County, NY. I received a BA in Evolutionary Biology of the Human Species at Columbia University and at Cambridge will be pursuing an MPhil working in Dr. Toomas Kivisild’s laboratory. For my MPhil project, I will be using bioinformatics to search identify gene variants that may have entered the human population from interbreeding with archaic hominin species, such as Neanderthals and Denisovans. Specifically, I am looking for such variants that may have conferred adaptive advantages in particular environments and were thus selected for in some populations. In addition to my passion for this research, I have also always advocated for social and political engagement and hope to continue do so at Cambridge and in the future.

Originally from Bangladesh, I graduated from the University of Sydney with a double degree in Science/Arts, reading Chemistry, Government and International relations, and Political Economy. During my Honours year, I examined the extent to which microfinance (small loans) empower women to achieve development outcomes. My degree in Cambridge was an interdisciplinary professional training and research combination course in development and economic policy. At present, I am pursuing PhD at LSE under the supervision of Professor Naila Kabeer. My primary research interest is in gender policies and economic development.

I studied Philosophy and Theology at the University of Edinburgh before coming to Cambridge to take the MPhil in Theology, Religion, and Philosophy of Religion at Clare College. My PhD research investigates Karl Barth’s engagement with Ludwig Feuerbach’s atheist theory of religion. I am also currently studying Anselm of Canterbury's 'ontological argument'.

I plan to specialize in the field of politics and public policies in education, with an emphasis on decentralization, participatory school management and school autonomy policies. I am specifically interested in analysing the multiple ways of civic engagement in local public affairs promoted by such policies. I expect to develop a relationship between academic research and policy making and get involved in high decision making processes in order to strengthen local democratic institutions.

I grew up in Austria, where the formal educational attainment of an individual strongly depends on their parents' education and profession. Education at all levels is not as accessible as it could and should be, and this is most harmful to the most marginalized members of our society. As a German as a second language teacher working with refugees, I have come to understand that accessibility barriers can take many forms, and that what are seemingly traits of individual learners (such as motivation) should be re-examined and understood as systemic accessibility issues.My PhD project will combine gender studies with educational research and social work practice to better understand male refugees' conceptualizations of their plural identities and their language learning motivation. I hope that my findings will contribute to making second language education more accessible and inclusive, and I am honored to be able to carry out this research as a member of the Gates Cambridge community.

Growing up in small-town Germany I developed an interest in foreign languages because I associated with them cultures and places that lay beyond my reach, and which therefore seemed exotic and fascinating. I went on to study general linguistics at the University of Düsseldorf, where I first came into contact with Old English, the language of medieval England before and for some time after the Norman Conquest of 1066. As a consequence of this military and political event, French became an important language in England, replacing Old English - itself the language of previous migrants from the Continent - in some contexts and interacting with it in a way that changed both the French (dialects) of the invaders and the English (dialects) of the conquered. My PhD research is concerned with these linguistic influences, in particular with regard to the orthography and pronunciation of English.

Having been a tutor and student representative at my previous university, I am also passionate about widening access to education and fostering community among students.

Previous Education

Heinrich Heine University Dusseldorf Linguistics 2022
Heinrich Heine University Dusseldorf Linguistics 2019

In undergraduate, I was profiled by CNN; this interview gave me the courage to speak with conviction about my identity and how it relates to my work. I am a foster youth. I am a black woman. I am first-generation. I come to Cambridge not only as an educator but as an activist focused on improving life outcomes for marginalized youth. In New Orleans, LA, I had the privilege to teach. I learned that leading requires learning from those whom you lead. My principal, my students and the community I served, all shaped my perception of education. Together, we developed academic curriculums that reflected student culture, interests and identity. Furthermore, we created an incredible approach to student leadership development. As a result, I won Sue Lehmann, a national teaching award. After leaving the classroom, I moved into teacher leadership development. Through Teach For America, I had the privilege to partner with and manage almost 60 educators. At Cambridge, I will explore research-based methods to democratize education. I believe that schools that function more democratically are better apt to meet the needs and desires of marginalized youth. Such democracy could further translate into improved student behavior, socio-emotional development, and academic outcomes. Words cannot explain how honored I am to join the Gates Cambridge community of passionate learners and ethical leaders.

Previous Education

The University of Alabama

I grew up in Lagos, Nigeria and completed my B.Sc. in Biochemistry at Covenant University, Nigeria. My research interest is in the mechanisms that control body weight and how they can be exploited to improve obesity outcomes. Metabolic diseases, like obesity and diabetes, are a significant health challenge affecting millions of people globally. During my undergraduate study, I developed a keen interest in the interplay of biological processes and lifestyle in the pathophysiology of metabolic diseases. Moreover, growing up in Africa where the rates are alarmingly rising with sub-minimal health research output and public policy efforts strengthened my resolve to address these challenges. At Cambridge, I will study the mechanisms by which gut hormones control body weight and blood sugar levels aiming to develop treatments that modulate gut hormone signaling. This fascinates me because these strategies present the most promising therapeutic avenue to combat the obesity epidemic. I hope to contribute to the development of biomedical infrastructure that can alleviate the burden of metabolic diseases in Africa. I am honoured to be part of the Gates Cambridge community and hope to leverage the platform to pursue my goals and impact lives.

Previous Education

Covenant University Biochemistry 2020