Below you will find comprehensive information about your Gates Cambridge Scholarship and the many elements of the current scholar community. You can use the table of contents at the top of the page to navigate to the relevant section and also ctrl+f (or Apple button +F) to find any content on the page.
If you have feedback on this page or have a question that is not answered here please email scholar.support@gatescambridge.org.
Who's who
The Trust
The Trust’s Programme Team are here to support and help Scholars in all matters relating to their scholarship. If, after reading this page, you have any questions about your award or progress please email scholar.support@gatescambridge.org. If you are unsure when you should contact the Trust, please see the Contact section below.
Scholars’ Council
The Gates Cambridge Scholars’ Council is a body of current Scholars elected by Scholars which is fully funded by the Trust. Through its Officers, the Council represents the interests and needs of current Scholars to the Trust and the Gates Cambridge Alumni Association.
The Scholars’ Council supports the aims of the Gates Cambridge Scholarship to create a network of responsible global leaders. Drawing on the experiences and aspirations of the entire Gates Cambridge Community, the Council strives to enrich the academic, social and professional lives of all Scholars. The Council organises a number of events and activities during the year. Scholar’s Council elections are held in Michaelmas and Easter, with Officers’ terms running for 6 or 12 months (12 months for President/VP). Several positions are appointed with applications in Michaelmas for the Orientation Co-Directors and for the Editors of the Scholar and in Michaelmas/Easter for the LfP co-directors.
You can find further information about the Council (including contact details of each Officer listed below)
Miss Andrea Kusec
- President
- The President/Chair of the Scholars' Council oversees its activities and liaises with the Trust on behalf of Scholars. Contact the President at president@gatescouncil.org
Miss Andrea Kusec
- President
- The President/Chair of the Scholars' Council oversees its activities and liaises with the Trust on behalf of Scholars. Contact the President at president@gatescouncil.org
I became interested in the brain and mind when I was diagnosed with epilepsy at age 13. I pursued a BA in Psychology at Ryerson University, where I became interested in the development and treatment of cognitive biases in mood disorders. While volunteering on the Acquired Brain Injury (ABI) Unit of Toronto Rehabilitation Institute, I developed an interest in designing treatments for cognitive and emotional difficulties in individuals with an ABI that account for their unique impairments. To further my knowledge of ABI, I obtained an MSc in Rehabilitation Science at McMaster University. Many people with an ABI have symptoms of depression, but available methods of treating mood disorders such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy fall short because they rely heavily on domains often compromised in ABI, such as mental flexibility, comprehension, and memory. As a student in the Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, I will investigate whether depression in ABI can be treated by increasing engagement in positive activities, and whether this treatment can be enhanced through cognitive training to facilitate planning and engagement in such activities. If effective, this research could immediately influence rehabilitation services worldwide.
Previous Education
Ryerson University
McMaster University
Miss Nora Martin
- Vice-President
- The Vice President/Secretary works with the President to coordinate Council activities and to liaise with the Trust. Contact vice-president@gatescouncil.org
Miss Nora Martin
- Vice-President
- The Vice President/Secretary works with the President to coordinate Council activities and to liaise with the Trust. Contact vice-president@gatescouncil.org
As an undergraduate in Physics at the University of Oxford, I became fascinated with applying physical, mathematical and computational methods to biology. One area, where these have already had a big impact, is in our understanding of evolution, and my current research is on modelling evolution in Professor Ard Louis’ group in Oxford, where the focus is on studying genotype-phenotype maps as these allow us to model both variation and selection. Last summer, I analysed the properties of the genotype-phenotype map of the model system of biomorphs and I am currently working on the causes and effects of bursts in the production of alternative phenotypes. At Cambridge, I will join Dr Sebastian Ahnert’s group and I am excited about exploring characteristics of new genotype-phenotype maps and their implications for evolutionary dynamics. My goal is to pursue a career in research because I have enjoyed the process of answering open-ended questions in my research projects over the last two years: I have gained insights into experimental work in atomic physics, data analysis in astronomy, and computational work in biological physics, not only in the UK, but also as a Hoffleit Scholar at Yale University in the US and at the University of Stuttgart in Germany. Outside of research and academics, I have taught lessons about environmental issues at a school in Oxford and have organised and run weekly physics talks and classes as president of the Oxford University Physics Society.
Previous Education
University of Oxford
Miss Gabrielle Mills
- Treasurer
- Contact the Treasurer at treasurer@gatescouncil.org
Miss Gabrielle Mills
- Treasurer
- Contact the Treasurer at treasurer@gatescouncil.org
From a young age, I expressed a keen interest in the issues surrounding infectious diseases and global epidemics. As a Biomedical Engineering student at Arizona State University, my interest in epidemiology and its engineering applications were further developed and contextualized by an additional minor in Global Health and a research internship at the Translational Genomics Research Institute. During the course of my PhD in Chemical Engineering at Cambridge, I aspire to develop novel diagnostics for C. difficile, the deadliest superbug in the United States, and C. perfringens, the second leading cause of food poisoning. With C. difficile, there is a direct correlation between mortality and the timing and choice of initial treatment. With the invention of an immediate diagnostic that detects the level of infection, mortality rates may be reduced across global communities.I seek to be a leader in the worldwide pursuit to alleviate the burden of disease on developing populations by delivering technologies that are simple, inexpensive, and—above all else—feasible in their applicable environments. I am grateful to be joining the Gates Cambridge Community and for the opportunity to network with some of the greatest intellects of our generation with the united goal of improving the human condition.
Previous Education
Arizona State University BS in Engineering Biomedical Engineering 2019
Ms Janine Brandes
- Communications Officer
- The Communications Officer is the conduit for assembling and distributing information to and about the Scholar community
Ms Janine Brandes
- Communications Officer
- The Communications Officer is the conduit for assembling and distributing information to and about the Scholar community
With the average life expectancy increasing worldwide, the prevalence of neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson’s disease is predicted to double within the next generation. Despite this rising challenge to public health and numerous clinical trials, there is still no cure for this debilitating disease, highlighting the need for better preclinical models and increased translational research. This motivated me to join efforts unravelling the underlying molecular mechanisms of Parkinson’s during my Master’s thesis in Molecular Medicine at the University of Tübingen. To enable my research to bridge the gap from bench to bedside, I subsequently collaborated with AstraZeneca as a research assistant at the University of Oxford where I established a drug screening pipeline on patient derived cells and succeeded in identifying new drug candidates. For my PhD in Clinical Neurosciences at the University of Cambridge, I will employ a cellular 3D model of Parkinson’s disease involving human neurons and glia to continue deciphering the mechanisms driving disease in patient brains. I hope that using this clinically relevant disease model will facilitate the translation of preclinical studies into patient treatment. I am deeply honoured to have been selected for a Gates Cambridge scholarship and am looking forward to joining a community of scholars who aspire to use their academic abilities to improve the lives of others.
Previous Education
Eberhard-Karls-Universitat Tubingen Molecular Medicine 2019
Eberhard-Karls-Universitat Tubingen Molecular Medicine 2016
University of Michigan Psychology, Neuroscience 2015
Ms Dorien Braam
- Alumni Officer
- The Alumni Officer works closely with the Gates Cambridge Alumni Association to connect the Scholar and Alumni communities.
Ms Dorien Braam
- Alumni Officer
- The Alumni Officer works closely with the Gates Cambridge Alumni Association to connect the Scholar and Alumni communities.
Having worked in a variety of roles across Asia and eastern Africa with the UN, INGO's and government focusing on disaster displacement, human rights and shelter, I returned to academia via a MSc in International Animal Health at the University of Edinburgh. My thesis research on ‘Animal health programming in humanitarian and development assistance in Somalia’ showed the gaps and need for high quality research and critical assessment to improve the evidence base for policy and program development. For my PhD in Veterinary Medicine I will study the prevalence of zoonoses - diseases transmitted between animals and humans - in displaced populations, addressing some of the most pressing global challenges of the next decade: climate change, displacement and emerging infectious diseases. Disease transmission between wildlife and livestock, the increased risk of zoonoses in areas where people and animals with weakened immune systems live closely together, and the emergence of infectious diseases among naive host communities are areas that need to be increasingly researched. Gaining a better understanding of disease prevalence and dynamics, control and prevention will improve the well-being of both humans and animals, with the aim to influence and improve institutional responses. I am incredibly honored that I can pursue this important field of study at the University of Cambridge with the support of the Gates Scholarship, and look forward to becoming a part of the community.
Previous Education
Technische Universiteit Delft
The University of Edinburgh
Miss Fang Liu
- Editor-in-Chief of The Scholar magazine
- The Editor-in-Chief is responsible for the production of the annual The Scholar magazine. Email: eic@gatescouncil.org
Miss Fang Liu
- Editor-in-Chief of The Scholar magazine
- The Editor-in-Chief is responsible for the production of the annual The Scholar magazine. Email: eic@gatescouncil.org
My proposed topic, moral dilemmas of contemporary Chinese liberal intellectuals, arises from my long-standing interest. I completed a BA in Journalism in the highest rated institution for journalism in China, Renmin University, and received my Distinction MA in Sociocultural Anthropology at Durham University, UK. Between the two degrees, I have worked as a journalist and editor in Chinese top media organisations for over 11 years. These experiences have granted me first-hand observations, an extensive network analytic skills and narrative approaches. I have written numerous articles concerning the roles and dilemmas of liberal intellectuals, 20 of which were published into my first book, Triste Common Sense (2013). I reckon many ethical paradoxes in everyday life of Chinese liberal intellectuals are largely unheard and untold. By verbalising, representing and analysing their experiences, this project will help us to gain more reflection and recognition on their roles and responsibilities in this era. It will also benefit broader Chinese citizens to get better understandings of the reality of Chinese society, and to take references or inspirations from these intellectuals' choices and struggles.
Previous Education
Durham University Sociocultural Anthropology 2019
Renmin University Journalism 2007
Mr Anis Barmada
- Deputy Editor-in-Chief of The Scholar magazine
- The DEIC supports the EIC in the production of The Scholar magazine. Email: deic@gatescouncil.org
Mr Anis Barmada
- Deputy Editor-in-Chief of The Scholar magazine
- The DEIC supports the EIC in the production of The Scholar magazine. Email: deic@gatescouncil.org
Growing up in Damascus, Syria, I immigrated to the United States when I was seventeen in September 2015. Completing my senior year at Wheeling High School in the U.S., I enrolled at UIC pursuing a bachelor's degree with a double major in biology and chemistry and minor in mathematics. I was fascinated by the immense potential in developing novel analytical chemical and mathematical tools to solve pressing biomedical problems. Starting my first year of college, I have conducted research on diabetic eye disease while volunteering at an ophthalmology clinic to serve patients of the same life-changing, blindness-causing disease conditions. Through these experiences, I found an articulation of my interests in patient-driven research that considers both the biochemical and socioeconomic lenses. Through the MPhil in Genomic Medicine at Cambridge, I hope to visualize the molecular, analytical, statistical, social, and clinical challenges facing the use of omics-based personalized medicine across everyday clinics. Professionally, I intend to pursue an M.D./Ph.D. advancing biochemical and computational technologies to address currently incurable diseases, and contributing to the crafting of a new era of healthcare without disparities.
Previous Education
University of Illinois-Chicago Biology and Chemistry 2020
Ms Amelia Urry
- Assistant Editor of the Scholar
- The Assistant Editor is part of a three person team which produces The Scholar magazine. Email: ae@gatescouncil.org
Ms Amelia Urry
- Assistant Editor of the Scholar
- The Assistant Editor is part of a three person team which produces The Scholar magazine. Email: ae@gatescouncil.org
The history of climate change will shape its future. An avid reader from a young age, I understood the power of stories to change our worldview, and the starring role that science plays in many of these stories. After studying English literature and poetry at Yale, I spent five years reporting on climate science and the environment as a journalist in Seattle. As I explored the gap between public ideas about science and how climate scientists thought about their own work, I came to see uncertainty not as a byproduct of ignorance but as an aspect of scientific knowledge itself. My PhD will build on this idea through a history of climate science in Antarctica, a continent frequently depicted as a 'blank' for science to fill in. The past half-century of scientific attempts to map, measure, and model the seventh continent have led to the current "deep uncertainty" in IPCC projections of sea-level rise. The efforts to confront uncertainty in Antarctic oceans and ice sheets form an important chapter in the still-unfolding history of climate science, and I am honored and excited to have the opportunity to carry out this work as a member of the Gates community.
Previous Education
University of Cambridge History and Philosophy of Scie 2020
Yale University English, Creative Writing 2013
Mr Davide Martino
- Internal Officer
- The Internal Officer oversees the Scholars' Common Room and organises Internal Symposia each term.
Mr Davide Martino
- Internal Officer
- The Internal Officer oversees the Scholars' Common Room and organises Internal Symposia each term.
As a child, two of my favourite books were a collection of Greek myths, mainly from the Iliad and the Odyssey, and a biography of Alexander the Great; both a love for books and a curiosity for the past have stayed with me since. I was lucky to grow up in Italy first, then in Belgium, and when I made the leap across the Channel to study History at Cambridge I already saw myself as a European citizen. My fascination for the philosophes of the Enlightenment initially lured me towards the eighteenth century, but a combination of chance and opportunity led me to focus on the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries instead. As I researched the history of a Florentine family relocating to South Germany in the midst of the Thirty Years’ War for my Master’s, I found in the past some parallels with my own experience of transnational movement. For my PhD I will cross not just national but also disciplinary boundaries, investigating the uses of hydraulic knowledge and expertise across three early modern cities, Florence, Augsburg, and Amsterdam. Retracing the careers of hydraulic experts responsible for monumental fountains and mundane sewage systems alike, my work will be at the crossroads between the history of science, art history, and environmental history. In particular, I intend to contribute to the field of water history, which has very concrete implications for the present, and for ensuring that we can continue to hold water in shared and sustainable possession with fellow humans.
Previous Education
Birmingham City University Education (Primary) 2019
University of Cambridge Early Modern History 2017
University of Cambridge History 2016
Ms Emma Soneson
- External Community Officer
- The External Community Officer promotes scholar involvement in the community. Contact the Officer at external@gatescouncil.org
Ms Emma Soneson
- External Community Officer
- The External Community Officer promotes scholar involvement in the community. Contact the Officer at external@gatescouncil.org
With undergraduate degrees in Italian and Ecology & Evolutionary Biology and past research experience in primate behaviour and orthopaedics, I might seem at first a bit of an unusual candidate for a PhD in Psychiatry. My interests in child and adolescent mental health and appreciation for population approaches to improving health and wellbeing developed through my work at Yale and the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. I am particularly interested in understanding the role of schools in mental health promotion and prevention. In 2016-17, I completed my MPhil in Public Health at Cambridge with a research focus on the acceptability of school-based identification of mental health difficulties. For my PhD, I will continue to work with Professor Peter Jones, Dr Emma Howarth, and Professor Mina Fazel (Oxford) on this research as we design, implement, and evaluate different models of school-based identification. By increasing early identification rates, we hope to improve access to care and support for children and young people who are experiencing mental health difficulties and ultimately improve their long-term psychosocial outcomes. I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to spend another three years in Cambridge surrounded by inspiring mentors, colleagues, and friends, and am honoured and excited to join the Gates Cambridge community!
Previous Education
Yale University
University of Cambridge
Ms Anna Forringer-Beal
- Social Officer
- The Social Officers plan a variety of events in Cambridge and trips further afield throughout the year. Contact the Social Officers at social@gatescouncil.org
Ms Anna Forringer-Beal
- Social Officer
- The Social Officers plan a variety of events in Cambridge and trips further afield throughout the year. Contact the Social Officers at social@gatescouncil.org
After seeing firsthand how the law impacted the daily lives of women through the Undocumented Migration Project or on the National Human Trafficking Hotline, I felt compelled to study the construction of laws and the cultural attitudes which influence them. Through an MPhil in Gender Studies at Cambridge, I was able to explore how stereotypes about immigrants and sex workers impacted data gathering, victim assistance, and ultimately limited the scope of the UK Modern Slavery Act of 2015. I am humbled to be returning to the Gates Scholar’s Community to expand this project through a PhD in Gender Studies. By constructing a genealogy of anti-trafficking law stretching back to the White Slave Panics of the late 1800’s, I aim to show that anti-trafficking laws are currently constrained by xenophobic thought. It is my hope that this work will refocus anti-trafficking policy to human rights and survivor support as the most effective tools in combating trafficking. When not writing about human trafficking, I can be found baking, boxing, or fastidiously reorganizing my to-do lists.
Previous Education
University of Cambridge MPhil Gender Studies 2018
University of Michigan Bachelor of Arts Anthropology 2016
Miss Hafsah Haseeb Siddiqui
- Outreach Officer
- The Outreach Officer facilitates the scholar community's engagement with alumni, the wider Cambridge network, the public, and potential new applicants. Contact the Outreach Officer at outreach@gatescouncil.org
Miss Hafsah Haseeb Siddiqui
- Outreach Officer
- The Outreach Officer facilitates the scholar community's engagement with alumni, the wider Cambridge network, the public, and potential new applicants. Contact the Outreach Officer at outreach@gatescouncil.org
While studying Human Geography and Sociology at the University of Toronto, my professors nurtured my interest in examining social inequality and segregation in urban space. I was inspired to contemplate justice-oriented visions of city building and analyze uneven development and political fragmentation within cities which are more pronounced now than ever. At Cambridge, my research will consider how citizen-led development can be employed as a tool for empowering the urban poor in the context of housing inequality and forced evictions from informal settlements in Pakistan. Specifically, I will investigate how cross-class alliances can enhance marginalized groups’ political claims-making abilities and help them assert their status as legitimate urban citizens. Urban theories and policies are largely based on the experiences of a select few cities in the Global North. In response, my scholarly aim is to highlight diverse Southern urban experiences, which will reveal important socio-political particularities about life in cities of the Global South. By inspiring policymakers and researchers, I hope to achieve a future where cities are not divided or fragmented but rather inclusive spaces of collaboration between residents. I am grateful and excited, and humbled most of all, to be joining a community of students who share a strong commitment to changing the world for the better.
Previous Education
University of Toronto Geography 2019
University of Toronto Human Geography, Sociology, Writing & Rhetoric 2018
Miss Bailey Weatherbee
- Gates Community Officer
- The Gates Community Officer is responsible for fostering an inclusive Gates Community. Contact the Gates Community Officer at community@gatescouncil.org
Miss Bailey Weatherbee
- Gates Community Officer
- The Gates Community Officer is responsible for fostering an inclusive Gates Community. Contact the Gates Community Officer at community@gatescouncil.org
Since childhood, I was always fascinated by developmental biology. I wanted to understand how a single cell could become a complex organism. After matriculating as an Honors Biology student at the University of Delaware, I joined Dr. Salil A. Lachke’s developmental genetics laboratory where I studied the role of RNA-binding protein-mediated post-transcriptional regulation in mammalian ocular lens development. Simultaneously, I explored my passions for education access and science advocacy. Since 2014, I’ve worked with Leading Youth Through Empowerment – a non-profit that offers accelerated coursework to high-achieving at-risk youth. I also participated in the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology’s Advocacy Training Program through which I met with the offices of my senators and representative to advocate for science funding and education.At Cambridge, I will carry out my Ph.D. project in the laboratory of Dr. Magdalena Zernicka-Goetz studying the post-implantation development of human and mouse embryos. Post-implantation stages are referred to as the “black box” of development, and very little is known about these early stages when many pregnancies fail. Recently, Dr. Zernicka-Goetz’s group developed a culture system that opened this “black box” and I look forward to finding what lies within it. I am honored to join the motivated and interdisciplinary Gates Cambridge community.
Previous Education
University of Delaware Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences 2019
Mr Dhruv Nandamudi
- Social Officer
- The Social Officers plan a variety of events in Cambridge and trips further afield throughout the year. Contact the Social Officers at social@gatescouncil.org
Mr Dhruv Nandamudi
- Social Officer
- The Social Officers plan a variety of events in Cambridge and trips further afield throughout the year. Contact the Social Officers at social@gatescouncil.org
As an undergraduate researcher at the Yale’s Center for Emotional Intelligence and Clinical and Affective Neuroscience Lab, I grew particularly interested in exploring the impact of psychosocial stress on neurological subsystems. In my capacity as director of the Yale Wellness Project, I helped design and conduct a large-scale study aimed at better understanding the role of stress in student life, and mitigating its more deleterious neural effects through the implementation of targeted interventional efforts. At Cambridge’s MRC CBU, my PhD will focus on exploring the neuroscientific relationship between stress and memory control, or, more broadly, motivated forgetting, through a combination of neuroimaging and molecular paradigms. From a clinical standpoint, memory control as such refers to a cognitive process that involves the active suppression of emotionally valent memories in response to environmental triggers, and thereby constitutes a barrier to negative affective states. This bears particular relevance to mental health science for the clinical treatment of mood and anxiety-related disorders. My goal is to better understand the mechanisms guiding the interaction between stress and motivated forgetting in an effort to inform potential treatment methodologies for psychological disorders by enhancing cognitive emotion regulation. I am profoundly honored to be a part of the Gates Cambridge community, and its network of scholars dedicated to bettering the human condition.
Previous Education
Yale University Bachelor of Science in Psychology 2018
Mr David Rousso
- Technology Officer
- The Technology Officers are responsible for maintaining the electronic hardware and software in the Scholars' Common Room. Contact the Technology Officers at tech@gatescouncil.org
Mr David Rousso
- Technology Officer
- The Technology Officers are responsible for maintaining the electronic hardware and software in the Scholars' Common Room. Contact the Technology Officers at tech@gatescouncil.org
During my Nanotechnology Engineering degree at the University of Waterloo, I have come to understand the importance of interdisciplinarity. Being taught everything from biochemistry to controls systems, my research background has been broad from photonic metasurfaces and plasmonic biosensors at Harvard to Bose-Einstein condensates at Cambridge, to muon physics at the Paul Scherrer Institute, and program management at Microsoft Japan doing coding work in machine learning. I will be pursuing a PhD in High Energy Physics at the ATLAS collaboration at Cambridge in the hopes of advancing our understanding of the universe beyond the standard model. My hope is that with a new breakthrough we will be able to stem a new blossoming of world-changing technology just like when Planck made his breakthrough 100 years ago. I am incredibly honoured to join the Gates Cambridge community, and as an interdisciplinary at heart, I am excited for the opportunities this community will give to stem new collaborations. Interdisciplinary collaborations with particle physics have yielded incredibly impactful results, from proton therapy for cancer treatment, to cosmic muon tomography for understanding how the Pyramids were built and the effects of global warming with respect to glacier melting. I also seek to address current issues in STEM outreach, such that we may ensure that every child can pursue their passion in spite of their cultural pressures.
Previous Education
University of Waterloo Nanotechnology Engineering 2019
Hong Kong University of Science & Technology Exchange 2017
Miss Michelle Ko
- Technology Officer
- The Technology Officers are responsible for maintaining the electronic hardware and software in the Scholars' Common Room. Contact the Technology Officers at tech@gatescouncil.org
Miss Michelle Ko
- Technology Officer
- The Technology Officers are responsible for maintaining the electronic hardware and software in the Scholars' Common Room. Contact the Technology Officers at tech@gatescouncil.org
While growing up next to the library in Cockeysville, Maryland, I came to love stories. After reading hundreds of books, I consider the grandest origin story to be the curious saga of how we developed from a single cell into who we are today. Even more exciting to me is that this remarkable journey still has many questions left unanswered. To explore this further, I am pursuing a degree in Human Developmental and Regenerative Biology at Harvard University and conducting research in autism spectrum disorder and cortical development in the Arlotta Lab. Through this research and my coursework, I became interested in how the nervous and immune systems communicate with each other in sickness and in health. During my PhD at the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, I will explore this theme in Andrew McKenzie’s group and I aim to interpret the dialogue between the nervous system and innate lymphoid cells. I hope that this research of fundamental interactions will empower the field to understand neuro-immune diseases better. I am immensely excited and grateful to join the vibrant and passionate community of Gates Cambridge Scholars.
Previous Education
Harvard University AB Developmental Biology 2019
Ms Avani Tandon Vieira
- Learning for Purpose Co-Director
- Learning for purpose officers lead and organise a curriculum and series of workshops aimed at skills development for scholars. Contact at learningforpurpose@gatescouncil.org
Ms Avani Tandon Vieira
- Learning for Purpose Co-Director
- Learning for purpose officers lead and organise a curriculum and series of workshops aimed at skills development for scholars. Contact at learningforpurpose@gatescouncil.org
Over years of studying literature, first as an undergraduate at St. Stephen's College, Delhi and then as a Master's student at the University of Oxford, I have developed an appreciation for the narratives that often go unheard. My work considers independent literary expression in India and turns to the ways in which writing and documentation can transform how we occupy, understand, and move in the world. By looking to minority voices, through scholarship and curatorial work, I hope to bring attention to the politics of artistic practice, building spaces that are are aware both of their potential and their responsibility.
Previous Education
University of Oxford World Literatures in English 2017
University of Delhi English 2016
Miss Ashley Zhou
- Learning for Purpose Co-Director
- Learning for purpose officers lead and organise a curriculum and series of workshops aimed at skills development for scholars. Contact at learningforpurpose@gatescouncil.org
Miss Ashley Zhou
- Learning for Purpose Co-Director
- Learning for purpose officers lead and organise a curriculum and series of workshops aimed at skills development for scholars. Contact at learningforpurpose@gatescouncil.org
Growing up in Austin, Melbourne, Beijing and Maryland, my life has been filled with shifting residences, but remaining unchanged is a deep curiosity for the miraculous gift of “mind” that distinguishes humans of all cultures. During my undergraduate studies in Neuroscience and Behavior at University of Notre Dame, I’ve found my passion for research in the neuroscience of consciousness and human intelligence. My PhD project at the MRC Brain and Cognition Unit investigates the neural networks associated with insight problem-solving, and I hope I can help reveal how our “intuition” works and inspire conversation across interdisciplinary fields. In an age marked by technology breakthroughs, my goal is to encourage more dialogue between neuroscience and artificial intelligence. I’m extremely honored to be part of the Gates Cambridge Scholars community, and I’m looking forward to beginning the next part of my journey with my fellow Gates Scholars and creating lasting impact on the world together.
Previous Education
University of Notre Dame Neuroscience and Behavior 2019
Mr Minaam Abbas
- Orientation Co-Director
- The Orientation officers lead and organise the new Scholar orientation activities. Contact the Orientation Committee at orientation@gatescouncil.org
Mr Minaam Abbas
- Orientation Co-Director
- The Orientation officers lead and organise the new Scholar orientation activities. Contact the Orientation Committee at orientation@gatescouncil.org
The diverse and innovative realms of biomedical sciences and healthcare captured my imagination since my days at Karachi Grammar School. As I commenced my medical training at Cambridge, I was astounded by the complex collection of molecular machines and networks that formed an unlikely, harmonious cooperative: the human body. I periodically satiated my curiosity with research projects exploring proteins involved in cancer metastasis and novel prognostic tests for chronic liver disease. At Caltech, I also investigated human neural reference frames in Brain Machine Interfaces. This inspired a Part II in Neuroscience, which gradually revealed the dearth of approved medications for neural tumours. This burning necessity drove me to cofound a cancer therapeutics and drug delivery bio-startup, angioClast, which is developing a sophisticated treatment strategy for vascularised tumours. As an MB/PhD student, I hope to study the cryptic world of RNA and DNA modifications at the Kouzarides Lab. This hitherto unexplored field has groundbreaking implications for future therapeutics. During this program, I also hope to further delve into the fascinating fields of public health and health-tech. These interests were shaped by my forays into public policy for Neglected Tropical Diseases, and a micro-financing social venture featured at the Hult Prize Regional Final. In the future, I wish to discover synergies across the journey from bench to bedside, delivering innovative personalised medicine and effective public health interventions.
Previous Education
University of Cambridge
Ms Aishat Yusuf
- Orientation Co-Director
- The Orientation officers lead and organise the new Scholar orientation activities. Contact the Orientation Committee at orientation@gatescouncil.org
Ms Aishat Yusuf
- Orientation Co-Director
- The Orientation officers lead and organise the new Scholar orientation activities. Contact the Orientation Committee at orientation@gatescouncil.org
As a child who frequently visited the hospital, many questions about human health boggled my mind. Indeed, these curiosities lead me to the captivating world of the Medical Sciences. I was born and raised in Ogun State, southwestern Nigeria. In 2016, I obtained a full tuition fee waiver to study Biomedicine in Karolinska Institute, Sweden. I have spent my undergraduate summers carrying out research projects in various labs. My interest in cancer research developed during the later part of my education. With cancer being a global disease and a major cause of mortality worldwide, it is of paramount importance that we strive to speed up diagnosis and improve treatment. My PhD project at the MRC cancer unit involves the identification of candidate biomarkers that could be used in patient risk stratification for oesophageal cancer. It is my hope that by identifying these biomarkers, patients at risk can easily be identified and, therefore, be able to seek medical intervention at a very early stage before the disease progresses. At and beyond Cambridge, I hope to work on projects directed towards positively impacting health and lives of people including my home country, Nigeria and the world at large. I am truly humbled and beyond grateful to be part of such a prestigious international scholarship programme.
Previous Education
Karolinska Institute Biomedical Science 2019
Alumni Association
All Scholars automatically become members of the Gates Cambridge Alumni Association (GCAA) at the end of their award. The GCAA Board (whose work is funded by the Trust) aims to build a global network of alumni dedicated to improving the lives of others, to promote the Gates Cambridge Scholarship and to engage alumni through the exchange of knowledge, academic ideas and professional development.
You can find out more information on the Alumni page.
Finances
Budgeting
The Gates Cambridge Scholarship is very generous and compares favourably against other major funding in the UK. But it is important that you budget properly during your time at Cambridge to ensure you get the most out of your experience – and avoid financial difficulties.
The Trust and Scholars’ Council have worked together to created a budgeting guide, which we strongly recommend you read.
Core funding
Your Gates Cambridge Scholarship includes the following core components:
- Tuition Fee
- Maintenance allowance (£17,500 for 12 months at the 2020–21 rate; pro rata for courses shorter than 12 months)
- One economy single airfare at both the beginning and end of your course (or a return ticket for courses shorter than 11 months)
- Visa costs, which also include the annual Immigration Health Surcharge for the tenure of your visa
Tuition Fee
The University Composition Fee is the approved tuition fee for the degree and subject you will undertake at Cambridge. The University Composition Fee is paid directly to your College which forwards it on to the University. The Trust expects this fee to cover all of the costs related to your course within your department (e.g. Supervisor, fieldwork costs, equipment, departmental administrative support, lab space etc.).
Please note: the University Composition Fee also covers your College membership fee but it does not cover your accommodation, meals and similar – you will need to pay for these using your maintenance allowance.
The University Composition Fee is paid by the Trust directly to your College each year. You do not need to be involved with this process; your College is aware of your status as a Gates Cambridge Scholar and should not contact you for payment.
Maintenance Allowance
Maintenance payments are made at the start of each academic quarter (October, January, April and – if appropriate – July) and your first payment will be made by cheque. You will be contacted by the Programme team via e-mail with regards to collection times and location.
From the second instalment onwards you have the option of receiving your maintenance allowance via a direct transfer to your bank account. You will be required to sign-in in person at the Trust’s Offices at the end of each quarter. See below the sign-in dates for the academic year 2019-20:
- Lent Term – Monday 2 December 2019 to Wednesday 11 December 2019
- Easter Term – Monday 9 March 2020 to Thursday 19 March 2020
- Long Vacation – Monday 8 June 2020 to Thursday 18 June 2020
Please note that the Trust cannot change the dates on which payments of allowances are normally made, unless there are exceptional circumstances.
Fourth year maintenance (PhD Scholars)
If you require maintenance during some or all of the fourth year of your PhD you may request this in the third year of your award by completing the Fourth Year Funding form. Full instructions and deadlines and are available on the first page of the form.
Visa costs
Your scholarship includes the cost of a visa, should you require one, at the standard rate (including the Immigration Health Surcharge). Full details are available on the Scholar-elect page.
Travel home
As part of your scholarship you are eligible for a single economy airfare from the UK to your normal place of residence (home). If at the end of your course you are leaving Cambridge but not going to your normal place of residence (home), we will cover whichever is the cheapest fare of the two.
We expect that flights ‘home’ to be scheduled close to your official leaving time – i.e. if you finish your Scholarship in September but decide to stay in the UK until Christmas, we expect to receive an itinerary for September and not for Christmas (which has inflated holiday prices). Scholars who choose to travel at peak holiday times, or who do not plan ahead, may be asked to pay the difference between a standard, economy airfare and the peak time inflated price.
As our travel agent (STA Travel Cambridge) has ceased trading, Scholars are now asked to book and pay for their own flight and then claim a reimbursement from the Trust.
Before confirming or paying for your flight, please submit the Flight Authorisation Form below with your proposed flight details to check that the Trust will be able to reimburse the travel costs that you will incur. The Trust will then need to review and approve your proposed flight option. Once approved, you can book and pay for the flight. You will then need to submit a reimbursement form with supporting receipts for the Trust to reimburse you the agreed costs by bank transfer.
Scholars should use a flight comparison website, such as Skyskanner – https://www.skyscanner.net/, to investigate the best value travel options available to them. In some cases it may be more appropriate for you to travel by bus or train and if so, please still use the Flight Authorisation Form to check your travel plans with the Trust.
The Trust requests that you are flexible with your choice of route, airline, departure date and departure/arrival airport where possible in order to source a competitively priced ticket. This information should be evidenced to the Trust in the three journey quotes that you provide in the Flight Authorisation Form.
For example, when travelling to Cambridge you may have the choice of multiple London airports, such as London Stansted, London Heathrow or London Gatwick. Also, by using the calendar function on travel websites you can view which days are cheaper to travel, it may make a significant difference to your ticket price if you depart a day or two earlier (or later). All savings allow the Trust to make the most effective use of its funds for the benefit of all scholars it supports.
Once you have researched your travel options, please complete the Flight Authorisation Form and submit to our dedicated travel email address – events@gatescambridge.org to request permission from the Trust to book your journey.
A note on insurance – your Gates Cambridge Scholarship does not provide insurance for your travel or to cover your personal belongings. As soon as your travel arrangements are confirmed, we ask that you take out a suitable travel insurance policy in case of any travel delays, loss or damage to your possessions or changes to your plans (particularly in light of the current coronavirus situation).
If you are required to use a country specific, government scheme to travel (such as specific repatriation flights), you may apply for a reimbursement of your travel costs using the form below.
Reimbursement form instructions
Discretionary Funding
Academic Development Funding
Academic Development funding is intended to support activities such as attendance at conferences or courses related to your studies, which are additional to those that should be covered by the University fee paid by the Trust. Any application which funds a key component of your course will not be considered as these should be covered by the fees paid by the Trust to the University on your behalf.
Academic Development funding is offered at the following rates:
- One-year degree: up to £500
- Two-year degree: up to £1,250
- Three-year degree or longer: up to £2,000
Please note that (a) you can only apply for a maximum of £500 in the probationary first year of your PhD and (b) the above are not allowances, but the maximum amounts you may apply for.
Funding can be applied for one or more times during the formal tenure of your course. For PhD students: Academic Development activities may not be applied for during a period of writing up (4th year), however you may attend an activity during your period of writing up if you apply to attend and register for the event whilst in your third year.
When applying for funding you will need to include a statement of support from your Supervisor or course tutor as part of the application form. There is no limit to the number of applications for Academic Development funding you can make, however the Trust will only fund activities that are undertaken while you are a student (i.e. before your course end date) and relevant to your course. The Trust retains final discretion over whether an activity will be supported.
You may not use Academic Development funds to purchase physical items (e.g. posters, books, laptops, cameras etc.). Funds can also not be used to pay for unofficial suppliers/unregulated suppliers such as a friend providing you with accommodation during a conference, Air B&B bookings or transport provided by unregulated providers such as a friend driving you or Uber.
You should apply for Academic Development Funding at least a month in advance of the event and where possible, provide supporting documentation to evidence the expected costs.
**Updated Policy during Coronavirus Pandemic** – During the COVID-19 pandemic situation, the Trust will consider Academic Development Funding requests from scholars in their 4th year (not 5th year) who were unable to attend a conference last academic year because it was cancelled. Requests will be subject to the usual case-by-case review and subject to legitimate reasons and supporting evidence etc. There must be a genuine academic reason to attend the event for the benefit of PhD completion, not just to enhance personal skills.
Also, Academic Development Funding will be exceptionally allowed to contribute towards the cost of a laptop or software if a scholar is not able to work/study effectively without it. The Trust will consider applications to contribute 50% of the cost, up to a MAXIMUM of £500. This will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis and subject to legitimate reasons and supporting evidence. Funds cannot be used to upgrade a functioning laptop.
Please note this is a temporary agreement and the Trust has the right to end this scheme at any time.
Apply for Academic Development Funding
Family Allowance
Maternity/paternity Allowance
Fieldwork and Leave to Work Away
Hardship
In the event that you should require additional funding for an unexpected or emergency situation, you should submit an application to the Hardship Fund. These applications are dealt with sympathetically and on a case by case basis.
Please note: the Trust is unable to provide funding for private medical treatment as all Scholars are covered for National Health Service treatment through the Immigration Health Surcharge already paid on your behalf by the Trust during your visa application process.
The Trust reviews all applications for discretionary funding on a case-by-case basis and retains final discretion over whether funding is awarded.
Policies & regulations
Illness
Debt
Please note that the Trust disclaims all responsibility for any debts you may incur. Nor will the Trust act as guarantor for loans or debts. Scholars are advised that the Trust reserves the right to pay maintenance to the college if so requested on the reasonable grounds of failure to settle outstanding debts to the College or any other body.
Intermission (taking a break from your course)
Intermission has a formal meaning and requires a change in your registered status at the University. It does not mean to informally ‘take a break’. You can find full details on the University’s web page.
Should you need to ‘intermit’ your studies (i.e. you need to stop your research or course attendance) for medical or non-medical reasons you apply to the Student Registry for permission to intermit and also complete the Trust’s Intermission application form below. PhD students should always discuss any plans to intermit well in advance with their supervisor, College Tutor or Departmental Graduate advisor/administrator.
Once your application for intermission has been approved by the Student Registry and the Trust your Scholarship will be ‘suspended’ – the Trust will not be liable for University fees and you will not receive your maintenance allowance. Your Scholarship will restart when you return to Cambridge and your award finish date will be amended to reflect the period of Intermission. Scholars on a Tier 4 visa should note that the Trust is only able to suspend its award, it has no control over visa extensions. Scholars can find more details on Tier 4 visa and intermitting on the University’s web page.
A retrospective application for Intermission will not be accepted unless there have been exceptional circumstances and you may be required to return any maintenance you have already received.
Where a Scholar has to intermit for circumstances beyond their control (e.g. illness) and is unable to return to their home country for the period of intermission, the Trust will consider an application for hardship funding.
Networking & resources
You can look up any member of the Gates Cambridge community using the public Directory. You can then search the Internet for further details.
Your on-line profile
Every scholar-elect, scholar and alumna/nus has an on-line profile which allows you to update certain elements (e.g. contact, location and employment details). This is currently not searchable by members, but is a very useful tool for the Trust to report on the community and to send members appropriate information about events and activities.
@gatesscholar.org email
Gates Scholars Common Room (GSCR)
Whilst in Cambridge you will have access to the Gates Scholars Common Room (GSCR). This room is located on the 2nd floor of the University Centre. It is there for you to work in, relax in, and to mix with fellow Gates Cambridge Scholars and is the location for a lot of Scholars’ Council organised events. Resources include a computer lab, a collection of books from the Cambridge University Press, space to read and work, Wi-Fi, a TV room, games, etc.
The room is accessible to all Scholars and Alumni with your university card. If you have any trouble accessing the Common Room with your University card, please contact the Internal Officer of the Scholars’ Council (internal@gatescouncil.org). The University Centre is open seven days a week from 9.00am to 11.00pm (10.30pm on Sunday).
Printing allowance
Each year the Trust provides a printing allowance (currently £20 per annum) to all Scholars in residence which can be used on the printers in the Scholars’ Room. Unused credit does not roll over and it is not normally possible to provide additional credit.
In addition, many Scholars will have access to free or discounted printing via their College and/or department.
Outreach and promotion
Outreach
Scholars and Alumni can undertake outreach via the Ambassador Programme – a Scholar and Alumni-led and Trust-supported project to increase awareness about the Gates Cambridge Scholarships across the world.
Scholars and Alumni arrange formal presentations or informal conversations for their local universities, alma mater or other institutions. At present this is likely to be virtual, but once in person events are possible this may as part of a trip for a conference, fieldwork or holiday – or when they return home after their scholarship. There is no application process or formal arrangements and you can find resources below:
- Standard PowerPoint presentation (use in full or as a reference; feel free to update the featured scholar section if you wish)
- Posters – currently in English, Spanish and Portuguese (if you’re able translate into another language please details to events@gatescambridge.org)
If you give a presentation or talk – or have any questions – please email events@gatescambridge.org with details.
Promotion
There are two main ways you can help promote the Gates Cambridge Scholarship programme and the opportunities it offers:
- Send us your news so we can promote your achievements and successes.
- Create content – whether writing for The Scholar magazine, creating a blog or interviewing for a profile you can make your own contribution to profile raising.
Send us news
Knowing about the successes and activities of our Scholars and Alumni is key to showcasing the Gates Cambridge programme to the wider world and to our community. A good stream of news allows us to do this – as well as increasing an individual Scholar’s profile.
Will you or a Scholar you know:
-
be a recipient of an award
-
publish a book or paper
-
take part in a significant international event
-
organise a conference or similar event
-
set up or play a significant new role in an NGO or other body
-
write an op-ed
-
about to be receive some media coverage
-
or undertake something else we could promote
If so, send details to news@gatescambridge.org. If you can send details before the event all the better, but if you can only send details post event please do.
Create content
There are lots opportunities to create content. Find out what you can do for Gates Cambridge and how we can help you.
-
Interview for a profile [links to pdf]
-
Blog for us [links to pdf]
-
Write an article for The Scholar magazine [links to pdf]
-
Press releases and media contacts [links to pdf]
Please email news@gatescambridge.org with details.
Contact
How and when to can contact the Trust
The Trust’s staff are here to support and help you before, during and after your time at Cambridge.
You can contact the Scholar Support team at any point by email on scholar.support@gatescambridge.org.
The Trust needs to know about your academic progress and plans and any major changes to your circumstances at Cambridge. Please contact the Trust as soon as possible in any of the following circumstances:
- You are thinking about applying for Leave To Work Away – e.g. for fieldwork
- You are thinking about applying for Intermission (a break from your course) – e.g. for medical reasons
- You are experiencing financial, medical, personal, mental health or other difficulties that are impacting on your ability to successfully complete your course on time/at all
- You are thinking about changing your supervisor
- You are thinking about changing your course
- Any other circumstances that might affect your ability to make satisfactory academic progress
Please do not ignore any concerns or difficulties you may be experiencing. It is always the case that the sooner you inform the Trust of any important changes or difficulties you are experiencing the sooner we can help or signpost you to help in other parts of the Collegiate University. The Trust will always deal with all inquiries confidentially and is available to discuss any relevant issues with you.
