Cohort 2021
AJ Hudson is an environmental justice organizer, climate change impacts researcher, and community educator. Before pursuing graduate school, AJ taught public high school in one of the most disenfranchised, polluted, and over-policed neighborhoods of New York City. His experiences teaching students who were already overwhelmingly socially marginalized while managing an emerging lead poisoning crisis in a decrepit school building, led to his pivot towards environmental justice and political ecology. In this work he has led community workshops on climate justice, organized grassroots coalitions to pass New York's Climate Community Protection Act, and published scientific papers on equity in climate adaptation that have helped to inform the 2021 IPCC report.
A. J. Hudson
College/Degree: Oriel College/DPhil Geography & Environment
Country of Origin: USA
Cohort: 2021
Aiden is currently in his first year of a DPhil in Law at St Edmund Hall, after completing a Bachelor of Civil Law as the William Asbrey BCL Scholar for 2020-21. Aiden also holds a Bachelor of Laws (Hons I, University Medal) from the University of Wollongong. Aiden’s research is concerned with investigating, both doctrinally and empirically, when injunctions (and damages in lieu) are awarded in tort law and what this may reveal about tort law itself. Aiden grew up as a competitive gymnast in Wollongong, NSW, Australia. He enjoys skiing, yoga and spending time with friends.
Aiden Lerch
College/Degree: St Edmund Hall/DPhil in Law
Country of Origin: Australia
Cohort: 2021
I began my journey in biosciences at the University of Edinburgh doing a BSc in Biochemisty. I had a wee plant phase during which I contributed data towards two publications regarding trichome formation in snapdragons and I also did an honours project simulating sulphate assimilation in the plant model Arabidopsis. Now I move on to do a DPhil involving structural biology and biochemistry of bacterial protein transport at the Berks group. Apart from science I have a huge fascination with internet culture, a growing vinyl collection and a crowd-favourite brownie recipe.
Alfredas Bukys
College/Degree: Merton/DPhil in Biochemistry
Country of Origin: Lithuania
Cohort: 2021
I come from quite an international background but have resided in the UK for the past four years. I completed my BSc in Biomedical Sciences at UCL before moving to Cambridge to pursue an MPhil in Pathology. During my MPhil, I characterized viral membrane remodelling complexes in Human Cytomegalovirus. This year I am excited to be joining the Fodor Lab at the Sir William Dunn School of Pathology. In my DPhil I will investigate the molecular mechanisms of influenza virus replication. Outside of the lab I enjoy many sports including volleyball, running, kickboxing, rowing and the occasional social tennis hit!
Alison Rep
College/Degree: Lincoln/DPhil in Molecular Cell Biology in Health and Disease
Country of Origin: United States/Netherlands
Cohort: 2021
Ana-Diamond graduated from King’s College London with First-Class Honours in BA Film Studies and Theology, and was elected an Associate of King's College by the University's Council. Having studied the relationship between film and national identity, and how varying formats of cinematic story-telling mediate society through politics of representation, Ana's academic interests lie at the intersection of new media, identity, and foreign politics.Previously, Ana has worked with the HM Government, United Nations, European Parliament, and in 2019 cofounded a human rights initiative that went on to be featured on The New York Times, The Sunday Times, and other esteemed news publications.
Ana-Diamond Aaba Atach
College/Degree: Balliol College/MPhil in Modern Middle Eastern Studies
Country of Origin: United Kingdom via Iran, Finland
Cohort: 2021
I did BSc in Biology at Saint-Petersburg State University and am not moving to Oxford to study how immunology is connected with epigenetics in the Jansen Lab. I love exploring new things and sharing them with others - hence my passion for science. I also am an amateur actress and a boogie-woogie dancer - the fun never stops!
Anna Kogan
College/Degree: Wolfson/DPhil in Biochemistry
Country of Origin: Russia
Cohort: 2021
Antonino is currently a DPhil student in Sociology. Prior to joining the University of Oxford, Antonino completed a Master’s degree in Social Sciences at the Humboldt University of Berlin, where he held a position as student research assistant at the chair of Microsociology. He also worked as student research assistant at the WZB Berlin Social Science Center and the Robert Koch Institute, Germany’s public health institute. Antonino’s research focus lies in the interplay between economic inequality, particularly poverty, and health over the life course.
Antonino Polizzi
College/Degree: Nuffield/DPhil in Sociology
Country of Origin: Germany
Cohort: 2021
Ayaka is a physicist-turned-software engineer-turned-scientist pursuing her research in MRI Physics having won an MRC Enterprise iCASE award. Building on her physics B.A. (Columbia Univ.) and her optoacoustic imaging MPhil (Univ. of Cambridge), Ayaka is developing a RF coil to enhance a novel hyperpolarised 13C imaging technique. Before Oxford, Ayaka helped grow a tech start up as a software engineer. Her automation projects were recognised as disruptive and impactful projects and won awards: 2019 Future Stars of Tech, 2020 AI Professional of the Year, 2020 Innovative Developer of the Year, and Woman Entrepreneur shortlist (Cambridge Judge Business School). Leveraging her networks, she was a founding member of camb.ai and WomanInAI, Cambridge Chapter, and co-authored a book on the use of AI in drug research. Balancing all the computer work, she loves climbing and enjoys HIIT, spin or yoga classes.
Ayaka Shinozaki
College/Degree: Wolfson/DPhil in Physiology, Anatomy, and Genetics
Country of Origin: Japan
Cohort: 2021
Ayako is a prospective doctoral student at the University of Oxford and research fellow at the Center of Human Rights Education and Training in Japan, with research interests in internalisation of international law and norms in local contexts with a focus on human rights, development, and gender. She has been engaged in the legal research both within government and in international organizations. She obtained her J.D. and M.A. at the University of Tokyo and LL.M. at New York University School of Law. Her recent work includes “Hate Speech and International Law” in Higaki, S., & Nasu, Y. (Eds.) Hate Speech in Japan: The Possibility of a Non-Regulatory Approach (Cambridge University Press 2021).
Ayako Hatano
College/Degree: LMH/DPhil in Law
Country of Origin: Japan
Cohort: 2021
I received an AB in History and minors in African Studies, Latin American Studies, and South Asian Studies from Princeton University in 2020. I also obtained an MPhil in Modern South Asian Studies in 2021 from St Edmund's College, Cambridge as a Prize Research Student at Cambridge's Joint Centre for History and Economics. At Oxford, I plan to use my Clarendon Scholarship to pursue a DPhil in History by exploring the relationship between universalism and Buddhist revivalism in South Asia during the nineteenth century.
Bhadrajee Hewage
College/Degree: Trinity College/DPhil History
Country of Origin: Republic of Ireland
Cohort: 2021
I am a DPhil student in the Oxford Robotics Institute, working on robotics and machine learning. My current research interests span the theory and application of visuomotor control, domain transfer and robot manipulation. Before coming to Oxford, I did my degrees in Maths and Computer Science in France. Fun fact - I was one of the three students from Taiwan in my cohort selected to study in prepa in France and I did not speak a word of French at that time. When I am not messing around with robots, I am practising judo, flying gliders or learning new languages.
Billie Mitsikakose
College/Degree: Merton College/DPhil in Medieval and Modern Languages
Country of Origin: Greece
Cohort: 2021
Chinedu is a medical doctor and MSc student in Integrated Immunology at the Nuffield Department of Surgical Sciences with a keen interest in organ rejection and immunosuppression. He completed his medical education at the University of Ibadan, graduating as a recipient of the Provost Award for Leadership and Excellent Community Participation. Chinedu enjoys cooking with a focus on afro-western fusion, outdoor experiences and watching movies
CHINEDU NWADURU
College/Degree: Lincoln College/MSc in Integrated immunology
Country of Origin: NIGERIA
Cohort: 2021
Caitlin is pursuing the MSt in World Literatures in English at Merton College. Caitlin is interested in the politics and poetics of affective forms in world Anglophone writing. Her research aims to reanimate critical attention to style, in order to uncover the social and spatial engagements of world literature. Having completed her BA in English Literature at the University of Birmingham, Caitlin’s MSt dissertation explores the politically and stylistically insurgent writing of Zimbabwean author Dambudzo Marechera. Outside of academia, Caitlin is a classically trained vocalist and has written for national media.
Caitlin Talbot
College/Degree: Merton College/MSt World Literatures in English
Country of Origin: United Kingdom
Cohort: 2021
On the academic side, my main interests lie in using synthetic organic chemistry to explore and probe biological systems. I have previously completed an MChem at Oxford, and will now be part of the CDT Synthesis for Biology and Medicine course. Outside of Chemistry I enjoy horse riding and photography.
Carla Charlotte Walla
College/Degree: Keble/Synthesis for Biology and Medicine CDT
Country of Origin: Germany
Cohort: 2021
Cassidy Bereskin is an MSc and DPhil student at the Oxford Internet Institute focusing on improving ways to tackle misinformation and online harms. She graduated summa cum laude and valedictorian from McMaster University in 2021 with a major in political science. Since 2015, Cassidy has been leading Model City Hall, the first non-profit and conference in Canada to simulate municipal politics for youth. Currently, Cassidy holds research affiliations with the Vox Pop Labs computing lab in Canada and The Alan Turing Institute, the UK’s national institute for data science and AI. In her free time, she loves running, playing football, listening to podcasts, and exploring new cafes.
Cassidy Bereskin
College/Degree: DPhil in Information, Communication and the Social Sciences
Country of Origin: Canada
Cohort: 2021
My DPhil project explores the representation of bisexuality in post-Soviet Russian culture. My research provides new perspectives on post-Soviet queer culture through an interdisciplinary analysis of such diverse media as novels and web series, constructing a composite image of how bisexuality has been treated over time. My broader academic interests lie in sexuality and gender studies, depictions of mental health, life writing, and histories of repression and incarceration. In addition to the Clarendon Fund, I have been awarded an OOC AHRC Studentship and Wadham College’s Mr Michell Scholarship. I am also a board game enthusiast and alternative ice hockey player.
Charlotte Dowling
College/Degree: Wadham/DPhil in Modern Languages (Russian)
Country of Origin: United Kingdom
Cohort: 2021
Claire is interested in the role of cell communication, specifically mediated by nano-sized particles known as extracellular vesicles (EVs), in human disease including neurodegeneration and cancer. Claire holds a BSc in Honours Cell and Molecular Biology from Concordia University where she graduated as the highest-ranking BSc student and as an Arts and Science Scholar. Initially, she investigated the role of EVs in the cellular heat stress response. Now, she will study their role in colorectal cancer working to understand their fundamental biology as a first step towards developing potential therapeutics. Claire is passionate about dancing, mental health advocacy, and working to make academia accessible by promoting and teaching alternative learning strategies.
Claire Staton
College/Degree: St Edmund Hall/DPhil in Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics
Country of Origin: Canada
Cohort: 2021
Claire is pursuing a DPhil in Population Health, exploring ethnic inequalities in infant and paediatric healthcare utilisation. She is also the National Migrant Health Lead at Public Health England, and a Trustee for Art Refuge. Claire completed a MSc Population Health at University College London as a Rotary Foundation Global Grant Scholar before working as a clinical research associate in the UCL Institute of Health Informatics. Her clinical background is in paediatric speech and language therapy (Bachelor of Speech Pathology with Honours, The University of Queensland). Claire is Chinese-Australian, and she loves making pottery, art and music.
Claire Zhang
College/Degree: St Cross College /DPhil Population Health
Country of Origin: Australia
Cohort: 2021
I just finished my MSt in Philosophy of Physics at Oxford and will be continuing on into a DPhil in Philosophy next year. I am very excited for this opportunity! My background is in physics, I did a PhD in Physics - Quantum Information at the University of Waterloo in Canada prior to this. So I'm very happy to be getting to explore the intersection between philosophy and physics.
Daniel J Grimmer
College/Degree: Reuben College/DPhil Philosophy
Country of Origin: United States
Cohort: 2021
Diyi's research aims to understand how digital networks boost the power of online communities, influence the way that social actors exchange meaning with each other, and ultimately reshape people’s social lives. She holds a masters in International Journalism and Communication at Renmin University of China and a bachelor's degree in International Journalism at Shanghai International Studies University. With an idealism to cross the lines of differences, connecting diverse communities and cultures together, she also completed her internships at the Communication and Information Unit of UNESCO, as well as Reuters News Bureau.
Diyi Liu
College/Degree: St Antony's/DPhil in Information, Communication and the Social Sciences
Country of Origin: China
Cohort: 2021
I received my BSc in Psychology from Tsinghua University with the highest honor for undergraduates known as Tsinghua Top Grade Scholarship. During my undergraduate years, my research interests lie in the visual attention system of the human mind. I visited labs and conducted research at UC Berkeley, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, and Harvard University. My doctoral research will focus on the neural mechanisms of working memory and attention, especially how they interact to allow flexibility and adaptivity of human behavior. During my leisure time, I love running, playing badminton and table tennis, listening to piano music and watching sci-fi movies.
Dongyu Gong
College/Degree: New College/DPhil Cognitive Neuroscience
Country of Origin: China
Cohort: 2021
Elise Racine holds a Master of Public Administration with a concentration in digitalisation and big data from the Hertie School, a Master of Science with Distinction in Health and International Development from the London School of Economics, and a Bachelor of Arts with Honours in Sociology from Stanford University. Her research centres around the societal impacts and human rights implications of emerging technologies, particularly within global health. She will be continuing this work at Oxford where she will studying the ethics of mobility data for infectious disease surveillance as a recipient of the Baillie Gifford-Institute for Ethics in AI Scholarship.
Elise Racine
College/Degree: Green Templeton College/DPhil in Population Health
Country of Origin: United States
Cohort: 2021
My primary research interest focuses on using genomic data to advance patient care and optimise immunotherapies, ideally being able to tailor them according to each individual's unique genetic make-up. However, coming from a Medical Microbiology & Virology background, I am also quite curious about the large proportion of transposable elements jumping around in our genome! I enjoy singing, dancing and a good cup of coffee.
Elsita Jungkurth
College/Degree: The Queen's College/DPhil in Oncology
Country of Origin: Germany / Colombia
Cohort: 2021
I received my BSc degree with a focus on the examination of microRNAs as biomarkers in the thoracic aortic aneurysm and thoracic aortic dissection patients at Istanbul University. I've received my MSc degree in Molecular Biology Genetics and Bioengineering on cancer and immune cell interaction at Sabanci University. I will continue my doctoral studies on heart regeneration in the Department of Physiology, Anatomy, and Genetics at Oxford as a Clarendon scholar.
Esra Sengul
College/Degree: Lady Margaret Hall/DPhil
Country of Origin: Turkey
Cohort: 2021
After my graduation at La Sapienza in Classical Philology and Ancient History and some archaeological field training, I am now pursuing a DPhil in Ancient History in Oxford, at Brasenose College. My main areas of interest are the Social and Economic History of the Ancient Mediterranean, with a specific focus on Gender Studies, and the Reception of Classical Antiquity, especially as regards the political re-use of the Roman Past during the 20th Century.
Eugenia Vitello
College/Degree: Brasenose College/DPhil in Ancient History
Country of Origin: Italy
Cohort: 2021
I completed my masters degrees in physics at KU Leuven in Belgium and I will now join the Particle Theory research group in Oxford. My research interests are in quantum gravity, string theory and cosmology. Next to physics, I am passionate about the classical guitar.
Fien Apers
College/Degree: Hertford/DPhil in Theoretical Physics
Country of Origin: Belgium
Cohort: 2021
Francesco graduated summa cum laude and PBK from Harvard College in 2021. His research focuses on the intersection between migration and healthcare delivery. During his BA, he conducted ethnographic fieldwork in Italy to understand how social boundaries and temporal constraints limit hospitality—how the state is produced and reproduced as foreigners access medical care. At Oxford, he hopes to explore how public health interventions confront the exclusionary language of migration. Francesco volunteered on ambulances in Italy and the US, where he became certified as an EMT. Born and raised on the Italian Alps, he enjoys hiking, skiing, cooking, and baking.
Francesco Rolando
College/Degree: Lincoln/MSc in Migration Studies
Country of Origin: Italy
Cohort: 2021
Passionate about technology and health, I am applying my background in engineering and physics to the research and development of biomedical imaging technology. I have had the opportunity to work with a bio-tech startup, industrial laser imaging, deep learning at CERN, and MRI sequence development. I find joy and inspiration in outdoor adventures, yoga, music, and visual arts!
Genevieve Hayes
College/Degree: St John's College/DPhil in Engineering Science
Country of Origin: Canada
Cohort: 2021
Georgia holds an Honours Bachelors of Arts studying Critical Studies in Equity and Solidarity and Diaspora and Transnational Studies from the University of Toronto. An immigrant from Taiwan, she has lived and studied in the United States, New Zealand, and Canada. Her research interests lie at the intersections of gender, race, diasporic identities, and disability with a focus on the lived experiences of East Asian immigrant women. Georgia is also a classically trained mezzo-soprano and an avid choral singer passionate about activism for women of colour in the arts, social justice, and cats.
Georgia Lin
College/Degree: Linacre College/MSt Women's, Gender and Sexuality Studies
Country of Origin: Canada
Cohort: 2021
My main research interest is string theory, a broad field at the intersection between theoretical physics and pure mathematics. My passion for science started long ago: I won a bronze medal at the 2016 International Physics Olympiad; in 2019, I took part in the DESY Summer Student Programme in Hamburg. Finally, I obtained a Bachelor's and Master's degree from both the University of Pisa and Scuola Normale Superiore. I'm a Tolkien enthusiast, an avid post-rock music listener and a (by now rusty!) piano, guitar and didgeridoo player. In my free time, I also enjoy visiting museums and botanical gardens.
Giuseppe Bogna
College/Degree: Merton College/DPhil in Mathematics
Country of Origin: Italy
Cohort: 2021
Grace Masback graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in Near Eastern Studies from Princeton University in 2021. Her senior thesis at Princeton identified and translated Judeo-Spanish letter from the Cairo Geniza. Grace used these letters to comment on Cairo’s Sephardic Jewish community during the late Ottoman Empire. Her thesis was awarded the Bayard and Cleveland Dodge Memorial Thesis Prize and the Carolyn L. Drucker Memorial Prize. At Oxford, Grace will continue the study of the Ottoman Empire and its different cultures. As an undergraduate, Grace taught weekly ESL classes to Spanish speaking immigrants in a nearby town and provided weekly high school equivalency tutoring to incarcerated young men. Grace is an avid runner and plans to be involved in the Cross Country/Track Team at Oxford.
Grace Masback
College/Degree: Wadham /MPhil Islamic Studies & History
Country of Origin: United States
Cohort: 2021
I was born and brought up in Delhi, India. In 2014, I started my undergraduate studies at the University of Texas at Austin, USA, where I completed my degrees in Computer Science and Mathematics (with minors in Statistics and Economics). After graduating in 2018, I worked as an Applied Scientist at Amazon Web Services (AWS) in California, USA. My main area of interest is Statistical Machine Learning.In my free time, I enjoy travelling and trying new foods. I also like to stay physically active and indulge in different kinds of sports.
Guneet Singh Dhillon
College/Degree: St John's College/DPhil in Statistics
Country of Origin: India
Cohort: 2021
I completed my BA at Cambridge in 2020, collecting a number of prizes and scholarships, including the Newton Essay Prize and C.S. Lewis Prize for English. As an undergraduate, I continuously attempted to blend speculative and imaginative approaches to big theoretical questions with an enduring interest in the 17th century. Afterwards, I spent a year working in TV/film production and development, which included producing a number of series for Sky History, conducting ‘talking heads’ interviews and working with writers on script material. I am now looking forward to returning the academic space with a rejuvenated curiosity and a desire to dig deeper than before!
Isaac Zamet
College/Degree: Lincoln/English 1550-1700
Country of Origin: United Kingdom
Cohort: 2021
Before studying at Oxford, I completed my undergraduate degree in Natural Sciences at Cambridge, specialising in Pathology, and a Masters in the Control of Infectious Diseases at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. I’m particularly interested in vaccine development, and my DPhil will focus on vaccine development for emerging bacterial pathogens.
Isabel Neale
College/Degree: Magdalen/DPhil in Clinical Medicine
Country of Origin: United Kingdom
Cohort: 2021
Isobel holds a BSc in Biochemistry and an MSc in Pharmacology. She is now in her first year of her DPhil, studying experimental neuropathology. Her main research interests are mood disorders such as depression and anxiety and, more recently, the neuropsychiatric complications of viral infections.
Isobel Dunstan
College/Degree: Brasenose College/DPhil in Pharmacology
Country of Origin: United Kingdom
Cohort: 2021
Raised by two moms in smalltown Middle America, Jake ventured out to study Slavic Languages & Literature and Theater at Princeton, then received his MA in Acting from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. He spent the past five years in NYC, working as a professional actor and voiceover artist, a Russian teacher, translator, researcher, and a renowned cat-sitter. He is over-the-moon excited to continue researching theater in the Soviet Gulag, and plans to use his work to develop creative projects that bring history to life. He and his partner Liam cannot wait for the Oxford adventures that lie ahead!
Jake Robertson
College/Degree: University College/DPhil in Medieval & Modern Languages (Russian)
Country of Origin: United States
Cohort: 2021
My field is literary classics, particularly Ancient Greek poetry and aesthetics in the Hellenistic period. I took my first degree at the University of Sydney, where my undergraduate dissertation was on Herodas, a 3rd century BCE author of 'mime' poems – dialogue-sketches that poke fun at life in the Alexandrian middle orders. At Oxford, my research will examine the connections between Hellenistic poetry and what remains of Hellenistic literary criticism. My second undergraduate degree was in law, and ancient legal system are an interest I hope to pursue further during my masters degree. Outside academia, I have worked in journalism and fancy myself a bit of a writer (others can judge the quality!).
Janek Drevikovsky
College/Degree: Magdalen/DPhil in Clinical Medicine
Country of Origin: Australia
Cohort: 2021
In 2019, Jasmine graduated with a First Class BA Honours in English from University College London, where she was double award-winner of the Early English Text Society Prize for top departmental performance in Old English literature. She then graduated with a Distinction in her MPhil in English Studies (Medieval Period) as the Abelian Scholar at Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford. Jasmine now begins her DPhil in English as Clarendon and Bruce Mitchell Scholar of Old and Middle English at St Edmund Hall, Oxford. Her research, including her recent publication in SELIM 26(1):1-23, analyses Old English and Anglo-Latin texts to explore literary representations of the Church and the reception of patristic thought in early medieval England. In her free time, Jasmine enjoys going on long hikes, playing Irish cèilidh music on the violin and losing herself in a George Eliot novel.
Jasmine Jones
College/Degree: Brasenose College/DPhil in Pharmacology
Country of Origin: United Kingdom
Cohort: 2021
I grew up in Germany and Denmark and studied an undergraduate degree in International Relations and Linguistics at the University of Aberdeen in Scotland. I came to Oxford for my MSc in Political Theory for which I wrote a dissertation on the politics of mental health. For my DPhil research I will continue on a similar theme, developing a critical political theory of depression and anger in politics. My wider research interests include the role of emotions in politics, political apologies and reconciliation, critical theory, and continental philosophy.
Jasper Friedrich
College/Degree: Corpus Christi College/DPhil Politics
Country of Origin: Germany
Cohort: 2021
I completed my undergraduate studies at Trinity College, Oxford, reading Philosophy and Theology, after which I continued in to an MPhil in Patristics, completed in 2019. After this I have worked in London as a consultant before returning to the academy to take up my doctoral studies in Augustine of Hippo.
Joshua Gregory Caminiti
College/Degree: Lincoln/DPhil Theology
Country of Origin: Canada
Cohort: 2021
Julian was born in Sydney (Australia), and at the age of six moved to Boston (USA). He studied international relations at the University of St. Andrews (Scotland). He is passionate about political and military history, the history of ideas, normative political and legal theory, public policy, and international politics. He is currently undertaking an MSc in Global Governance and Diplomacy, focusing on the promise and limitations of international law in dealing with persistent international security challenges. Next year, he will read law at Oxford, likewise with an emphasis on international law and its evolving role in shaping armed conflict.
Julian Chryssavgis
College/Degree: Lincoln College/MSc in Global Governance and Diplomacy
Country of Origin: USA
Cohort: 2021
I am a fresh graduate from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology and Waseda University in Japan. I received an Academic Achievement Medal from HKUST and was fully funded by the Bai Xian Asian Institute for the double-degree program. I am looking foward to exploring computation-based social science research at Oxford Internet Institute.
Junyao ZHANG
College/Degree: Green Templeton College/MSc in Social Data Science
Country of Origin: China
Cohort: 2021
Kason is a DPhil student at Department of Education, University of Oxford. He is a qualified chemistry teacher in the United Kingdom and HK. He has taught GCSE/GCE chemistry A-Level in two state schools in County Durham. He was awarded a distinction in both his PGCE/QTS at Durham University and MPhil in Educational Research at the University of Cambridge. His research has been published in Science and Education, Research in Science and Technological Education and International Journal of Science Education. He is also a peer reviewer for Journal of Biological Education, Science and Education as well as Research in Science and Technological Education.
Kason Ka Ching Cheung
College/Degree: St. Hugh's College/DPhil in Education
Country of Origin: China
Cohort: 2021
Kieran is based in the Surface Forces Research Laboratory under the supervision of Professor Susan Perkin. His research is focussed on furthering our understanding of concentrated electrolytes, particularly through the lens of halophilic organisms: a curious example of where nature has exploited and thrived in high salt environments. Before arriving in Oxford, he studied for his BA and MSci degrees in Natural Sciences at Downing College, University of Cambridge (2017-21), where he was elected as a Foundation Scholar and awarded the Harold Hargreaves Chemistry Prize. In his free time, Kieran enjoys running, cycling and occasionally playing violin in orchestras.
Kieran Agg
College/Degree: The Queen's College/DPhil in Physical and Theoretical Chemistry
Country of Origin: United Kingdom
Cohort: 2021
Before coming to Oxford, I received B.Tech. in Biotechnology with the Chancellor’s medal in India. I studied M.Sc. in Molecular Biosciences at the University of Heidelberg, Germany. I’m interested in discovering novel treatment methods for Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML). I was an intern in the lab of Dr. John Dick, researching leukemic stem cells at the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, Canada. Having pursued my research interests in different parts of the world has enriched me both professionally and personally. Outside the lab, I love travelling, reading and meeting new people.
Kinam Gupta
College/Degree: Exeter College/DPhil in Medical Sciences
Country of Origin: India
Cohort: 2021
After completing a MSc in Zoology at the University of Otago, Lachie continued to undertake lab-based paleogenomic research, focused on reconstructing the extinct diversity of New Zealand’s fauna (including lizards, birds, molluscs and fish). He has a passion for science communication, which has seen him teach into a breadth of undergraduate papers (from geological mapping to animal physiology), and even sneak away with “Best Presentation” awards at numerous conferences. Outside of the lab, you’ll find Lachie running around New Zealand’s picturesque landscape, volunteering with local conservation initiatives, hunting for fossils, or lining up to score the latest pairs of sneakers.
Lachie Scarsbrook
College/Degree: Merton College/DPhil in Archaeological Science
Country of Origin: New Zealand
Cohort: 2021
My research focuses on investigating the cellular basis of inflammation in HLA-B27+ ankylosing spondylitis, a common form of inflammatory arthritis. It is part of an interdisciplinary program of work involving multiple scientists and clinicians and is designed to find new cellular and molecular targets for therapeutic intervention. I have a broad interest in the life sciences, especially immunology and the use of bioinformatic methods to solve problems. Before becoming a Clarendon scholar, I obtained my BSc and MSc degrees from the University of Science and Technology in China. Outside of my research, I am also passionate about music, painting and travelling to different places!
Liying Jin
College/Degree: Brasenose College/DPhil in Molecular and Cellular Medicine
Country of Origin: China
Cohort: 2021
With a B.Sc. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Brasília (UnB) in 2019, I was awarded the prize of the best student of the graduating class. I have recently obtained my M.Sc. in Mechanical Sciences from UnB with a 6-months internship at ENS Paris-Saclay University, which was also supported by Safran Aircraft Engines. Here in Oxford, I will conduct research on the constitutive modeling and damage of fiber-reinforced hydrogels, which are particularly important for medical and soft-robotics applications. I am a sports enthusiast, being soccer and footvolley my favorites. Good and funny conversations and music are other passions of mine, being Popular Brazilian Music, Samba, and Heavy Metal my favorites music styles.
Lucas Mangas Araujo
College/Degree: Jesus College/DPhil in Engineering Science
Country of Origin: Brazil
Cohort: 2021
I completed a BS in Physics at the University of Granada in Spain, and a MSc in Mathematical and Theoretical Physics at Oxford. My dissertation was on Topological Quantum Computing and I studied the implementation of quantum error correcting protocols in parafermion-based algorithms. My main focus is on theoretical Quantum Computing and Quantum Information, more specifically Quantum Error Correction and Fault-tolerant Quantum Computing. This is indeed what I am going to be researching during my DPhil studies for the next few years. In my spare time I enjoy running, touch rugby, playing the guitar and going to the pub.
Lucia Vilchez Estevez
College/Degree: Balliol College/DPhil in Atomic and Laser Physics
Country of Origin: Spain
Cohort: 2021
I completed my first degree in theology while minoring in philosophy at the University of Helsinki. In 2021 I graduated with an MPhil. in Modern Theology from Oxford. While doing my MPhil. in Oxford I was an Ertegun Scholar for the Humanities. My research focuses on the problems of evil and suffering from both theological and philosophical perspectives, particularly in the epistemic and moral problems surrounding theodical discourses. I’m especially interested in exploring the creative possibilities at the intersection of theological aesthetics and theologies of the cross in relation to the theodicy/anti-theodicy debate. In addition to these I’m also interested in the ethical aspects of the problems of evil and suffering, especially the relationship between ethical formation and suffering.
Maikki Aakko
College/Degree: Campion Hall/DPhil. in Theology
Country of Origin: Finland
Cohort: 2021
Marco is a DPhil student in clinical neurosciences at Oxford University and Senior Multiple Sclerosis Fellow at Oxford University Hospitals. He completed with honors and special mention his undergraduate studies and specialty training in neurology at San Raffaele University Hospital in Milan, Italy. His main research interest is the relationship between neuronal/axonal loss and inflammation in Multiple Sclerosis.
Marco Pisa
College/Degree: Trinity/DPhil Clinical Neurosciences
Country of Origin: Italy
Cohort: 2021
Maria Gargiulo uses statistical tools to bring clarity to human rights violations. Most recently, she was a statistician at the Human Rights Data Analysis Group. Before that, Maria researched sexual violence in armed conflict, conducted fieldwork on intimate partner violence in Nicaragua, and completed a Civic Digital Fellowship at the United States Census Bureau. She received a B.S. in Statistics & Data Science and Spanish from Yale University. Maria is an avid tea drinker.
Maria Gargiulo
College/Degree: Nuffield College/MPhil Sociology and Demography
Country of Origin: United States
Cohort: 2021
Before coming to Oxford, I completed an MA in Comparative Literature and Classics at the University of Glasgow and an MLitt in Classics at St Andrews. During the past year, I worked as a teaching assistant at Glasgow, leading undergraduate seminars in Classics. My doctoral thesis will explore the reception of Thucydides in Polish literary witnesses to World War Two and interrogate the workings of traumatic receptions of antiquity. My other academic interests, similarly cutting across antiquity and modernity, include cultural hybridity, fluid identities that resist categorisation, and points of friction in cultural and historical narratives.
Marianna Leszczyk
College/Degree: Balliol/DPhil in Classical Languages and Literature
Country of Origin: Austria/Poland
Cohort: 2021
DPhil student in Social Policy, with interest in understanding inequality, intergenerational mobility, and their tie.Graduated magna cum laude in the Double Degree MSc program in Economics and Social Sciences at Bocconi University and Université Catholique de Louvain. Previous working experience at European Commission (Luxembourg), SMEUnited (Belgium) and Dondena Research Center (Italy).Former competitive swimmer (ages ago), now you may find me in company of at least one of the following: book, coffee, and music.
Martina Beretta
College/Degree: Nuffield College/DPhil in Social Policy
Country of Origin: Italy
Cohort: 2021
Masaki is a DPhil candidate studying machine learning for energy science supported by five international scholarships. Masaki holds MEng from the University of Tokyo with the President's Award. Masaki is also a data scientist at Toyota Motor Corporation, dedicated to designing/controlling next-generation batteries. The outcomes were commercialised in the 4th Prius Hybrid and e-Palette (self-driving all-electric vehicle), twice awarded the Toyota Best Research Award. Afterwards, Masaki was a visiting scholar at the University of Cambridge to study computer vision for autonomous vehicles. Masaki currently extends his expertise to more intelligent control algorithms toward more stable, decentralised, and cleaner electricity.
Masaki Adachi
College/Degree: St. Catherine's College/DPhil in Engineering Science
Country of Origin: Japan
Cohort: 2021
I'm an academic junior doctor at the John Radcliffe Hospital, with an interest in neurosurgery, space medicine, and rare diseases. My area of research focuses on developing measurement tools for quantification of Parkinsonism and functional neurosurgery. I have several clinical, academic, and teaching achievements, including Teacher of the Year, National Clinical Neuroscience Award, Harvey Cushing Gold Medal, BGS, and Wellcome Trust scholarships.In my free time, I love playing rugby, cooking, and trekking in the wilderness. You’ll also find me building electronic brains, studying fallen civilizations and wearing Icelandic sweaters. I can order pizza in 10 languages, including 3 dead ones.
Max Brzezicki
College/Degree: Rueben/DPhil Clinical Neurosciences
Country of Origin:
Cohort: 2021
I am an evolutionary developmental biologist interested in the origins of the diversity and complexity of life on earth. I have explored the gene regulatory networks of desiccation tolerant plants and vertebrate neural crest cells in my Honours and Master's degrees at the University of Cape Town and will now have the chance to explore the networks underlying the development of the vertebrate otic placodes. This will allow us to understand how the simple ciliated cells of tunicates developed into the complex sensory organs of the vertebrate inner ear. After hours I am a passionate birder and botanist and love to explore remote areas in search of new species.
Mayur Prag
College/Degree: Merton/DPhil Zoology
Country of Origin: South Africa
Cohort: 2021
I completed my BSc in physics and mathematics and was University Medalist at the University of Maryland, College Park. My primary research interest is in understanding basic properties of plasma turbulence, with applications to problems in astrophysics, heliophysics, and magnetic confinement nuclear fusion.
Michael Nastac
College/Degree: St. John's College/DPhil in Theoretical Physics
Country of Origin: United States of America
Cohort: 2021
I am a historian of the French Revolution and the long eighteenth century interested primarily in subjective experience, selfhood, violence and trauma, and the history of emotions. My doctoral thesis uses ego-documents written by ordinary people in Revolutionary France to explore how they understood the experience of living through revolutionary changes as personally meaningful, and how it transformed various dimensions of their identities. Before my DPhil I obtained a BA (Hons) in History and Political Science from Trinity College Dublin and an MSt. in 18th century history from Oxford, receiving the prize for the best MSt. dissertation in my cohort.
Michaela Kalcher
College/Degree: Exeter/DPhil in History
Country of Origin: Austria
Cohort: 2021
Michaellah graduated from Yale University with BAs in History and African Studies. At Yale she received the Charles Garside Jr Award for distinguished work in History and the Janifer Lynn Lighten Leadership award. Michaellah split her time serving the International ,African and female students' communities. She is passionated about education, female empowerment and diplomacy. She loves writing, cooking, dancing, and hopes to be a diplomat someday.
Michaellah Mapotaringa
College/Degree: St Antony's/Mst In African studies
Country of Origin: Zimbabwe
Cohort: 2021
Miyo is a graduate of the Dual BA Program Between Columbia University and Sciences Po. Her previous research has focused on ethics and the philosophy of punishment, though she has a special interest in logic and epistemology. She looks forward to joining the MPhil in Political Theory and to learning croquet.
Miyo Peck-Suzuki
College/Degree: The Queen's College/MPhil in Political Theory
Country of Origin: United States of America
Cohort: 2021
Before coming to Oxford, Monica completed a Bachelor of Biomedicine followed by a Doctor of Medicine at the University of Melbourne, placing on the Dean's Honours List during each degree. Her research interests began at the Centre for Eye Research Australia, where she investigated a preclinical model for retinal gene therapy. Her DPhil will continue these interests by exploring both the pathogenesis and treatment of age-related macular degeneration. Outside of work, she is a fan of aerial photography and enjoys learning to flying her drone to capture new perspectives - which can be very rewarding after a hike! She greatly looks forward to being a part of the Clarendon Scholars community.
Monica Hu
College/Degree: Merton/DPhil in Clinical Neurosciences
Country of Origin: Australia
Cohort: 2021
Italian graduate student in Molecular Biotechnology with a strong passion in plant biotechnology. I've conducted my MSc research in Oxford studying the low oxygen sensing in plants and its evolution, focusing on the molecular response to hypoxia in Marchantia polymorpha and Physcomitrium patens. Over my studies I had the opportunity to work on animals, phages and plants. I am highly dynamic, diligent and a team player. I take great pride in spreading science, aiming to break down the barriers between science and the public. I am also a tennis player and scuba passionate!
Monica Perri
College/Degree: St Edmund Hall/DTP Interdisciplinary Bioscience
Country of Origin: Italy
Cohort: 2021
Oliver is an economic geographer by training and urban economist by trade. He is focusing his scholarship study on financing sustainable urban development in fast-growing, low resource cities. This builds on his work for Cities that Work, an International Growth Centre initiative based at Blavatnik School of Government, University of Oxford. In this role and previous Oliver has engaged with local government Ministries and Mayoral teams across Africa, Asia, Latin America & Caribbean and Europe. He enjoys live music (who doesn’t?!), theatre, getting ‘outdoors’ and plant-based cooking. Updated research and policy engagement can be found at https://www.oliverharman.me
Oliver Harman
College/Degree: Kellogg College/DPhil Sustainable Urban Development
Country of Origin: U.K
Cohort: 2021
I hold an M.D. degree and had previously worked at National Taiwan University Hospital. Apart from my clinical expertise, I am now working on the history of science and medicine, with a particular focus on the development of sciences of mind in modern Chinese and East Asian contexts. I am the author of The Polyphonic Psyche: Hypnotism and Popular Science in Modern China 精神的複調：近代中國的催眠術與大眾科學 (Linking Publishing, 2020).
Pang-Yen Chang
College/Degree: Pang-Yen Chang
Country of Origin: Taiwan
Cohort: 2021
Born in Iran and raised in Germany, Parsa graduated summa cum laude from Florida International University (FIU) with a BSc in Biochemistry. During this time, he spent two summers at MIT's Wilson Lab investigating the neural mechanisms behind hippocampal remapping in mice. Parsa discovered that the animal-to-animal variability in hippocampal remapping is structured. He has received numerous academic awards for his work, including FIU's ARCH Research Award and the Scholar Award for Academic Achievement and Research. Upon completing his MSc in Neuroscience at the University of Oxford, Parsa will pursue his medical doctorate at Weill Cornell Medical College in New York.
Parsa Nilchian
College/Degree: Lincoln/MSc in Neuroscience
Country of Origin: Germany, Iran
Cohort: 2021
A native of Thailand, I first discovered my love for the humanities through the 'Great Books' B.A. programme at St. John's College (Santa Fe, NM, USA). Poetry, philosophy, and theology were the disciplines that spoke to me most, and I deepened my study of these subjects through an M.A. in Religion & Literature at Yale Divinity School. I then began my formation as an Italianist at the University of Notre Dame, earning an M.A. in Italian there, and am now at Oxford to dissert on the topic of creation in the works of the poet Dante Alighieri.
Peerawat Chiaranunt
College/Degree: Jesus College/DPhil in Medieval & Modern Languages
Country of Origin: Thailand
Cohort: 2021
I am a young scientist interested in the developing brain and how abnormal neurodevelopment results in various disorders. I completed my undergraduate studies at the University of Sydney, studying pharmacology and physiology. I have also worked as a researcher studying medicinal cannabis and childhood epilepsy. In my free time I take an amateur interest in computer science and philosophy, and enjoy reading, running and playing Dungeons & Dragons.
Peter Doohan
College/Degree: Corpus Christi College /DPhil in Neuroscience
Country of Origin: Australia
Cohort: 2021
Pierfrancesco grew up in Italy, military educated at the Italian Army School, qualified as a medical doctor at the International Medical School of Sapienza University of Rome. He worked with the Oxford Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Study (OxAAA) in the last three years by securing an unprecedented string of European scheme scholarships for research placement in Oxford while completing his medical degree. He has made a substantial contribution to the preparation of the OxAAA project conducting important experiments in this study which involved the analysis of biobank samples using a variety of laboratory techniques for the identification of circulating biomarkers for predicting the growth of AAA in humans. He is a member of the steering committee of the EuroSurg Collaborative and national coordinator for Italy of the Global NeuroSurg Research Collaborative. He has over 40 publications, and he is the local lead PI in several international multicentre studies on surgery at Policlinico Umberto I University Hospital in Rome. Alongside his passion for research, he enjoys playing classical guitar, cooking Italian food and doing sport outdoors.
Pierfrancesco Lapolla Losasso
College/Degree: St. Catherine's College/DPhil in Surgical Sciences
Country of Origin: Italy
Cohort: 2021
After stumbling across the discipline of anthropology, I pivoted from my original plan and pursued an MAnth in Medical Anthropology at Durham University. I developed a sincere interest in critical socio-political and socio-medical anthropology, as well as interdisciplinary and intersectional approaches. My research interests, thus, centre on the biopsychosocialities of race/ racism, stress, Black womanhood(s), health disparities, and adjacent phenomena, here in the UK. My DPhil thesis investigates the current ‘Black maternal health crisis’ through a critical gender/ race/ and Afrofeminist lens, and aims to (re)produce a truly reflexive, Black woman-centred scholarship that can be utilised by any person and discipline that seeks to engage in anti-racist discourse in, and out of, healthcare. Outside of academics, I enjoy cooking, exploring new places to eat and drink, writing informal social commentaries, and doing anything that adds to my fulfilment; this includes spending my summer volunteering with a wonderful women’s health initiative.
Princess Banda
College/Degree: Keble/DPhil Anthropology
Country of Origin: UK
Cohort: 2021
I am a DPhil student in Politics, co-funded by the Clarendon Fund and the Open-Oxford-Cambridge AHRC DTP. My research interests lie at the intersection of feminist history, theory, and practice. In my work, I hope to open out new questions for political theorists about how feminists have told, complicated, and interacted with history, and about how our tools of memorialisation might be shifted in order to create an emancipatory historical practice. Alongside my MPhil, which I completed at Keble College, Oxford, I worked as a research assistant for the Leverhulme Project on Women and the History of International Thought.
Rachel Darby
College/Degree: Nuffield/DPhil Politics
Country of Origin: UK
Cohort: 2021
Rakhshan Kamran is final year medical student at McMaster University. He is taking a sabbatical from MD studies to complete a DPhil at Oxford University in Musculoskeletal Sciences as an NIHR Doctoral Research Fellow and Clarendon Scholar. He graduated from the Life Sciences BSc (Hons) Program at McMaster University in 2019 Summa Cum Laude and as a recipient of the Provost Medal.Rakhshan has been involved with health services research for six years, specifically in the area of developing, validating, and implementing patient-reported outcome measures. He has published extensively in high-impact journals, including the first ever Rapid Review in the BMJ. Rakhshan is the recipient of the Community Outreach, Prevention, and Advocacy Award, the highest provincial honour bestowed by the Canadian Cancer Society. He has also received the Scotiabank Breast Cancer Research Award, June Callwood Harmony Award, the Herbert H. Carnegie Future Aces Award and the Paul Rabinowitz Award in Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery.Rakhshan was named one of the top 20 LGBTQ+ leaders in Canada by the LOUD Foundation and the top student LGBTQ+ leader in Canada by the Freddie organization. He is a founding member of the Canadian Queer Medical Students Association (CQMSA), Co-Chair of the LGBTQ2S+ Health Interest Group with the School of Medicine at McMaster, and is a Trainee Lead with the Canadian Institutes of Health Research Institute of Gender and Health. He is now working to develop and implement a new patient-reported outcome measure for gender-affirming care, called the GENDER-Q.
Rakhshan Kamran
College/Degree: Hertford/DPhil Musculoskeletal Sciences
Country of Origin: Canada
Cohort: 2021
Rency is interested in unraveling the genetic toolkit that enabled plants to develop three-dimensional morphologies, that in turn, allowed their transition from aquatic to terrestrial environments. Before studying at Oxford, he worked as a research scholar at the International Rice Research Institute where he was involved in studies aiming to dissect the genetic factors associated to drought stress resistance and seed storage life extension.
Rency Jumaoas Raquid
College/Degree: The Queen's College/DPhil in Interdisciplinary Bioscience
Country of Origin: Philippines
Cohort: 2021
Robert received his bachelors degree in Environmental Science and Public Policy from Harvard University and brings a strong interest in the cross section between natural resources and climate change to his studies at Oxford. His previous research and work has ranged from the use of remote sensing data to predict wildfires to facilitating renewable energy purchases by large multination corporations. He also enjoys the outdoors with a particular love for all things water sports.
Robert Powell
College/Degree: Jesus College/Master of Science in Water Science, Policy and Management
Country of Origin: United States
Cohort: 2021
I research the creative and social processes of intercultural music programmes with forced migrants in contemporary Germany. Most recently I was a German Chancellor Fellow with the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation and conducted an impact analysis for the State Music Council of North-Rhine Westphalia. I have an MPhil in Musicology from Oxford and a BA in History and Music from the University of Southern California. Beyond my research in which I hang out with people and play music, I can be found hanging out with people and playing music.
Rose Campion
College/Degree: Keble/DPhil Migration Studies
Country of Origin: USA
Cohort: 2021
Sarah is a human geographer and qualitative researcher, pursuing a DPhil in Geography and the Environment. Her doctoral research seeks to explore the relationship between eco-social histories and risk perception through the lived experience of haze pollution in Malaysia. Sarah recently completed her MSc in Nature, Society and Environmental Governance at Oxford, where her dissertation explored how haze pollution might be normalised and naturalised through the humorous ways in which Malaysians publicly engage with haze using Internet memes. Sarah graduated with a BA in Geography from the London School of Economics and Political Science in 2020. At LSE, she was an undergraduate research fellow for two years and published autoethnographic work on self-tracking personal exposure to air pollution in urban environments.
Sarah Hui Ann Tan
College/Degree: Jesus/DPhil in Geography and the Environment
Country of Origin: Malaysia
Cohort: 2021
I am a Neurosurgical Oncologist with Masters in Neuroscience, MSc in Cancer & Therapeutics, HICR. I am a UK Commonwealth Scholar, Harvard Medical School’s Excellence & Top Honours award recipient. I did my training across the globe including Australia, the UK, and the US. I speak 6 different languages. I run a cancer foundation in South Africa & India in memory of my mother to support the underprivileged women & children affected by cancer - Kalavathi Cancer FoundationI am member of ASCO/ESMO, keen on research paving way for better therapeutics for brain cancers. I have authored 3 books in oncology.Hobbies: Singing, painting, travelling, tennis…
Sasi Shanmugam Senga
College/Degree: Brasenose College/DPhil in Clinical Medicine
Country of Origin:
Cohort: 2021
I am a DPhil candidate in International Relations at Balliol College. My research focuses on the strategic role of civilians within terrorist-government interactions, using Israel in the 21st century as my primary case study. I previously completed a BA (with Honors) in Economics and Fundamentals: Issues and Texts at the University of Chicago and MPhil (with Distinction) in International Relations at St Antony’s College, Oxford. In my free time, I enjoy playing Settlers of Catan, cycling around Oxfordshire, and grabbing pints with friends at the King’s Arms (Oxford’s best pub!).
Scott Singer
College/Degree: Balliol/DPhil International Relations
Country of Origin: USA
Cohort: 2021
My research focuses on the increasingly intimate but highly uneven entanglements of smart and digital technologies and everyday urban life in the twenty-first century. I am particularly interested in how different capacities of posthuman life are produced, valued, facilitated, and/or diminished through smart urbanization. I graduated from the National University of Singapore in 2018 with a Bachelor of Social Sciences in Geography, and again in 2020 with a Master of Social Sciences in Geography. In my free time I enjoy cooking, reading, scuba diving, and hiking.
Si Jie Ivin Yeo
College/Degree: Keble College/DPhil in Geography and the Environment
Country of Origin: Singapore
Cohort: 2021
Simon is an M.Phil. candidate at the Oxford Department of International Development. He holds a B.A. (with Honours) in International Relations from King’s College London, where he received the Professor Jack Spence Award for Best Graduating Student. As a research assistant at Stanford University and the German Development Agency (GIZ), he developed an interest in the nexus between poverty and political instability in Latin America. At Oxford, his field research explores the impact of state-society relations on post-conflict reconstruction in Colombia’s rural areas. In his spare time, Simon enjoys hiking, independent movies, and has recently discovered his passion for spikeball.
Simon Ahrens
College/Degree: Lincoln /M.Phil. Development Studies
Country of Origin: Germany
Cohort: 2021
Susana holds an M.A. in English and Social Anthropology from the University of St. Andrews and a Master’s in Anthropology from the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM). Her ethnographic account of the enactments of diabetes among a Totonac community was awarded the Fray Bernardino de Sahagún national prize for best Master’s thesis. Her doctoral research aims to extend this work by conducting a comparative study of the ways in which diabetes is understood and enacted in Nahua and non-indigenous communities in Mexico. Before starting her DPhil at Oxford, Susana directed the Academic Writing programme at UNAM for six years.
Susana Kolb Cadwell
College/Degree: Hertford College/DPhil in Anthropology
Country of Origin: Mexico
Cohort: 2021
I completed my BSc and MSc in Mathematics at Ecole Normale Supérieure and Sorbonne Université in France, spending a few months in Oxford to do my master thesis in 2020. My area of research is differential geometry and more specifically the study of special holonomy manifolds and related topics. In my free time I am an enthusiastic cook, and I also enjoy sport and reading.
Thibault Langlais
College/Degree: St John's/DPhil Mathematics
Country of Origin: France
Cohort: 2021
Toma-Jin Morikawa-Fouquet was born in France and raised in the U.S. and Japan. He graduated from Amherst College in 2021 with a BA degree in Political Science (Summa Cum Laude with Distinction) and Anthropology, Phi Beta Kappa. Before transferring to Amherst College with a Nijima Scholarship, he was enrolled at Doshisha University, Japan, for 3.5 years with a concentration in International Relations. He spent one of those years at the University of California, Berkeley as an exchange student. Morikawa-Fouquet currently has interests in continental philosophy, political theory, and anthropology, and hopes to pursue a career in academia.
Toma-Jin Morikawa-Fouquet
College/Degree: St. Catherine's College/MSc in Japanese Studies
Country of Origin: Japan, France
Cohort: 2021
Uchenna is a medical doctor with research interests in maternal and newborn health, health promotion, and healthcare quality improvement. She is passionate about improving health indices and access especially for mothers and newborns in low-middle-income countries. Uchenna has previously supported local, regional, and national stakeholders to design, implement, monitor, and evaluate health system interventions in Nigeria. She received her medical education from MHAM College of Medicine, Southwestern University Philippines, graduating cum laude. She also obtained her master’s in public health from the University of Liverpool, finishing as ‘student of the year’ for the July 2020 graduation cohort. She enjoys traveling, singing, and hiking.
Uchenna Gwacham-Anisiobi
College/Degree: Balliol/DPhil Population health
Country of Origin: Nigeria
Cohort: 2021
I believe in promoting robust health systems and affordable, high-quality care to produce better health outcomes for all. My research focuses on global maternal and child health and social determinants of health. Before my DPhil, I studied BSc Population Health with data science at UCL & MSc Global Health Science and Epidemiology at Oxford. I also worked as a senior consultant at Aceso Global Health Consultants, which include working for the various UK and international projects.
Yebeen Ysabelle Boo
College/Degree: Kellogg/DPhil in Population Health
Country of Origin: South Korea
Cohort: 2021
Yiu-Ching is currently reading for a DPhil in Neuroscience (1+3) at the University of Oxford. Yiu-Ching is also selected as the 2021 Esther Yewpick Lee Millennium Scholar. Her research interests include neural circuits in behavior and circuits in psychiatric disease. Prior to her study at Oxford, Yiu-Ching completed a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry at The Chinese University of Hong Kong. During her bachelor study, Yiu-Ching was selected as the 2020 HSBC Overseas Scholar. The Scholarship had supported her study at UC Berkeley as an exchange student, where she worked as a student research assistant at the Advanced Bioimaging Center.
Yiu-Ching SIU
College/Degree: Wadham College/DPhil in Neuroscience (1+3)
Country of Origin: Hong Kong (SAR), China
Cohort: 2021
Hannah Scheithauer obtained a BA in French and German (2016-2020) and an MSt in Comparative Literature and Critical Translation (2020-2021) from Jesus College, University of Oxford, and took courses at Georg-August-Universität Göttingen (2015-2016) and École Normale Supérieure Paris (2018-2019). She has now returned to Oxford to pursue a Clarendon-funded comparative DPhil project at The Queen’s College, exploring transnational memory landscapes in contemporary French and German literature. Alongside her own studies, she will be working as a Stipendiary Lecturer at Jesus College.
Hannah Scheithauer
College/Degree: Queen/DPhil in Modern Languages (French and German)
Country of Origin: Germany
Cohort: 2021
I graduated from Oxford with a BA in German and Philosophy in 2019 (First Class), before completing a MA in Translation Studies at the University of Sheffield (Distinction), where I received the Postgraduate Taught Prize for best overall performance in the School of Languages and Cultures. I’m a native “Yorkshire Lass”, but I am excited to be returning to Oxford to research feminist translation. My thesis will focus on women characters in 20th-century German stream-of-consciousness novels. Outside academia, I am passionate about food (the cooking and eating thereof!), classical music, and creative writing - I published my debut novel in 2020.
Isabel Parkinson
College/Degree: St Hugh’s/DPhil Medieval and Modern Languages
Country of Origin: UK
Cohort: 2021
Having read for French and Italian at the University of Oxford (BA 1st-class Hons, 2019), I subsequently trained to become a journalist at the University of Salford (MA Distinction, 2020), working predominantly in radio and focusing mostly on politics and current affairs. My doctoral research focuses on radio broadcasting in Fascist Italy as a tool for spreading its cultural and political ideology internationally. By researching broadcasts to different countries, I hope to better understand how the regime adapted its propaganda approach to varying political and cultural contexts and, more widely, the role it aimed to play on the global stage.
Joseph Kelly
College/Degree: Blackfriars/DPhil in Italian
Country of Origin: UK
Cohort: 2021
I completed my undergraduate degree in History at Pembroke College, Oxford, and my Master’s degree, also in History, at the University of Manchester. My DPhil project is focused on the women’s anti-suffrage movement across the British empire, c. 1880-1920. Before my DPhil, I spent two years working within Access, Outreach and Widening Participation to higher education, a field in which I retain a keen interest.
Hollie Eaton
College/Degree: University/DPhil in History
Country of Origin: United Kingdom
Cohort: 2021
I first came to Oxford for my undergraduate degree in English, before leaving to study for an MPhil in Modern and Contemporary Literature at Cambridge. I then worked briefly in climate finance for food systems before returning to Oxford for my DPhil. My doctoral research will analyse the influence of verse recitation practice and theory on the development of modernist poetics from 1900 to 1950. I am especially interested in defining the relationship between elements of modernist poetry recitation cultures and key features of modernist poetics, such as impersonality, free verse and the fascination with verse drama
Isabelle Stuart
College/Degree: Worcester/DPhil in English
Country of Origin: UK
Cohort: 2021
Hi I'm Hazel. I graduated with an MEng in Engineering Science at Oxford University in 2019. After that, I returned to Malaysia for a year and worked as an operations engineer with Shell on a gas-producing platform. I've also interned at a biotech start-up based in Oxford working on cell-based meat. I'm really interested in diving into the interdisciplinary research of software engineering and the biomedical sciences. During my free time, I enjoy tutoring and practicing yoga.
Hazel Wee
College/Degree: Brasenose/CDT SABS
Country of Origin: Malaysia
Cohort: 2021
After reading for an MPhil also at Oxford, my thesis will explore the role of literary influence in the works of Argentine novelist Juan José Saer. In particular, the ways in which a series of French and Anglo-American Modernist authors, together with the Nouveau Roman, shaped Saer’s depictions of perception. My project is also co-funded by the OOC-DTP and Lincoln Kingsgate scholarships.
Andres Libertun
College/Degree: Lincoln/DPhil in Medieval and Modern Languages
Country of Origin: Spain
Cohort: 2021
I studied my BA in Literae Humaniores at Lady Margaret Hall (2016-20) and a Masters in Greek and Latin Language Literature at Balliol College (2020-21), and am now researching the reception of a Greek Tragedy, Euripides’ Medea, in South Africa from the 19th century to the present day. My research interests include reception of ancient drama, decolonisation, and critical race, class, gender and sexuality studies. When not studying or teaching languages I can usually be found walking my dog or volunteering with local primary and secondary schools.
Leo Kershaw
College/Degree: Balliol/DPhil in Classical Languages and Literature
Country of Origin: UK
Cohort: 2021
I hold a BA in History from Trinity College Dublin, an ELAN Certificate from the University of Heidelberg, and an MPhil in History from Oxford. My doctoral study revisits political assassinations in 1920s Fascist Italy and Weimar Germany from a transnational comparative perspective. Using ego-documents produced by the assassins, I explore their subjectivities and the right-wing cultures that lay behind them. Thus, this study uncovers the manifold dimensions that lead individuals to act violently on their beliefs. In addition to the Clarendon Fund Scholarship, I have been awarded an AHRC Studentship and I am the Peter Storey Scholar at Balliol.
Sara McQuaid
College/Degree: Balliol/Balliol
Country of Origin: Ireland
Cohort: 2021
My doctoral project explores the mutually-inscribing interconnectivity of the premodern ruling family and ‘political culture’ – the framework of structures, practices and expectations within which a polity’s political actors operate – in the Late Byzantine period (c. 1261-1461). I received my undergraduate degree in Ancient and Medieval History from the University of Birmingham, and then moved to Oxford for an MPhil in Late Antique and Byzantine Studies. My MPhil thesis was a comparative study of eleventh- and twelfth-century monasticism in the Greek East and the Latin West.
James Cogbill
College/Degree: Worcester/Worcester
Country of Origin: UK
Cohort: 2021
Megan holds a first class MSci in Biomedical Sciences from Newcastle University with research experience focusing on chemokines within organ transplantation and inflammatory conditions. Awarded with the Wellcome Trust Biomedical Vacation Scholarship, she gained research experience within cancer immunology resulting in two co-authored publications. Megan received two scholarships for her DPhil at Oxford University, including a competitive scholarship from the Radcliffe Department of Medicine, to join the Bhattacharya lab investigating an anti-inflammatory therapeutic for cardiovascular disease. Alongside research, Megan has also raised over £2,500 for the cancer charity Sarcoma UK.
Megan Elizabeth Payne
College/Degree: Keble/DPhil in Medical Sciences
Country of Origin: UK
Cohort: 2021