Directory

I work on holographic models of strongly-correlated systems, such as high-Tc superconductors. These models have arisen from developments in string theory and my background and continued interest in this subject has allowed me to develop new rigorous models of holographic condensed-matter physics starting from first principles. Recently I have been particularly interested in out-of-equilibrium situations, which, besides being an extremely important and promising area, are great fun to work on, since their solution likely needs a host of different techniques and insights from all parts of physics.

I majored in Computer Science at Manchester University. I work on Computational Science: mathematical modeling of biological systems using dynamical system. I am trying to understand the dynamics of biological systems, especially the spreading of HIV. Understanding model behaviour could improve our understanding of the mechanism of disease, at least in some limited context. The creation of models has been essential in many important advances in biology. The power of modern computers and theoretical methods are designed to interrogate complex systems so we can aid our understanding of disease. I must say that the support from the Gates Foundation is splendid.

After a childhood discovering the wilderness of Canada's West Coast, I studied Environmental Biology at the University of British Columbia. I then began my MSc in Zoology at the University of Guelph where I studied the winter ecology of Cassin’s Auklets, a Pacific seabird species that has declined by 80% since the 1970s. I am excited to be starting my PhD at the University of Cambridge in the Behavioural Ecology Group. My research will focus on the causes of population declines in Palearctic-African migratory bird species that travel between their wintering grounds in sub-Saharan Africa and breeding grounds in Europe and Asia.

How do quantum systems tend to equilibrium when starting from an arbitrary initial condition? How does energy or particles flow from higher to lower concentration areas? My goal is to understand the emergence and mechanism of equilibration in many-particle systems based on the fundamental laws of quantum physics.

After finishing my BSc in Physics at the University of Athens, I studied a Master's in Mathematics at the University of Cambridge and obtained my DPhil in Theoretical Physics from the University of Oxford. My work led me to an immense fascination with the physics of the quantum dynamics of many-body systems. During my subsequent post-doctoral work, I further developed my personal research profile in the area of out-of-equilibrium quantum statistical mechanics. In my research, I have studied a diverse set of problems ranging from mathematical to theoretical physics with applications to experiments at the crossroads of basic science and the emerging field of quantum technologies.

Previous Education

University of Athens

Links

https://sites.google.com/view/spyrossotiriadis

At Cambridge, I hope to study the problems and possibilities for human rights in a globalizing world. I plan to explore the tension between economic globalization (which has brought benefits for some) and upholding some standard of human rights, as well as the relationship between the ideal of universal human rights and the need to respect cultural differences. I hope to put this research to practical use at the international level in the future.

Previous Education

Rutgers University B.S. Materials Science and Engineering 2008

I currently live and work in Seattle, Washington, USA. For more information please see my LinkedIn page.

Previous Education

Pomona College

I am honored to belong to the Gates Cambridge community of scholars. My undergraduate research inspired me to combine my love of medicine and scientific experimentation in the field of biomaterials research. During my PhD at Cambridge, I investigated the biomedical and pharmaceutical applications of carbon nanomaterials. Currently, I work on porous ferromagnetic fibre networks for stimulating bone tissue. I am actively involved in the British Science Association, organising SciScreen, SciBar and Science Busking events in the Cambridgeshire region.

During my undergraduate degree in Global Health, I studied complex global issues such as food insecurity, forced migration, and antimicrobial resistance. Believing that understanding local contexts is a prerequisite to effectively addressing such issues, my research took me to Myanmar, Taiwan, Ecuador, Ethiopia, and Sri Lanka to interview and learn directly from those who have experienced these challenges. Through this process, I became increasingly aware that at the heart of many societal problems lies climate change. Creative mechanisms are needed to address this fundamental challenge. I am particularly fascinated by how the law may be used in new ways for this purpose. Whether through the pursuit of litigation to hold organizations accountable for their actions, or through the implementation of legal mandates to enable transition to a net-zero economy, the law may play a vital role in addressing the climate crisis. Through Cambridge’s MPhil in Environmental Policy, I plan to study how the law on national and international scales may be wielded effectively to address climate change. I am honoured and humbled to join the Gates Cambridge community and to learn from peers equally dedicated to having a positive impact on the world.

Previous Education

University of Toronto Medical Biophysics 2021
University of Toronto Global Health 2019

Throughout my life, I have been motivated to learn about and tackle big problems—including hunger and nuclear security. There are few more pressing problems facing the world than the specter of cyberwarfare. Our lives are increasingly reliant on technology; a cyberattack could imperil our health, security, or economic prospects. This is a challenge my generation will face, particularly for those living in liberal democracies, like the US, where my parents immigrated to and which has provided me with so many opportunities. I want to be a part of the solution. I’m particularly interested in quantifying the costs of cyberattacks. After all, if we aren’t able to price the risk, companies cannot determine the optimal levels of protection and governments can’t impose the optimal amounts of regulation. After spending a year at Tsinghua University in Beijing, I am incredibly excited to study Strategy, Management, and Operations at Cambridge, working with the Centre for Risk Studies, which has been a leader in calculating aggregate risk in cybersecurity. I hope to conduct research in partnership with government agencies, insurance companies, and computer science researchers to elucidate the cyber threat.

Previous Education

Tsinghua University Masters in 2020
Stanford University BA Economics 2019

Growing up, I was fortunate to have a family that stressed that my actions were only meaningful if they wielded a positive impact on those around me. Likewise, I also became interested in the way people interacted with each other — a fascination that turned into short stories tucked away in various notebooks. As I entered college, my interest in societal interactions led to a major in Public Policy in an attempt to turn those fiction pieces into policies. Likewise, an unexpected, yet budding, love for technology inspired me to pursue Computer Science to author short stories of impactful, real-world code. Focusing on this intersection of technology and policy, I wanted to leverage technology as an empowering medium to uplift my surrounding communities. However, I quickly discovered that contemporary technologies are riddled with biases that manifest themselves in the algorithms that power these tools. With an MPhil in Technology Policy, I hope to gain an understanding of how best to regulate algorithmic bias without hampering the innovation process, while also exploring the technical frameworks necessary to tackle such biases. In doing so, I hope to combine holistic policies with tangible, technical standards to craft the necessarily diverse, inclusive, and equitable technologies of the future. I am so grateful to join the Gates-Cambridge community and am excited to learn about the world’s stories through peers that are equally committed to improving the lives of others.

Previous Education

Rutgers University Bachelor of Science in Public Policy & Bachelor of Arts in Computer Science, concentration in Urban Informatics 2019

At Harvard University I majored in the History of Science with a focus on Mind, Brain and Behavior. There my thesis analyzed the history of the pineal gland. The neuroendocrine though hidden between your brain hemispheres behind skin and skull, has light sensitive properties, which produced intriguing narratives about its evolution and function. This research as well as volunteer work at BMC’s women’s resource center sparked an interest in the biological and historical relationship between human and environment. How does our environment affect us? How do we become aware of these effects? In New York, I researched physician-industry relationships and dual-loyalties in military medicine at Columbia’s Center on Medicine as a Profession. At Columbia’s Memory Lab I explored metacognition of agency and failure. At the Cambridge, I will study evolutionary studies and research the underpinnings of theory of mind in order to grapple with the biological and evolutionary limits of perspective.

I direct the UCL European Institute, UCL’s hub for research on Europe, which I co-founded in 2010. As Pro-Vice-Provost (Europe) I also advise the university on strategic partnerships with European universities and provide leadership for UCL's Brexit mitigation. My research sits at the intersection of modern European thought, culture and politics. I’m currently a member of the Russell Group EU Advisory Group and the Advisory Board of the Scottish Council on European Relations, and a Fellow of the Royal Society of the Arts.

As a PhD student in the Transmissible Cancer Group of Dr. Elizabeth Murchison (2015 - 2020), I have worked on Transmissible Tasmanian Devil Facial Tumour Disease (DFTD) genetics through computational analyses of large-scale DNA and RNA sequencing data. I am now an EMBO fellow at the Centre for Genomic Regulation, Barcelona.

Brielle C. Stark, PhD {she/her/hers}, is an Assistant Professor in the Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences Department and Program in Neuroscience faculty at Indiana University. Dr. Stark completed her doctoral research in Clinical Neuroscience at the University of Cambridge (UK) as a Gates Cambridge Trust Scholar. She completed her postdoctoral fellowship at the Center for the Study of Aphasia Recovery. She is a proud alumna of Bryn Mawr College. She was honored with the 2021 IU Faculty Excellence in Mentoring Award from the Center for Women & Technology and the 2021 IU Trustees Teaching Award. She is also a trained Peer Reviewer for IU’s Faculty Academy on Excellence in Teaching. In 2021, she was named one of four Distinguished Aphasia Scholars USA, a national award given by the Tavistock Trust UK. Brie was awarded the Outstanding Junior Faculty Award for 2022-2023 from Indiana University Bloomington.

As of July 2023, Dr. Stark is the PhD Coordinator / Director of Graduate Studies for the Department of Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences at Indiana University.

Previous Education

Bryn Mawr College Psychology, Neural and Behavioral Science 2012

Links

https://sphs.indiana.edu/about/faculty/stark-brielle.html
http://www.neuralresearchlab.com
https://www.linkedin.com/in/brielle-stark-10726516

Previous Education

University of North Florida BA History 2001

I am a scientists working on machine learning approaches to tackle pertinent challenges in the life sciences and health.

Links

https://www.embl.org/groups/stegle
https://www.google.de/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwinlKjE_4X-AhU4RaQEHThjDhQQFnoECBIQAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2F