Scholar profiles

Our scholars come from around the world, united by a shared desire to make a difference through research, collaboration and innovation. These are some of our inspiring students whose work is shaping a better future for society:

• • Ola Abuzaid
  • Saru Duckworth
  • Ramsha Fatima
  • Juliette Foulon
  • Licinia Guttel
  • Caitlin MacDonald
  • Irene Mattioli
  • Tara Mayhew
  • Evelyn Murrell
  • Ambele Judith Mwamelo
  • Jude Popham
  • Thomas Quinlan
  • Felix Radtke
  • Jordan Rothschild
  • Elim Shanko
  • Malia Skjefte
  • Cleo Turner
  • Neele Wiltgen-Georgi
  • Michelle Yeung
  • Keyu Zang
  • Ko Ozaki

Ola Abuzaid (MSc Applied Cancer Science, 2025)

Mastercard Foundation AfOx Scholarship

Ola received the Türkiye Government Scholarship to study medicine at Erciyes University, followed by an Erasmus+ Scholarship for a clinical oncology internship at Jagiellonian University Hospital. Her research focuses on precision oncology and targeted therapies for pancreatic cancer. She says the scholarship has enabled her to continue her education despite the conflict in Sudan, and to pursue her goal of becoming a physician–scientist dedicated to improving cancer outcomes in Africa and beyond. Read more about Ola

Saru Duckworth (DPhil Management, 2025)

Green Templeton College and Oxford Saïd Business School Scholarship

Saru has worked with the UN Foundation, BRAC International, and UNICEF. Her research examines the mechanisms for scaling social innovations through partnerships with governments and NGOs in low- and middle-income countries. She says the GTC Scholarship has been invaluable to her studies. Read more about Saru

Ramsha Fatima (DPhil Education, 2025)

GTC Oxford Clarendon Sir David Watson Scholarship

Fatima has been working to improve learning and gender equity in and beyond education for over seven years. Before Oxford, she was a Fulbright Scholar at the University of Pennsylvania, where she worked on education and social policy across Pakistan, the Philippines, and the United States, collaborating with The Asia Foundation, Save the Children, and UKRI. Her research explores how female teachers’ moral and professional identities shape girls’ agency and aspirations. She says ‘there was no way to have made it here without the trust, support, and honour that the scholarship granted’. Read more about Fatima

Juliette Foulon (DPhil Anthropology, 2025)

GTC Oxford Clarendon Green Templeton Scholarship

Juliette grew up in the north of Paris and came to Oxford in 2020 to study for her master’s in Anthropology. Now a Clarendon Scholar and DPhil student at Green Templeton College, her research explores community choirs and wellbeing. A passionate performer and member of the GTC Choir, she says, ‘I would never have been able to start this degree without this scholarship’. Read more about Juliette

Licinia Guttel (DPhil Politics, 2023)

Clarendon Scholarship

Originally from Germany, Licinia completed a dual French–German undergraduate degree in Political Science in Berlin. Now in the third year of her DPhil, she is researching what political parties and citizens think about digitalisation. Her work explores public opinion in Europe in relation to digitalisation. Reflecting on her scholarship, Licinia says she wouldn’t have been able to start her DPhil without it. Read more about Licinia

Caitlin MacDonald (DPhil Management, 2025)

TECT Clarendon Scholarship

Caitlin spent a decade working in the non-profit sector, tackling challenges such as polarisation, racism, and decolonising the Canadian legal system. Through her research, she aims to explore how peacebuilding theory can inform collaboration and management practice, helping organisations address urgent global challenges more effectively. She says she is ‘deeply grateful’ for her scholarship. Read more about Caitlin

Irene Mattioli (DPhil Biomedical and Clinical Science, 2025)

GTC Medical Sciences Doctoral Training Scholarship (Oxford-GSK)

Irene first came to Oxford in 2018 as a medical student trainee. She has now returned after qualifying as a neurologist, to begin her DPhil investigating the clearance of proteins from the brain to the periphery in health and neurodegenerative disease. Irene is grateful for her scholarship, explaining that it enables her to focus on her studies without worrying about finances. Read more about Irene

Tara Mayhew (DPhil Translational Health Sciences, 2025)

Rosamund Snow Scholarship

Tara’s undergraduate degree was in History of Art. She then worked in documentary production before taking a career break to raise her family. When one of her children was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes, she was inspired to undertake a master’s in Medical Anthropology at UCL. Her DPhil research explores young people’s experiences of managing Type 1 diabetes at school, examining its impact on their physical and mental health, and ways to improve understanding and support in educational settings. She says she feels “incredibly grateful” to receive her scholarship. Read more about Tara

Evelyn Murrell (Graduate Entry Medicine, 2025)

GEM Bursary

Supported by the Graduate Entry Medicine Bursary, Evelyn has been able to dedicate herself fully to her medical studies after recovering from a head injury. She previously worked in government through the Civil Service Fast Stream before joining UCL’s Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health as a research assistant in infectious diseases. A passionate snowboarder, she hopes to combine her love of the mountains with her future medical training. Read more about Evelyn

Ambele Judith Mwamelo (MSc International Health and Tropical Medicine, 2025)

Mastercard Foundation AfOx Scholarship

Ambele has worked across the global health sector, including as a consultant at the World Health Organization Regional Office for Africa. Through her MSc, she hopes to build deeper expertise in health system strengthening in sub-Saharan Africa. She is thankful for the support from her scholarship and says, ‘I am very grateful to be part of a diverse cohort of scholars. Read more about Ambele

Jude Popham (DPhil Medical Sciences, 2025)

Sir David Weatherall Scholarship

Jude discovered his passion for machine learning while working at Nucleome Therapeutics and developed an interest in pursuing a DPhil to lead his own research. His research focuses on using AI software and machine learning to decode genetic regulation. Reflecting on the impact of donor support, he says, ‘I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for the donors.’ Read more about Jude

Thomas Quinlan (DPhil Mathematics, 2024)

MRC Partnership Award

Thomas, from Ireland, completed his undergraduate and master’s degrees in Mathematical Sciences at University College Cork. His DPhil research focuses on developing new mathematical models to better understand atherosclerosis and predict treatment outcomes. He says the scholarship made it possible for him to come to Oxford and has enabled him to thrive in his research. Read more about Thomas

Felix Radtke (DPhil Medical Sciences, 2022)

Sir David Weatherall Scholarship

Felix is a physician–scientist with a keen interest in haematology and immunology. His research in the Vyas Lab explores the mutational, transcriptomic, and epigenetic landscape of acute myeloid leukaemia, advancing the understanding and treatment of blood cancers. He says he is very grateful to the College and the Institute for their support. Read more about Felix

Jordan Rothschild (DPhil in Sociology, 2025)

Clarendon Scholarship

Jordan worked for the German Foreign Ministry in the United States before coming to Green Templeton to study for his DPhil in Sociology. His research focuses on religious conversion in Germany, with a particular emphasis on Judaism and Islam. He describes the opportunity to pursue his research at Oxford as one he would ‘never take for granted.’ Read more about Jordan

Elim Shanko (Master of Business Administration, 2025)

Intesa Sanpaolo Scholarship

Originally from Ethiopia, Elim has extensive experience across the sustainability and development sector. She founded Regenerative Africa and is an active member of the Oxford Africa Business Alliance. Upon completing her MBA, she hopes to drive sustainable development and entrepreneurial growth that contribute to shaping Africa’s future. She describes her scholarship as a ‘great gift.’ Read more about Elim

Malia Skjefte (DPhil Clinical Medicine, 2024)

Clarendon Scholarship

Originally from California, Malia completed her master’s in Global Health at Harvard before spending a year as a Fulbright Scholar in Bolivia and Paraguay. She is now researching vector-borne diseases and the impact of different interventions across countries. She says she is grateful for her scholarship, as it enables her ‘to focus on research that translates into real-world impact.’ Read more about Malia

Cleo Turner (DPhil Medical Sciences, 2025)

Sir David Weatherall Scholarship

Originally from Sydney, Cleo completed her undergraduate degree in Advanced Science at the University of New South Wales. During her Honours research in gene regulation, she discovered the Higgs Lab at Oxford and became increasingly interested in their work. Cleo’s research focuses on how genes are regulated, specifically exploring enhancer biology. Cleo says she would not have been able to move to the UK and study without this support: ‘I wouldn’t be here without it.’ Read more about Cleo

Neele Wiltgen-Georgi (DPhil Clinical Medicine, 2025)

Rosemary Stewart Scholarship

Originally from Luxembourg, Neele studied Geography and Planning at the University of Sheffield for her undergraduate degree and completed a Masters in Cities and Global Development. Her DPhil takes a social science lens to explore organisational support for research staff in low-income healthcare settings. She aims for her research to generate real-world impact. Neele says she is ‘really thankful for this opportunity’ and “it’s really empowering that this type of work is being recognised”. Read more about Neele

Michelle Yeung (DPhil in Translational Health Sciences, 2022)

Oxford PharmaGenesis Scholarship 

Michelle’s DPhil research explores how AI-enabled innovations can be most effectively and equitably integrated into complex healthcare systems like the NHS. Using AI diagnostic tools in skin cancer care as a case study, her work examines how clinicians, patients, and organisations experience, adapt, and negotiate the use of these technologies in practice. Her scholarship has made this work possible, enabling her to take up this DPhil opportunity by supporting her living costs and tuition so she can fully dedicate herself to her research. Read more about Michelle

Keyu Zang (DPhil Finance, 2024)

GTC–Oxford Saïd Business School TECT DPhil Scholarship

Keyu completed his undergraduate studies in China and earned a master’s degree from the Stockholm School of Economics. Prior to Oxford, he worked as a fund manager at a Beijing-based private equity firm. His research spans private equity, ESG, and corporate finance, with an emphasis on how ownership and capital structure shape real-world outcomes. He says he is grateful for the funding, which allows him to pursue this research. Read more about Keyu

Ko Ozaki (DPhil Management, 2025)

Saïd Business School and Green Templeton College Scholarship

Originally from Japan, Ko spent over a decade as a government official before coming to Oxford. Through this work, he became increasingly aware of how deeply government policies and regulations shape the operations and strategies of private firms. He hopes to contribute to a deeper understanding of how businesses can navigate political tensions and to apply his insights to real-world problem solving. Ko says the scholarship not only made his studies possible as an international student, but also connected him with a diverse and welcoming community at GTC where, in his words, ‘I can be myself here.’ Read more about Ko