Directory

After finishing with a Bsc in Mathematics from Imperial College London, I came to Cambridge to pursue further studies on Mathematics and especially Statistics. Thus, I first completed the MAST in Pure Mathematics where though I solely selected Statistics modules and I am now continuing with a PhD in Biostatistics. The project I will focus on deals with the assessment of the impact of learning curves, multiple operators and non-proportion hazards in clinical trials of surgical procedures and devices. Possible career paths I am considering after the PhD are doing research for my country’s ministry of health or for the first medical school that is about to open in Cyprus.

My research is highly multidisciplinary and uses ideas from mathematics and control engineering to obtain a sharper and more rigorous understanding of biological processes. In particular, I have applied stochastic, information, queueing, estimation and control theory to uncover new insights into molecular biology, epidemiology and invertebrate neuroscience. My current work looks at developing new models for epidemic transmission and control, which favourable trade complexity with reliability.

My studies will focus on promoting economic growth and improving health care systems in developing countries. I view the need to provide opportunity by removing the crippling effects of poverty and health as an urgent obligation of society. After my studies at Cambridge, I will return to the University of Miami to complete my degree in medicine. I hope that this academic combination will allow me to fulfill my aspirations as a future leader in international health and development policy.

I grew up in Rockville, MD USA, and attended Johns Hopkins University where I double majored (Bachelor of Science) in Biomedical Engineering and Applied Mathematics and Statistics. I then completed my Master of Science in Engineering in Biomedical Engineering at Johns Hopkins University with a concentration in biomedical data science. During my time at JHU, I realized that the information age we live in allows for data-driven innovation. After graduating from JHU, I began working as an associate computational biologist at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard. During my time at the Broad, I gained a lot of experience working with omics data to derive biological insight.

During my PhD in Biostatistics, I will formalize high-dimensional causal discovery and inference, leveraging machine learning techniques such as Differentiable Causal Discovery and graph neural networks. I will apply these methods to biological datasets for an improved understanding of gene regulatory networks and personalized medicine, addressing the gaps in current statistical methods used in research. This research is important as it will refocus data analysis on what researchers are primarily interested in, causal relationships.

Previous Education

Johns Hopkins University Applied Maths and Statistics 2022
Johns Hopkins University Biomedical Engineering 2022

I am an engineer fascinated by stem cell biology, aiming to address the challenges in healthcare through innovation and entrepreneurship. Studying Chemical and Biological Engineering at MIT, with a minor in Biology and Music, I found my passion for translational research while working in interdisciplinary labs. At Langer Lab, I helped develop an ultrasound-mediated colonic drug delivery device that became the platform technology for Suono Bio, a Boston-based biotech start-up. With keen interests in education and entrepreneurship, I cofounded Kepler Tech Lab in Rwanda, with the mission to develop and test an affordable, hands-on, and locally-relevant engineering teaching laboratory model with an associated teacher training programme. Since graduation, I have been working as a healthcare consultant to help generate and deliver strategic recommendations for top 20 global biopharmaceutical companies. My excitement for biology and engineering brings me back to research, and at Cambridge I plan to develop a biomimetic, 3D printable scaffold for development of lung stem cell-derived artificial trachea and organoids. The successful development of artificial trachea using the synthetic scaffold and patient stem cells may transform the treatment of tracheal injuries and diseases, significantly improving the survival and post treatment quality of life for millions of patients.

Previous Education

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)

During my undergraduate studies in biomedical sciences at University College London, I was first introduced to the brain’s immune cell, microglia, where I learnt about the multifaceted nature of these cells in the physiological and pathological condition. Fascinated by the interactions that occur between the brain and the immune system, I went onto researching into the role of peripheral B lymphocytes in Parkinson’s disease for my master’s project at Cambridge university. Since graduating, I have worked as a business development manager at a neuroscience-focused biotech company, working with leading CNS pharmaceutical and biotech companies. This has allowed me to appreciate the enormous gaps that exist in our knowledge in neurodegenerative diseases and has, in turn, brought me back into research. Coming back to the academia and specifically Cambridge university as a PhD student, I plan to research into the relationship between mitochondrial dysfunction and inflammation to understand disease mechanisms underlying Parkinson’s disease. It is a great honour to be able to join the Gates Cambridge community, which I believe will enormously enhance both my PhD and Cambridge experience.

Previous Education

University of Cambridge Translational Biomed Research 2019
University College London Biomedical Science 2018

From a young age, my mother taught me the importance of exercising the right to vote. Years later, as a volunteer on Barack Obama's 2008 campaign, I saw the challenges of voting firsthand: confusing registration forms, long lines, and malfunctioning voting machines, among others. I studied election reform efforts as a Political Science major at Stanford University and continued to focus on issues of civic engagement and political participation through positions at The White House Office of Public Engagement and on the 2012 Obama campaign. I completed an MPhil in Public Policy at Cambridge as a 2014 Gates Scholar, which deepened my understanding of policymaking and allowed me to explore the intersection of government, technology and public policy. I am currently drawing on these skills in my new role at the American Civil Liberties Union, and I will be continuing my education later this year as I enroll at Yale Law School.

I have always been fascinated by the dynamics of infectious diseases, particularly the epidemiology of emerging viruses, and I have pursued this interest both in my undergraduate work in the Republic of South Africa, as well as at Cambridge during my masters. Concurrently, I am passionate about the role of the public health sector in maintaining a just and equal society, and hope that my work will translate into more effective policy making in addressing the burden of infectious disease in sub-Saharan Africa. For my PhD in the Department of Veterinary Medicine, I will seek to identify and quantify the ecological factors that shape the risk of influenza virus emergence, from cross-species transmission of animal influenza viruses to immune-naive human populations. My project will aim to identify the factors that translate the human-animal interface, particularly agricultural animal populations, into emergence risk, identifying spatiotemporal trends to inform the distribution of surveillance and medical intervention for pandemic preparedness. I’m elated at the prospect of engaging in some robust cross-disciplinary discussion with my fellows, especially around global health, formal and informal politics and whether Han shot first. Interests: Science (all of it), politics, speculative fiction, running, hiking, good coffee, bad movies Previous University: University of Cambridge

Previous Education

University of the Western Cape
University of Cape Town
University of Cambridge

International law was historically conceived as the rules legally binding on states in their relations with each other. But in modern times a more multi-faceted view of legal relations in international law is emerging. It is the aim of my thesis to examine the position of the individual in the international legal system. The first part of the thesis sets out the classical framework of the international legal system. The second part of the thesis contains an examination of four significant areas of international law: mixed claims, international humanitarian law, international criminal law and human rights law, explaining how and to what extent individuals have rights and obligations.The final part of the thesis asks whether the situation reflected in these four fields can any longer be accommodated within the four corners of the classical framework, and what alternative framework might be posited which takes due account of the reality of individuals in the international legal system.

My research projects interrogate how development and state interventions targeted at women in the global south reflect and shape their lived realities, with a focus on gender and international development, the politics of knowledge production, and feminist entanglements with the state on issues of human rights and women’s precarious labour.

Previous Education

University of Melbourne
Ateneo de Manila University

I am originally from Louisiana (USA), and grew up in the biodiverse and culturally rich greater New Orleans area. My PhD studies (Insect Ecology Group, Zoology Department) studied the effects of management of oil palm plantations on invertebrates and their ecosystem functions. This allowed me to spend 15 months of my PhD on fieldwork in Sumatra, Indonesia.

In October 2021, I started as the Marshall Sherfield Fellow in the Insect Ecology Group (Zoology Department, Cambridge). In this role, I am managing a new collaborative project that is assessing socioecological differences between Liberian land use systems, and identifying aspects of land management that can improve overall crop sustainability. I am also a junior research fellow at St. Edmund's College (Cambridge).

Previous Education

Loyola University, New Orleans

Links

https://www.zoo.cam.ac.uk/directory/michael-pashkevich-jr
https://www.marshallscholarship.org/marshall-sherfield/marshall-sherfield-fellows/mr-michael-pashkevich-jr

Obesity, Type 2 Diabetes and metabolic disorders have reached epidemic proportions. The molecular mechanisms underlying the pathology of obesity and insulin resistance leading to atherosclerosis and heart failure are still not well understood. My research revolves around understanding the complex signals in the cells that lead to progress of obesity and atherosclerosis. I am thankful to Gates Cambridge Trust for providing me with an opportunity to work towards this goal.

As an undergraduate, I jointly studied Government and Neuroscience, where I got the chance to explore the effects of violence on human welfare from a political, biological, and social perspective. At Cambridge, I am excited to build on these experiences and pursue an MPhil in Development Studies. I am enthusiastic about the prospect of working at the Centre of Governance and Human Rights, and Centre for Gender Studies, cutting-edge research networks that bring together a diverse amalgamation of professors, students, and professionals for projects and enriching seminars on topics related to the politics of gender violence, peacebuilding, and health in conflict-affected societies. I am so incredibly honored to join the wider Gates Cambridge community, and am looking forward to growing alongside my peers during my time in the UK! **Nidhi will commence her MPhil study in 2023.

Previous Education

Harvard University Government and Neuroscience 2022

I graduated with an anthropology degree from the University of Chicago armed with a background in social justice and sensitivity to how policies often exclude the most vulnerable people. I’ve spent the last five years learning how this is particularly acute in climate and environmental monitoring programs. I’ve worked at the science-policy interface at both the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Center for Space Policy and Strategy. While earth observation satellites and vast data systems can enable better insights at the planetary level, they often miss realities on the ground. Wanting to critically examine how the science-policy interface and our digital data infrastructures impact local communities, I came to the Scott Polar Research Institute at Cambridge to conduct ethnographic and science and technology studies (STS) research at the world’s “third pole” in the Himalayas. Like the polar regions, the Himalayas must also grapple with consequences of a melting cryosphere, while managing a microcosm of considerable ecological and cultural diversity. Through my research, I aim to shed light on culturally embedded notions of science and technology and how they can translate into better climate policies.

Previous Education

University of Cambridge Polar Studies 2021
University of Chicago Anthropology 2012

I work as an English instructor in the Specialized English Language Program at the St. George’s University School of Medicine (SGU), Grenada. As the linguist attached to the Grenada Creole Society, I facilitate documentation and revitalization efforts for Grenadian French Creole, an endangered language on the island. In addition, because of my research on Grenadian English Creole, I provide language and culture training for non-native and native speakers. These include faculty and students at SGU and new Peace Corps volunteers who function as literacy teachers in Grenadian primary schools. I also comanage the Adult Literacy Initiative of Grenada, a non-profit organization that provides free literacy classes for adults, and I consult with the Ministry of Education to enhance English instruction in schools within the Grenadian creole context. My research areas include creole description and documentation, language revitalization, creole in the classroom, adult literacy, language training for native/non-native speakers, and non-academic factors affecting university students.

Links

http://gatescambridge.wordpress.com/2013/01/07/mind-your-language
http://www.gatescambridge.org/news/detail.asp?ItemID=13672