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Jake Glidden

  • Alumni
  • Australia
  • 2016 PhD Physics
  • Trinity College
Jake Glidden

Jake Glidden

  • Alumni
  • Australia
  • 2016 PhD Physics
  • Trinity College

My interest in Physics was piqued in 2008, when I was selected to represent Australia at the annual International Physics Olympiad in Hanoi, Vietnam. In 2009, I moved from my home state of Queensland to Canberra, where I studied at the Australian National University. I read for the Bachelor of Philosophy (Hons) [Science] – a flexible, yet demanding undergraduate research programme – and completed several individual research topics during this time. I also participated in an exchange at Universität Bonn, Germany, where I studied Masters-level courses in many-body quantum physics. After returning home to Australia, I completed my research project and was awarded first class honours in Theoretical Physics. My MPhil research at the University of Queensland followed naturally, aiming to prototype an ultra-sensitive rotation detector based on the interference of cold atom condensates. My project for the PhD in Physics sees a slight change of pace to more fundamental physics. I will explore the role of interactions between atoms in the transition from dilute gas vapour through to condensate. Understanding the nuances of these interactions is key to developing sophisticated technologies that could one day supersede laser-based counterparts for inertial and field sensing. I’m delighted to be joining the Gates Cambridge community, and look forward to the challenges and opportunities in store in the years to come.

Previous Education

Australian National University
University of Queensland

Sherry Gong

  • Alumni
  • United States
  • 2011 MASt Pure Mathematics
  • Churchill College
Sherry Gong

Sherry Gong

  • Alumni
  • United States
  • 2011 MASt Pure Mathematics
  • Churchill College

My main academic interests are in algebraic geometry and differential topology. Most recently, I have been working on a research project about the cyclic cohomologies of finitely generated, torsion free subgroups of GL_2(R). I also enjoy teaching mathematics; I have done this as a grader at the Math Olympiad Program, and also as a leader for the United States team to the Girls’ Math Olympiad. In addition, I coordinated at the Math Olympiad of Central America and the Caribbean when it was held in my home island of Puerto Rico. I intend to attend graduate school and obtain a Ph.D. in mathematics with a concentration in algebraic geometry. After this, I would like to pursue a career as a mathematician and engage in research and teaching. As a preparation for these career plans, I would like to study algebraic geometry at Cambridge. There, I also hope to gain a broader view of mathematics, which would allow me to become both a greater researcher and a more effective teacher.

Ryan (Joonsuk) Kang

  • Scholar
  • Korea, Republic of, United States
  • 2022 PhD Chemistry
  • Trinity College
Ryan (Joonsuk) Kang

Ryan (Joonsuk) Kang

  • Scholar
  • Korea, Republic of, United States
  • 2022 PhD Chemistry
  • Trinity College

I was born in the United States but moved back to South Korea after a few years, before finally coming to the UK. I am currently in my last year of my Natural Sciences at Cambridge degree specialising in Chemistry.Growing up, I was fascinated by the insects and birds I would see whilst hiking in the mountains in and around Seoul. Throughout my school life, this wonder and curiosity I had for the natural world evolved from the macroscopic to the microscopic – the fundamental chemical reactions that drives everything. Pursing my interests in chemistry led to my involvement in the Chemistry Olympiads, where I represented the UK in the International Chemistry Olympiad for two years. During this time, I began to appreciate the importance of organic synthesis, especially in the development and production of pharmaceuticals. For my PhD, I will be investigating new reactions and new reactivities in the context of biological systems. By explicitly targeting biomolecules, the aim is to not only discover and optimise relevant reactions but also expedite the process of new chemistry being used in therapeutic applications to improve and save lives.

Previous Education

University of Cambridge Chemistry 2022

Christina Meister

  • Alumni
  • United States
  • 2020 MPhil Conservation Leadership
  • Lucy Cavendish College
Christina Meister

Christina Meister

  • Alumni
  • United States
  • 2020 MPhil Conservation Leadership
  • Lucy Cavendish College

I first became interested in the intersection between social and environmental justice while working as an AmeriCorps volunteer for the Ocean State Environmental Education Collaborative. At AmeriCorps, I was responsible for teaching environmental science to youth in hospitals, assisted living facilities, and after school programs. My experience working with underserved groups taught me the importance of community-based conservation and inspired me to study environmental science at The Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington. Today, I lead outreach initiatives that help protect human rights and endangered species on a global level. I am particularly passionate about ensuring the health and safety of indigenous communities while working with others to end the illegal wildlife trade. I am excited to join the University of Cambridge Masters in Conservation Leadership program because it is the only academic course in the world that offers an interdisciplinary focus on biology while teaching management skills that are essential for the next generation of conservation leaders. As a Gates Cambridge Scholar, I look forward to working with others to protect people and wildlife throughout the world.

Previous Education

The Evergreen State College Environmental Science 2013
South Puget Sound College General Studies 2011

Olympia Papachristofi

  • Alumni
  • Cyprus
  • 2011 PhD Biostatistics
  • Robinson College
Olympia Papachristofi

Olympia Papachristofi

  • Alumni
  • Cyprus
  • 2011 PhD Biostatistics
  • Robinson College

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.

Sergiu Petrusca

  • Scholar
  • Romania
  • 2023 PhD Nanoscience and Nanotechnology
  • St John's College
Sergiu Petrusca

Sergiu Petrusca

  • Scholar
  • Romania
  • 2023 PhD Nanoscience and Nanotechnology
  • St John's College

I was born and raised in Bistrița, a little medieval town in northern Transylvania. Fortunately, the town did not get stuck to how it was immortalised in the first chapter of Dracula, as I had the chance to learn from a brilliant cohort of science teachers. They encouraged me to go to various olympiads, a common experience in Eastern Europe, where I have made many long-lasting friendships. Students that had already gone abroad to study encouraged us to follow. That is how I got to do my M. Sci in Natural Sciences at Cambridge, specialising in Chemistry. Throughout the summers I have worked on Chiral Covalent Organic Frameworks at the Babeș-Bolyai University of Cluj-Napoca, and Tetra-Aniline Spindle-Structured Cages in Prof. Nitschke’s group in Cambridge, to cement my synthetic skills. Currently, I am working on Chiral Conjugated Polymers in Prof. Bronstein's group, to understand what modulates the chiral response in such compounds. Pursuing a PhD in Nanoscience would provide the best framework to enrich my scientific toolkit, by interacting and engaging with academics from physics, engineering, and material science. Global warming is a multifaced problem, and it does require interdisciplinary solutions.

Previous Education

University of Cambridge Natural Sciences 2023