President: Hayoung Choi

Hayoung is a third-year undergraduate in the Department of Genetics with a distinct passion for environmental policy and food security. This passion aligns well with her interest in plant science. She also places significance on philosophical discussions about regulatory science, which involves the critical evaluation of the risks and benefits associated with technologies. Serving as a workshop team lead last year, she found it rewarding to facilitate discussions between the realms of science and science policy. This year, she looks forward to strengthening the CUSPE alumni network and forging connections with other science or science policy institutions.

Vice President: Duncan Cook

Duncan Cook is a PhD candidate in Statistics and Public Policy researching regional inequality in the UK. Before coming to Cambridge, he spent several years working on government finance and official statistics as a civil servant in the UK and as an ODI fellow in South Sudan.



Treasurer (Michaelmas Term): Natalia Emsley

Natalia is a fourth year student at Gonville & Caius taking Management Studies, having completed Natural Sciences. Her area of research interest is global change, particularly climate policy. Her third year project investigated maize physiological responses to chilling to understand climate change impacts and guide improvements in food security. This was inspired by her Japan Super Science Fair research into the prediction of optimal storage conditions and time-after-harvest of tomatoes to minimise food waste. She is also passionate about improving education and awareness of climate-related issues. In the hope that this will facilitate greater public discussion and accelerate policy changes, she developed an Ecological Literacy programme as a Cambridge Zero intern and is a Science Writer for Varsity.

Treasurer (Lent Term): Chang Liu

Chang is a fourth year medical student at St. John’s College. Having stood for local election as a competitive candidate and being involved with national student politics, he is keen to leverage the scientific training and knowledge to inform better policy. Chang is especially interested in healthcare policy and management.



Secretary: Emily Wenban-Smith

Emily is an MPhil student in the Department of Zoology, in the Agroecology group, after completing her undergraduate degree at Cambridge in 2023. She is researching Hymenoptera (bees, wasps and ants) responses to climate change, specifically extreme temperature events. Emily has a particular interest in ecology and climate change policy, and is looking forward to facilitating the wide range of lectures and events that CUSPE runs.


Policy & Challenges

Policy Challenges Lead: Luisa Deragon

Luisa was a PhD student in Biological Sciences and a member of Girton College. Her research focused on alternative treatment options in bone regenerative medicine. She is currently taking a sabbatical year. During the course of her studies, Luisa collaborated in a few social and innovation projects such as, Medical i-Teams, which investigates the best commercialisation approach for a new medical or health-related technology; Shaping Horizons (2019), a Summit and Action Programme rooted in science, policy, and innovation; and Engage for Change, an incubation programme for students keen to engage in sustainable action. She was the Coordinator of the Cambridge Climate and Sustainability Forum 2021 – ‘Sustainability in Action’, which had some prestigious speakers from the list ‘CLIMATE 100 – The world’s most influential people in climate policy’. Luisa was also Co-founder & CEO in a Start-up called REUSE2GO, whose mission was to eliminate the use of disposable food and drink takeaway containers, by replacing these with reusables.


Finance & Fundraising

Finance & Fundraising Lead: Jack Lynch

Jack is a third-year PhD student in the Department of Engineering and is a member of Peterhouse. He completed his undergraduate degree in Chemistry and worked in carbon capture and storage for a year with Climeworks before coming to Cambridge to start his PhD. Jack’s research interest is in how we can reduce future energy consumption to meet our climate goals. Specifically, his work focuses on building energy consumption and opportunities to reduce it through sensing and smart buildings.

Finance & Fundraising Team (Michaelmas Term): Chang Liu

Chang is a fourth year medical student at St. John’s College. Having stood for local election as a competitive candidate and being involved with national student politics, he is keen to leverage the scientific training and knowledge to inform better policy. Chang is especially interested in healthcare policy and management.



Finance & Fundraising Team: Joseph Lucas

Joseph is a third year undergraduate studying Natural Sciences at Pembroke College. He will be studying Pathology and believes in using the knowledge of certain diseases and how climate change affects them as one of many persuasive tools to drive policy change. Outside of his degree, he is a committed member of the Cambridge theatre scene. He is excited to support CUSPE through the fundraising initiatives planned for the coming year.


Forum

Forum Lead: Jie Lin Li

Jie Lin is a fourth-year medical student at Murray Edwards college. She intercalated in psychology during which she explored the effects of technology on mental health. In addition to volunteering at science communication events, she has also completed the Hi-Med Fellowship programme. This involved regular discussions with doctors and medical students on how they could maximise their impact on society, such as through working in global health.

Forum Team: Amelia Dixon

Amelia is a third-year undergraduate student studying Biological Natural Sciences at Murray Edwards College specialising in Pathology and the Philosophy and Ethics of Medicine. Her interests mainly lie in health policy and how science-based policy change can be used to reduce health inequalities and disparities. She is also interested in how policies can in turn affect scientific research, such as those that govern clinical trial procedures. She will be working in the Forum Team to help organise the annual CUSPE forum and is excited to learn from all of the wonderful students and researchers along the way.

Forum Team: Elizabeth Neri

Elizabeth is currently a fourth year medical student at Queens’ College Cambridge. Having completed her intercalation degree in the Education, Policy, and International development tripos, she is keen to apply the skills she gained in a medical context, particularly when looking at social determinants of health and decolonising medical policy. Outside of medicine, she plays Blues basketball.


Lectures

Lectures Lead: Alexandra Klein

Alexandra is a PhD student in the UCL Department of Science, Technology, Engineering and Public Policy. She also works as a Research Assistant at the Centre for the Study of Existential Risk, University of Cambridge. She researches biological security policies and governance of emerging technologies and is interested in how policymakers make decisions under uncertainty. Previously, Alexandra worked in science publishing at the Royal Society of Chemistry. She holds a BSc (Hons) in Natural Sciences from University of Birmingham with a year abroad at Lund University, Sweden, and an MPhil in Biological Sciences from University of Cambridge.

Lectures Team: Dana Galili

Dana is a postdoc researcher at the MRC Laboratory of Biology where she studies how differences in brain anatomy and wiring between males and females control sex-specific behaviour, using Drosophila flies as a model. She is also a consultant at hfp consulting where she trains scientists on variable professional development courses, including leadership, communication, and career development. Dana developed an interest in using scientific and technological advances to impact society via public policy and using policy to impact the science and innovation landscape. She serves on the EDI committee at her institute and is an enthusiastic science communicator and improv theatre performer.  

Lectures Team: Rikki Hirai

Rikki Hirai is a third-year natural sciences undergraduate student at Magdalene College specialising in History and Philosophy of Science, with a particular interest in the policies surrounding artificial intelligence. Working with the lectures team, she is excited to invite inspirational and insightful speakers throughout the year that will cover a range of topics and debates in science policy today.


Marketing

Marketing Lead: Bocheng Xiao

Bocheng is a fourth-year student studying for a Biochemistry Integrated Masters. His subject area has furthered his interest in science policy and especially health policy, although he remains passionate about all aspects of science policy from artificial intelligence to agriculture. He is returning for his third year on the committee and second year as marketing. He looks forward to another successful year promoting the rapidly changing landscape science policy to the truly diverse community in Cambridge.

Marketing Team: Karsa Ambikaibakan

Karsa is a third-year undergraduate student studying History and Philosophy of Science at St John’s College with an interest in evidence-based healthcare policy. Her PR consultancy internship showed the importance of clear communication between policymakers and researchers to the public, an aspect she wishes to explore further by being part of the marketing team.


Marketing Team: Lily Roett

Lily is a second-year undergraduate student studying Natural Sciences at Clare College. She aims to specialise in neuroscience, with a particular interest in neurodegenerative diseases and their treatments. During a summer internship with the Department of Clinical Neuroscience, she discovered an interest in science ethics and policy through her exposure to the highly regulated nature of animal work. She was drawn to CUSPE due to her passion for accessibility within science. Through her role on the marketing team she is excited to reach out to new and aspiring researchers, allowing them to access CUSPE ‘s unique connections and opportunities.

Marketing Team: Alma Grant Sanz

Alma is a fourth-year student at the University of Cambridge doing a Masters in the History and Philosophy of Science. She has a particular interest in the invention of ideas surrounding health, disease, and medicine in a historical context. Her research project examines the boundaries of evidence-based health practice. She is looking forward to working on the marketing team and exploring the position of scientific research within its broader societal context.


Workshops

Workshops Lead: Thomas Gilbert


Thomas is a third-year natural sciences undergraduate student at Clare College specialising in Chemistry. He has particular interests in carbon capture and storage, health policy, and energy, and decided to join the committee in order to further explore the overlap of these scientific interests with politics and global affairs. This year, he is excited to help put on a varied and engaging series of events with the Workshop Team.

Workshops Team: Lavinia Gambelli

Lavinia is a postdoctoral scientist at the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Cambridge. She’s a microbiologist and a structural biologist. She is investigating the structure of DNA-binding proteins in yeast. Previously, she worked at the University of Exeter and completed her PhD in Environmental Microbiology in the Netherlands. She’s part of the Postdoc Association of her Institute with a welfare role and actively engages in science outreach. She developed her interest in science policy during her postdoc and decided to join the CUSPE committee to explore the many ways in which science feeds into policy and vice versa.

Workshops Team: Natalie Wallis

Natalie is a final year PhD student at the Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience where she investigates the genetic basis of obesity using cross-species genomics. As a member of Pembroke college, Natalie has also held various committee and teaching roles working with an array of students and academics. Natalie is an active volunteer in the Cambridge community and is also a member of department-based EDI and welfare committees. Prior to starting her PhD, Natalie spent a year in industry at Mars Incorporated and also worked at the Centre of Applied Bioethics in Nottingham. She is pursuing a career in global health policy and strategy. Natalie hopes CUSPE will help grow her network in this area and she is eager to help bridge the gaps between academia, industry partners, and policymakers.

Workshops Team: Yvonne Walburga

TBD.


Cambridge Journal of Science and Policy

Chief Editor: Muzammil Arif Din s/o Abdul Jabbar (Arif)

Arif is a fourth-year student at the University of Cambridge on the MB-PhD programme, combining medical studies with a PhD. Arif has a particular interest in the how policy affects research and medicine and has had a wide range of experiences in both policy and science, on the ground as a volunteer under a Member-of-Parliament and as a researcher in scientific labs and hospitals. As Chief Editor, Arif is looking forward to leading the journal team in editing and publishing subsequent volumes of the Cambridge Journal of Science and Policy.

Managing Editor: Georgia Turner

Georgia is a second year PhD student at the MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit. Her research focuses on the psychology of social media use. She was Chief Editor of CJSP for Volume 4, 2022-2023.





Journal Team Editor: Ellen Bridson

Ellen is a recent alumna of Homerton College and the Department of History and Philosophy of Science who is passionate about reproductive technologies and women’s health. Her MPhil in Health, Medicine, and Society employed visual culture to explore the development of contraceptives in Britain. Ellen is interested in evidence-based policy outcomes that centre patient experiences and marginalised voices in the reproductive and new medical technologies spaces and beyond. Her wider interests pertain to ED&I advocacy in academia, higher education institutions, and sports, which Ellen has pursued during her time at Cambridge through the Homerton Changemakers initiative and her role as Vice President of Homerton MCR. Ellen aims to use her role as a Journal Team Editor to help democratise access to science and ensure upcoming editions of the CJSP continue to bridge the gap between research and policy for a variety of audiences.

Journal Team Editor: Ronnie Crichton

Ronnie is a third year undergraduate natural sciences student specialising in philosophy of science. Recently, Ronnie was engaged in a research project in the department of history and philosophy of science, specifically examining approaches to misinformation in social psychology. His current research interests lie in policy responses to rapidly developing technologies and the philosophy of a misinformation science. He is a passionate communicator of science and has participated as a mentor and teacher in numerous science focused outreach projects, including the university’s STEM SMART scheme.

Journal Team Editor: Amelia Ford

Amelia is a PhD student based in the Department of Pathology studying potential targets in the Plasmodium genome for transmission blocking in malaria. Previously she completed a BSC in Biology at the University of Leeds. Outside of the lab, she is a keen musician and creative writer.

Journal Team Editor: Maria Ikonomova

Maria is a PhD student in the Engineering for Sustainable Development Group. Maria’s PhD research explores how cities manage physical infrastructure systems to protect public health from climate-related hazards. She has an interest in the intersection between climate change, infrastructure, and health policy. Maria was also an Editor in the previous CUSPE Committee and looks forward to editing submissions to the Cambridge Journal of Science and Policy in the upcoming academic year.

Journal Team Editor: Grace Perry

Grace is a PhD student in the biochemistry department studying mechanisms of colon cancer metastasis with the NIH-OxCam program. Her project is split between the de la Roche laboratory and the Hammer laboratory at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland, USA. Prior to starting at Cambridge, Grace completed her bachelor’s degree in biology at the University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth. Afterwards, she worked as a research assistant in the Toker laboratory at Harvard Medical School studying cellular signalling in breast cancer. Grace is passionate about utilising policy to improve education in the biological sciences for youth and the greater public.

Journal Team Editor: Georgina Withers


Georgina is a fourth-year undergraduate student studying Biochemistry at Sidney Sussex College and is currently completing a project testing a new gene editing strategy. She is particularly interested in the role of policy in influencing medicine and research and is passionate about science communication in a variety of formats, having previously managed the BlueSci magazine and volunteered with CHaOS.

Journal Team Editor: Valeria Zambianchi

Valeria is a fourth year PhD candidate working on the history of climate change mitigation, jointly based at the faculty of social sciences (KU Leuven, Belgium) and at the faculty of geosciences (Utrecht University, the Netherlands). She explores the interactions between policies affecting climate change mitigation and their effects on the uptake of ready-to-deploy renewable energy technologies. She is passionate about transformative research on Earth system governance and narratives, to further our understanding on knowledge co-production. Before starting her PhD, Valeria completed an MPhil in Environmental Policy at Cambridge University. As a Journal Team Editor, she aims to support the publication of critical and reflexive pieces on the science-policy nexus.


Web Team

Webmaster: Shannon Bohle

Shannon is an alumna of the University of Cambridge and is a member of St Edmund’s College where she studied for a PhD in the History and Philosophy of Science as a Cambridge Trusts Scholar. She also holds two master’s degrees: a Master of Library and Information Science degree from Kent State University and a Master of Arts degree in Science Writing from Johns Hopkins University. Her popular science writing has appeared in Nature, Scientific American, National Geographic, Astronomy & Geophysics, etc. She has lectured internationally, with her talks delivered at the University of Cambridge, the University of Oxford, the Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum, the University of California-Berkeley, and more. She has done international award-winning work in artificial intelligence and was a 2021 winner of the Library of Congress/ABAA National Collegiate Book Collecting Contest for her collection, “Life through Space and Time: A Personal Journey through Modern Science, Collecting Hand-signed Autographs, Manuscripts, and First Editions.” Shannon is returning for her second year on the committee as Webmaster.