Postgraduate Profiles

Adam Paterson, MPhil Greek and Roman History

I am studying for an MPhil in Greek and Roman History. I chose the subject because I wanted to continue the work I began during my undergraduate degree. Ancient History combines timeless questions about collective humanity with detailed analysis and research. Oxford’s department is one of the biggest and most active in the world, meaning there is always something going on.

My current work changes quite frequently as I develop the skills necessary for pursuing a DPhil. My biggest project is centred around power-holding in third-century BCE Anatolia, the realities of regional administration, and the narratives shaped by the kings of the period. Much of my work focuses on reading our sources against the grain in search of perspectives that have been left unmentioned.

I was also at Trinity for my bachelor’s degree, studying Ancient and Modern History. It has been great to return already knowing the College while also meeting new people in the MCR. For postgraduate study, Trinity’s MCR made the College an obvious choice. It has a smaller student body compared with the JCR, but it is incredibly active and the events feel more personal. Trinity also has excellent funding opportunities for new and returning students, without which I would not have been able to return for my master’s.

I really enjoy Oxford student life, and it has been a joy staying at the same College. I have become very familiar with both students and staff, which makes Trinity feel like a second home. The MCR has been a hugely positive experience, hosting a wide range of activities that help me take my mind off work. I am also involved in the College Chapel Choir, the College rugby team, theatre productions, my band, and part-time work in the College Library.

“I’ve become very familiar with both students and staff, which makes Trinity feel like a second home.”

Isabel Lau, DPhil Interdisciplinary Biosciences

I am currently reading for a DPhil in Interdisciplinary Biosciences, specialising in computational systems neuroscience. I have always been fascinated by how humans learn, behave and think. Coming from a humanities background and now working as a computational scientist, I am especially interested in the intersection of biology, mathematics, engineering and neuroscience.

My DPhil focuses on understanding how we learn and make decisions. I use single-cell neural recordings alongside mathematical modelling to investigate the computational principles underlying learning and decision-making in the brain. I see this interdisciplinary approach as a powerful way to bridge different perspectives on human behaviour and cognition into a more unified understanding.

I completed my undergraduate degree in Social Sciences at the University of Hong Kong. Alongside my studies, I was involved in sports and community service, including as a member of the Hong Kong National Softball Team and later as a manager at AIESEC in Hong Kong, where I led a small team and worked on documentary projects addressing societal issues. I later transitioned into science through an MSc in Cognitive Neuroscience at UCL, followed by a year working as a research programmer in Cambridge.

Oxford has one of the strongest environments in the world for theoretical and computational neuroscience, with outstanding facilities and researchers. Trinity particularly stood out to me for its close-knit and welcoming community, beautiful gardens, academic support, research funding opportunities and, of course, amazing and affordable lunches. During my fresher year, I really enjoyed being part of the MCR community, and I now serve as MCR Secretary to help strengthen communication between students and the College.

Outside academics, I dance with the Oxford University Salsa and Bachata Society most days of the week. I have also explored entrepreneurship during my time here. With my co-founder, I built a health tech app that won the All-Innovate Challenge and was shortlisted in the Oxford Venture Builder programme.

“Enjoy the journey, not just the destination. Oxford is as much about growth and discovery as achievement.”

Pratyush Seshadri, MPhil Economics

I am pursuing an MPhil in Economics at Oxford as a Marshall Scholar, focusing on issues at the intersection of political economy, market design and development economics in climate-oriented contexts. I am broadly interested in using economic policy to drive infrastructural and behavioural shifts that help address major societal challenges.

Prior to Oxford, I was a Morehead-Cain Scholar and United States Presidential Scholar at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where I earned a B.S. in Economics and Mathematics with a minor in History. Before applying to Oxford, I had spent time working in a variety of roles related to economic policy and infrastructure investing. I was excited by the opportunity to think rigorously about the theoretical mechanisms that drive the issues I am most interested in.

Trinity has been a very welcoming environment. In just a few months, I have met incredible people from all over the world and formed friendships that will last a lifetime. I have greatly enjoyed playing for the College’s MCR football team, as well as the University team, and it has been great to play sport regularly at a competitive level. I am also a frequent attendee of formal dinners.

Beyond University and College football, I spend time as a researcher for the Oxford Martin School. Highlights of my time so far include May Day and Matriculation, but more broadly I have enjoyed listening to talks by Nobel Prize winners, conversations with friends at formal dinners, and spending time on the Trinity lawns.

“Trinity College and the University of Oxford have proved both intellectually rewarding and personally fulfilling. My time here has been fantastic.”

Emma Bowie, MSc Criminology and Criminal Justice

I am currently undertaking the MSc in Criminology and Criminal Justice at the Oxford Centre for Criminology. Criminology is a fascinating interdisciplinary subject, integrating theories from law, sociology, political science, psychology and economics to study the causes and consequences of crime. For me, criminology brings together my academic interests and gender justice advocacy work.

With the Criminology Faculty’s strong focus on gender, crime and victimisation, I was confident the MSc would equip me with the academic network, foundation in criminological theory and research skills needed to prepare for a career in academia and criminal justice policy. I am fortunate to be a recipient of the Grand Union Doctoral Training Programme Studentship, which means my master’s programme will be followed by a three-and-a-half-year DPhil, funded by the Economic and Social Research Council and Trinity College’s Sir Roger Fry Graduate Scholarship.

Through court observational research and in-depth interviews with criminal justice actors, my doctoral project will investigate bail decision-making and the reasons why low-level, non-violent women offenders are disproportionately remanded in custody in Ireland, with a view to making a meaningful contribution to Irish sentencing and bail policy.

Before Oxford, I graduated from Trinity College Dublin with a Bachelor of Laws and worked as a judicial assistant to the Supreme Court of Ireland. Through working at the coalface of the Irish justice system, engaging with justice-affected women through homeless outreach work in Dublin, and volunteering as a gender justice advocate for Irish and international women’s rights organisations, I became increasingly interested in the why, as opposed to simply the what, of the criminal justice system.

Trinity College is a truly special community. I have benefited from the dedicated support of the Senior Tutor, academic administrators and Wellbeing Team, particularly when preparing to submit my DPhil application. I have also found the postgraduate community within the MCR to be wonderfully warm, welcoming and diverse. One of my weekly highlights is catching up with friends at the MCR’s Tuesday Pizza Night, and I have enjoyed exploring Oxford’s lakes and rivers through Trinity’s Wild Swimming Club.

Outside academics, I love to run, especially in Oxford’s green spaces such as University Parks and Port Meadow. I also attend and volunteer with a local church, and continue to work in a volunteer capacity with the women’s rights and leadership organisation YWCA Ireland. My advice for incoming postgraduates is to be curious. Oxford is full of talks, seminars, presentations and conversations with people working across every field. Take advantage of every opportunity.

“I feel incredibly fortunate to study in an environment of such brilliance, warmth and beauty.”

Tshegofatso Masenya, MSc Global Health Science and Epidemiology

I am studying Global Health Science and Epidemiology at the University of Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar at Trinity College. My academic background is in medicine and health economics, and my interests focus on public health and health systems strengthening.

I chose this programme because I wanted to move beyond treating individual patients in a clinical setting and towards understanding the broader structural and systemic factors that shape health outcomes at population level. My current MSc research focuses on early-life determinants of child stunting in sub-Saharan Africa, using longitudinal cohort data. I am particularly interested in how social and structural factors influence child growth and long-term health outcomes, and how this evidence can inform equitable policy decisions in low-resource settings.

Before Oxford, I studied medicine at the University of Cape Town and later completed a postgraduate diploma in health economics. I also worked as a medical doctor in South Africa. Life at Trinity has been incredibly rewarding. I have enjoyed being surrounded by people working across completely different disciplines, which has broadened the way I think. Socially, the College has been warm and welcoming, with strong academic and wellbeing support.

Some of my favourite parts of College life have been formal halls, spending time with the postgraduate community, and enjoying the gardens when the weather is sunny. Outside academics, I am part of Global Shapers Oxford Hub, a network of young leaders working on community-driven social impact initiatives focused on areas such as AI readiness and sustainability. I also enjoy watching Formula 1 and occasionally visiting Port Meadow to see the horses.

“You’ll never know if you never try.”