Postgraduate

I’m a DPhil student in Sociology, researching voting behaviour in contemporary British elections. I’m particularly interested in the relationship between social and political identities, such as the influence of class identities on partisanship. I’m from the Scottish Highlands, where I attended a state comprehensive before coming to Oxford for my undergraduate degree in PPE at Trinity. Choosing to come back to Trinity for my DPhil, after time away working in the civil service, felt strange but I’m so glad I did.

As a postgraduate I’ve been more involved in college life than ever, largely because the MCR is such an incredibly warm and friendly community. I have been very involved in both the MCR and Trinity’s growing access programme – I particularly enjoyed helping to organise a PPE access day at Trinity. One of the other joys of Oxford as a graduate student is getting to be involved in teaching: I've really enjoyed leading tutorials, which has also helped to develop my subject knowledge and understanding. 

I am part of the Oxford Inorganic Centre for Future Manufacturing (OxICFM) CDT, researching europium redox systems to image transient hypoxia in the body. Transient hypoxia is observed in numerous medical conditions, from tumours to stroke to inflammation and hence these probes have potential for significant impact in medical intervention. I am particularly interested in chemistry with applications in improving healthcare and combating climate change, but I also enjoy learning about all sorts of chemistry because it gives me an enhanced appreciation for everything around us. I am originally from Reading and before arriving in Oxford, I studied for my MChem at Durham University, with the research for my master’s thesis conducted at KU Leuven. 

I feel very fortunate to be a member of Trinity college, mostly owing to the warmth and friendliness of the postgraduate community but also because Trinity is such a beautiful and tranquil place, and the food is excellent! 

I am reading for the MSc in Global Governance and Diplomacy as a Weidenfeld-Hoffmann Scholar. My research interests lie in international criminal and humanitarian law, and human rights with a focus on international tribunals and processes that contribute to the pursuit of justice. I am originally from Colombia, but before coming to Oxford I was working at the International Bar Association, whilst studying Political Science and International Relations at the University of British Columbia. At Oxford, I serve as the Law Editor for the Oxford Political Review, and have been involved with the Bonavero Institute of Human Rights and the Oxford COVID-19 Government Response Tracker.

Trinity is home to me, and I am beyond grateful for its tight-knit and supportive community that makes this place even more special, as well as for the amazing resources that the college provides to make the best out of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.