Biography

I grew up in Aotearoa New Zealand, where I developed a fascination with the diversity of the natural world. Recognising the power of quantitative reasoning in characterising biological systems, I chose to study Applied Mathematics at Columbia University. During my undergraduate studies, research in developmental biology sparked a deep interest in the principles of self-organisation. I became particularly interested in differences between model species, especially how some early developmental processes are highly conserved while others diverge quite dramatically. I pursued this interest through an MPhil at Cambridge, focusing on placental morphogenesis, and subsequently specialised in human reproduction during an MSc in Clinical Embryology at Oxford. In my PhD at Cambridge, I aim to investigate species-specific differences in early mammalian embryogenesis, seeking to understand both what distinguishes humans and what situates us within a broader evolutionary context. I am grateful to be part of the Gates Cambridge community, where I look forward to engaging with the wider ethical and societal implications of my research.

Previous Education

University of Oxford Clinical Embryology 2026
University of Cambridge Reproduction and Embryogenesis 2025
Columbia University Applied Mathematics 2024