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Annie Shelton
- Scholar-elect
- United States, United Kingdom
- 2025 PhD Plant Sciences
- Downing College
Annie Shelton
- Scholar-elect
- United States, United Kingdom
- 2025 PhD Plant Sciences
- Downing College
I am committed to supporting the growth and survival of humans in space and on Earth by enabling access to fresh and nutritious food that is sustainably produced. My determination to grow plants in space initiated during my undergraduate studies at the University of California, Riverside where I achieved a BSc in Neuroscience with a minor in Plant Biology. Driven to learn more about how food is produced on a large scale led me to pursue a Master’s in Integrative Plant Science concentrated in Controlled Environment Agriculture at Cornell University. During my PhD in Plant Science, I aim to bridge fundamental and applied research. My research will investigate the engineering of plant circadian rhythms and controlled environments to enhance photosynthetic efficiency for resilient food production in space and on Earth. Using space agriculture as a platform to scale lab-based discoveries will not only address the challenges of food security on Earth but also drive the technological advancements required for future space missions. As we push the boundaries of agriculture in extreme environments, we contribute to the growing need for resilient food systems on Earth and play a critical role in supporting human survival beyond our planet.
Previous Education
Univ. of California, Riverside Neuroscience Minor Plant Bio
Cornell University Integrative-Plant-Science-CEA
Samuel Shelton
- Scholar-elect
- Australia
- 2025 PhD Physics
- King's College
Samuel Shelton
- Scholar-elect
- Australia
- 2025 PhD Physics
- King's College
I began my undergraduate studies at UNSW, pursuing a degree in Engineering and Chemistry, but after taking a few physics courses I found myself studying all three subjects. During my undergrad, I contributed significantly to the development of the upcoming SOUTH Tokamak where I worked on plasma diagnostics and instrumentation. At Cambridge, I will continue my instrumentation work with the high energy physics research group at the Cavendish Laboratory, where I will develop new detector technologies for the LHCb experiment at CERN. LHCb studies decays involving the heavy beauty quark to explore CP violations, which could help explain the matter-antimatter imbalance in the universe. I’m also eager to apply these innovations to fields beyond particle physics. I am excited to be joining the Gates Cambridge community, where I look forwards to building connections across disciplines and cultures with individual committed to making a positive, global impact.
Previous Education
University of New South Wales Aerospace + Physics + Chem
Gilad Shorer
- Scholar-elect
- South Africa
- 2025 MPhil Translating Devices and Advanced Therapies Research
- Magdalene College
Gilad Shorer
- Scholar-elect
- South Africa
- 2025 MPhil Translating Devices and Advanced Therapies Research
- Magdalene College
As a medical doctor from South Africa working in Khayelitsha, Cape Town, I witness profound health inequities impacting vulnerable populations. Limited resources and access barriers cause poorer health outcomes for these communities. This motivated me as a University of Cape Town (UCT) student to seek solutions. While earning my MBChB and Biomedical Science honours (Immunology & Infectious Diseases), I co-founded an mHealth platform aimed at addressing some of these healthcare access challenges.This experience fuelled my passion for using technology to bridge health gaps. Cambridge’s MPhil in Translating Devices and Advanced Therapies Research offers the chance to gain crucial expertise and practical knowledge to translate concepts into impactful solutions. My long-term vision is to be a clinician-scientist and innovator dedicated to creating sustainable, ethical, scalable health solutions. I aim for far-reaching positive impact via interventions for diverse settings – urban/rural South Africa and other resource-limited areas globally. I am honoured to join the Gates-Cambridge community and pursue these goals alongside scholars sharing the commitment to leading positive social impact via academic pursuit.
Previous Education
University of Cape Town Biomedical Science-Immunology
University of Cape Town Clinical Medicine and Surgery
Tess Stanley
- Scholar-elect
- United States
- 2025 PhD Physiology, Development and Neuroscience
- Churchill College
Tess Stanley
- Scholar-elect
- United States
- 2025 PhD Physiology, Development and Neuroscience
- Churchill College
My curiosity for neuroscience grew from my love for mystery, recognizing the similarities between the intricate ‘whodunits’ I adored as a child and the body’s real life mystery: the brain. At Lafayette College, I pursued a dual degree in neuroscience and philosophy, investigating sensory hair cell function and death with Dr. Tamara Stawicki. There, I became interested in how the brain interacts with the sensory environment at the cellular level. My research with Dr. Lucas Cheadle at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory deepened my interest in the fascinating world of neuron-glial interactions in brain development, plasticity, and disease. During my PhD in Physiology, Development, and Neuroscience with Dr. Elisa Galliano’s lab, I will investigate how microglia drive neuronal plasticity in the olfactory system. Through this work, I aspire to uncover how diverse brain cells work together harmoniously and advance our understanding of glial activation in neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s disease. Additionally, I look forward to expanding my science accessibility outreach in the greater Cambridge community. I am honored and inspired to join the Gates Cambridge scholarship community.
Previous Education
Lafayette College Neuroscience
Varun Subramaniam
- Scholar-elect
- United States
- 2025 PhD Psychiatry
- Darwin College
Varun Subramaniam
- Scholar-elect
- United States
- 2025 PhD Psychiatry
- Darwin College
I am a medical student at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai specializing in functional neurosurgery for psychiatric disorders. Within Sinai’s Center for Advanced Circuit Therapeutics (C-ACT), my research explores neuromodulation at the molecular, circuit, and clinical levels. As a Gates Cambridge Scholar, I will work with Professor Valerie Voon to identify neural biomarkers of compulsivity—a transdiagnostic trait underlying conditions such as OCD, substance-use, and eating disorders—using high-fidelity recordings from the live human brain. These biomarkers could inform novel neuromodulation targets, advancing precision treatments for compulsivity-driven disorders.
Previous Education
Stanford University Computational Biology
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Medicine
Adhib Hussain Syed
- Scholar-elect
- India
- 2025 PhD Architecture
- Darwin College
Adhib Hussain Syed
- Scholar-elect
- India
- 2025 PhD Architecture
- Darwin College
My research interests lie at the intersection of computational social science, geospatial artificial intelligence (GeoAI), and urban analytics. I'm driven by the goal of using data-driven methods with a geospatial perspective to help make cities healthier, fairer places for everyone to live in. For my PhD, I’ll be developing and applying spatially-explicit GeoAI models to study health disparities in cities in different contexts, analysing the complex interactions between the built and natural environment, socioeconomic conditions, geodemographics, and health outcomes. Previously, I worked on the EU-Horizon eMOTIONAL Cities project at the Lab of Interdisciplinary Spatial Analysis at the University of Cambridge. This experience not only laid the foundation for my current research direction but also deepened my commitment to using computational approaches to inform equitable, human-centred urban policy.
Previous Education
University of Calicut Geology
University of Leicester GISc
Yilin Tang
- Scholar-elect
- China
- 2025 PhD Computer Science
- Churchill College
Yilin Tang
- Scholar-elect
- China
- 2025 PhD Computer Science
- Churchill College
I am always passionate about volunteer work. Having spent thousands of hours engaged with vulnerable groups, I witnessed their challenges and was deeply moved by how they faced the injustices of fate with such resilience. Thus, when I was doing my master's in Mechanical Engineering at Zhejiang University with a focus on human-centered computing, I decided to use my knowledge to conduct research that could harness the power of AI to improve the lives of people with disabilities. For example, I used large language models to provide personalized emotional training for children with autism and used large vision language models to offer contextual online social assistance for blind and low-vision people. By collaborating with international scholars, tech companies, and disability associations, I successfully transformed my research into practical AI-assisted systems that have benefited the disabled community in China. Of course, while using AI to assist people with disabilities, I have observed some ethical challenges posed by AI. Therefore, in my PhD studies, I plan to focus on constructing responsible AI systems for supporting disabled communities, to ensure that AI serves the disabled community in a responsible manner.
Previous Education
Beihang University Industrial Deisgn
Zhejiang University Mechanical Engineering
Sera Tolgay
- Scholar-elect
- Turkey
- 2025 PhD Engineering
- Peterhouse
Sera Tolgay
- Scholar-elect
- Turkey
- 2025 PhD Engineering
- Peterhouse
I am an urban planner and hydrologist focused on climate adaptation, infrastructure planning, and water management. At Cambridge, I will pursue a PhD in Engineering studying how extreme events like droughts and floods impact transboundary watersheds using satellite data to guide adaptive land use and water conservation strategies. My research will focus on geopolitically sensitive basins, supporting resilient water management in data-scarce, climate-vulnerable regions.I have a decade of professional experience in engineering and planning firms, including as a Project Manager at SCAPE, where I led nature-based infrastructure projects in U.S. flood-prone communities. At NASA’s DEVELOP Program, our team developed South Africa’s first national freshwater ecosystem map using remote sensing to support conservation efforts. As a National Geographic Explorer, I’ve received grants for watershed conservation and post-disaster restoration. I’ve also consulted for the World Bank and UN-Habitat. I hold a BA from Yale, Master in City Planning from MIT, and an MS in Hydrology from the University of Oklahoma. I look forward to joining the Gates Cambridge community and advancing research that supports climate resilience and water access.
Previous Education
Yale University Political Science
Massachusetts Institute of Technology City and Regional Planning
University of Oklahoma Hydrology
Sára Tóth
- Scholar-elect
- Hungary
- 2025 PhD Chemistry
- Corpus Christi College
Sára Tóth
- Scholar-elect
- Hungary
- 2025 PhD Chemistry
- Corpus Christi College
I grew up in Budapest, Hungary, and I moved to the UK in 2021 to pursue a BSc in Physics at King’s College London, followed by an MPhil in Scientific Computing at the University of Cambridge. During my studies, I was captivated by how complex biological systems can be described through simple yet elegant laws of physics. I am particularly fascinated by the structure of our genome, as it achieves a remarkable level of compaction: approximately 2 metres of DNA are condensed into the micrometre-scale space of the cell nucleus. This mechanism plays an important role in human health, as the spatiotemporal organisation of our genes — regulated by binding proteins in a complex feedback-loop manner — determines whether genes are properly activated or silenced, which can lead to the onset of diseases if disrupted. However, the fascinating question arises: how does a protein find its specific target site on DNA among ~3 billion other base pairs in an environment crowded with millions of other proteins? Throughout my PhD, I intend to investigate these questions using multiscale chromatin computational models and deep learning techniques to gain physiochemical insights into the molecular mechanism of genome organisation.
Previous Education
King's College London (University of London) Physics
University of Cambridge Scientific Computing
Pascal van der Bij
- Scholar-elect
- Netherlands, Germany
- 2025 PhD Antarctic Studies at the British Antarctic Survey
- Fitzwilliam College
Pascal van der Bij
- Scholar-elect
- Netherlands, Germany
- 2025 PhD Antarctic Studies at the British Antarctic Survey
- Fitzwilliam College
I began university at the age of 12 and spent my time pursuing various disciplines including mathematics, law, languages, Chinese studies, geography, biology, and geology. My academic path has spanned five countries, with degrees from KU Leuven and the University of Freiburg. At KU Leuven, I worked on projects in palaeontology, microbiology, atmospheric science, geochemistry, and ancient Chinese infrastructures, which allowed me to learn about the world from many perspectives. I’m deeply grateful for the support I’ve received throughout my ambitious and unconventional path. I have always dreamed of Antarctica and I saw it not just as a distant, frozen land, but as both a destination and a question. Through the study of ancient marine sediments, I seek to uncover stories about ice, climate, and global connections. The Southern Ocean, as the engine of oceanic circulation, unites all oceans, making it a key region to understand our planet’s dynamics. Its biochemical archives record the echoes of past environments.
Previous Education
Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg Geography and Chinese
KU Leuven Biology
KU Leuven Geology
Alexandria Nicole Velasco
- Scholar-elect
- United States
- 2025 MPhil Archaeology
- Christ's College
Alexandria Nicole Velasco
- Scholar-elect
- United States
- 2025 MPhil Archaeology
- Christ's College
I was born and raised in Los Angeles and attended the University of California, Los Angeles, where I completed a B.A. in Anthropology, with a minor in Spanish and Chicana/o Studies. From the start, it was clear that I love history! And I am excited by the prospect of being in the same spaces where ancient people once lived and grappling with the essence of those who came before us. At the University of Cambridge I will study the Archaeology of the Americas, with a particular focus on North America and Mesoamerica. My experiences and coursework at UCLA have equipped me with a deep appreciation for the complexities within the various social and ethnic groups which compose Los Angeles, California, and beyond. My purpose in studying Archaeology is to dig deeper (literally and figuratively!) into the history of underrepresented and indigenous communities, attempting to understand what exactly is our past, and how we can use it to plan and perfect our future. I’m excited and honored to be joining the Gates Cambridge community and attend the University of Cambridge, and hope to contribute to all the historically significant impacts made by scholars worldwide.
Previous Education
University of California Los Angeles Anthropology
Catherine Wagner
- Scholar-elect
- United States
- 2025 MPhil Data Intensive Science
- Corpus Christi College
Catherine Wagner
- Scholar-elect
- United States
- 2025 MPhil Data Intensive Science
- Corpus Christi College
While studying Chemical Engineering and Spanish Language and Literature at North Carolina State University, I developed an interest in vaccine manufacturing and the complex societal factors that determine global access to vaccination. After graduation, I spent three years in the Merck Manufacturing Leadership Development Program, supporting critical projects in the U.S. and abroad; I subsequently became an Operations Manager. I have also volunteered with the Purdue University Biotechnology Innovation and Regulatory Science (BIRS) program as an industry guest lecturer, working to equip students in sub-Saharan Africa with the skills to launch localized vaccine manufacturing. My career has given me insight into the vast amounts of data generated by complex processes, and I am keenly interested in leveraging this data to move the field forward. During my MPhil in Data Intensive Science at Cambridge, I will explore how data science can streamline pharmaceutical manufacturing, contributing to higher yields, lower costs per dose, and ultimately greater access for patients. I’m excited to join the Gates Cambridge community and look forward to collaborating with passionate scholars to improve the lives of others around the world.
Previous Education
North Carolina State University Biomanufacturing
North Carolina State University Spanish Language & Literature
Yimeng Wang
- Scholar-elect
- China
- 2025 PhD Physiology, Development and Neuroscience
- Downing College
Yimeng Wang
- Scholar-elect
- China
- 2025 PhD Physiology, Development and Neuroscience
- Downing College
“If brain regions were filed under literary genres, the frontal lobes would surely be found in the Fantasy section.” My journey with this fantasy began at University College London during my undergraduate studies in Neuroscience. I became particularly drawn to the complexity of emotions and the prefrontal cortex, a heterogeneous and intricate region that remain understudied. I was motivated to explore how abstract emotional experiences can be grounded in distinct patterns of prefrontal circuit activity. My curiosity also extends to situations in which these processes go awry, particularly in psychiatric disorders, where disruptions in the prefrontal cortex can have profound consequences. Now continuing this journey through my PhD, I intend to investigate the functional asymmetry between the left and right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, examining whether they differ in processing emotional valence and functional connectivity. Beyond theoretical research, I also hope to translate my findings into refined therapeutic strategies. In many ways, I feel I am charting my own story through the brain’s Fantasy section, seeking to decode some of its most intricate and compelling narratives.
Previous Education
University College London Neuroscience
Molly Williams
- Scholar-elect
- United States
- 2025 PhD English
- Emmanuel College
Molly Williams
- Scholar-elect
- United States
- 2025 PhD English
- Emmanuel College
I grew up in rural southern Illinois and earned a Bachelor’s and an MFA in Creative Writing while building a career as an author and lecturer. My work explores the cultural and historical dimensions of horticulture through public-facing scholarship.Over the years, I developed a deep passion for archival research. My work has taken me to archives across the U.S. and the United Kingdom, as well as various historical sites and societies, where I have explored the intersections of literature, botany, and environmental ethics.During my PhD in English, I am expanding this research by examining controlled environments—glasshouses, conservatories, and container gardening—in nineteenth-century popular literature. These spaces provide insight into ecological intervention, gendered interactions with nature, and the tensions between the wild and the cultivated. Through this research, I aim to contribute to discussions on the Anthropocene, environmental stewardship, and literature’s role in shaping human relationships with nature.
Previous Education
Columbia College Chicago Fiction Writing
Emerson College Creative Non-Fiction
Amber Wilson
- Scholar-elect
- United States
- 2025 PhD Zoology
- Christ's College
Amber Wilson
- Scholar-elect
- United States
- 2025 PhD Zoology
- Christ's College
Growing up as the child of a South African and Zimbabwean, my nights were filled with legends of the native wildlife. I developed a deep appreciation for biodiversity. My time at Colorado State University helped clarify my path forward. My courses opened my eyes to the beauty of the natural world and my work in the Animal Molecular Genetics lab honed my scientific passion. It was here that I realized my aptitude for science could aid the fight against extinction.My defining career goal is to lead a research team dedicated to studying reproduction on a molecular level with the objective of developing strategies to preserve biodiversity and prevent species extinction. At the University of Cambridge, my PhD project would focus on defining the composition of transcriptional condensates within a well-known pathway responsible for explosive cell proliferation. With implications in cancer research, in-vitro fertilization, and RNA therapeutics, this project is a step on the path towards protecting both humans and the animal kingdom.
Previous Education
Colorado State University Biochemistry
Colorado State University Biomedical Sciences
Donari Yahzid
- Scholar-elect
- United States, Jamaica
- 2025 PhD Development Studies
- St Edmund's College
Donari Yahzid
- Scholar-elect
- United States, Jamaica
- 2025 PhD Development Studies
- St Edmund's College
Growing up between Jamaica, Ghana, and the United States, I have learned to understand land as a resource beyond territory; it is the essence of one's identity, culture and freedom. As a result, I have been dedicated to researching the relationship between land rights, global institutions, and the survival of humankind. My research on land rights began at Mount Holyoke College when I studied abroad in Samoa, researching the relationship between development agencies and Samoan customary land tenure. After graduation, I was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to return to Samoa to continue my research. Thereafter, I attended the University of Cambridge's MPhil in Development Studies programme, where I interrogated the development system and its capacity to adhere to the bespoke needs of traditional communities. For the past year, I have been residing in Brazil researching and engaging with Indigenous and Quilombo communities fighting to obtain their land rights. As a PhD student and Gates Scholar, I will continue my work with Afro-Indigenous communities in Brazil to combat the violence and injustice embedded in land alienation.
Previous Education
Mount Holyoke College Anthropology and Politics
University of Cambridge Development Studies
Joshua Yang
- Scholar-elect
- United States
- 2025 MPhil Modern South Asian Studies
- Hughes Hall
Joshua Yang
- Scholar-elect
- United States
- 2025 MPhil Modern South Asian Studies
- Hughes Hall
I am interested in questions of belonging and marginality, particularly with regards to those who exist within, and help define, the periphery of the nation-state. My current research examines the long-term sociopolitical impacts of Hindu mob violence targeting Muslims in India, which implicates questions of Indian secularism, citizenship, and national identity. I studied moral and legal philosophy at Princeton University; my senior thesis examined the nature of our obligations to obey the law. Throughout my undergraduate years, I also worked as a freelance reporter across West, South, and East Asia, covering everything from the aftermath of the Hong Kong pro-democracy movement to the Armenian diaspora in East Jerusalem. At the University of Cambridge, I hope to draw upon my experiences as both a philosophy student and a journalist to inform my historical and ethnographic research in the MPhil program in Modern South Asian Studies.
Previous Education
Princeton University Philosophy
Rachel Zhang
- Scholar-elect
- United States
- 2025 PhD Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics
- Emmanuel College
Rachel Zhang
- Scholar-elect
- United States
- 2025 PhD Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics
- Emmanuel College
There’s a special thrill when a difficult concept I have been trying to understand finally clicks. I chased this feeling as an undergraduate studying physics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and fell in love with the mathematical rigor physics uses to explain fascinating phenomena. After starting a PhD in astronomy at Northwestern University, a research internship at the Center for Computational Astrophysics in the Flatiron Institute encouraged me to pivot towards machine learning research, leading me to leave the program with my Master's. During this internship, I worked on machine learning for astronomy and realized how impossible it is to understand the insights these models gain when treated as black boxes. This revelation sparked my passion for interpretability—breaking down what information successful machine learning models have actually learned. As a PhD student at the University of Cambridge, my research will focus on developing tools to peer inside these black boxes in physics and astronomy, with hopes to extend these methods to other fields. I am incredibly honored to join the Gates community and will work hard towards ensuring AI serves as an insightful partner in advancing scientific discovery.
Previous Education
Massachusetts Institute of Technology Physics
Northwestern University Astronomy
