The Gates Foundation, founded by Bill Gates Senior in 2000, is celebrating its 25th year. The Foundation gives postgraduate scholarships to applicants from countries outside the UK in any subject. The criteria for selection include a commitment to improving the lives of others and showing leadership potential. This year the College is pleased to welcome four new Gates Scholars.

Hanna Bechiche will be doing a PhD in French.  "As a second-generation Algerian raised in the Parisian banlieue (93), I grew up attuned to the silence surrounding Algeria’s colonial past. To break this silence and uncover the buried stories of French colonisation, I turned to postcolonial studies. In 2020, I began freelancing as a journalist, writing on Algerian history, decolonial theory, and migration in France.I attended a Classe Préparatoire littéraire for my undergraduate studies before reading English at Sorbonne University. During my MPhil at the University of Cambridge, my research focused on epistemic injustice in harki narratives, literary cannibalism, and the symbolism of desert and mountain landscapes in Algerian literature. For my PhD, I will investigate the poetics and politics of the "fugitive voice" in contemporary Algerian writing, examining Francophonie not as a colonial command but as a space of aural resistance.Situated at the intersection of literature, critical theory, and history, my research adopts a decolonial approach to cultural studies, one that aims to foster civic discourse and community engagement. I look forward to joining the 2025 Gates cohort and Corpus Christi." Find out more on Hanna's website.

Ana Luisa Ferreira Granja will begin her PhD in Chemistry. "I grew up in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and later moved to Vancouver to pursue a BSc. in Chemistry at the University of British Columbia. In my research, I combined my interests in fundamental reactivity with my passion for sustainability by developing ways to make new biodegradable materials, and studying catalysts for energy storage and carbon dioxide conversion. During my PhD, I hope to leverage biological principles to develop artificial metalloenzymes with novel reactivity. With this research, I seek to harvest nature’s catalytic abilities and use them to tackle global issues such as access to medical treatment and water remediation. I am thrilled to join the Gates Cambridge cohort and work with driven scholars from all over the world and I'm excited to join Corpus in the fall!"

 
Sára Tóth is already a Corpus member, as she is doing an MPhil in Scientific Computing. Now she will her pursue her PhD. "I grew up in Budapest, Hungary, and moved to the UK in 2021 to pursue a BSc in Physics at King’s College London, followed by an MPhil in Scientific Computing at the University of Cambridge. During my studies, I was captivated by how complex biological systems can be described through the simple yet elegant laws of physics. I am particularly fascinated by the structure of our genome, as it achieves an remarkable level of compaction: around two metres of DNA are condensed into the micrometre-scale space of the cell nucleus. I am motivated to explore this process because it plays a crucial role in human health: the 3D organisation of our genes — regulated by binding proteins in a complex feedback-loop manner — determines whether genes are properly activated or silenced, and disruptions to this system can lead to an onset of diseases. Therefore during my PhD, I aim to investigate the underlying physiochemical mechanisms of genome organisation using computational modelling and deep learning techniques to gain molecular insights. I am looking forward to this journey!

I’m really grateful to be staying at Corpus for my PhD over the next four years. From the moment I arrived the warm and welcoming atmosphere of Corpus immediately made me feel at home. I was charmed by the beauty of Leckhampton gardens, I’ve met so many wonderful and talented people through the MCR, amd joining the rowing team in my first term truly made me feel like a part of the community. After such a formative year here during my Master’s, I knew that if I stayed in Cambridge, there was no other college I’d rather be part of - and to my great happiness, this has come true. I am looking forward to the next years!"

Catherine Wagner joins us from the US to do an MPhil in Data Intensive Science. "While studying Chemical Engineering and Spanish Language and Literature at North Carolina State University, I developed an interest in vaccine manufacturing and the complex societal factors that determine global access to vaccination. After graduation, I spent three years in the Merck Manufacturing Leadership Development Program, supporting critical projects in the US and abroad; I subsequently became an Operations Manager. I have also volunteered with the Purdue University Biotechnology Innovation and Regulatory Science (BIRS) program as an industry guest lecturer, working to equip students in sub-Saharan Africa with the skills to launch localized vaccine manufacturing. My career has given me insight into the vast amounts of data generated by complex processes, and I am keenly interested in leveraging this data to move the field forward. During my MPhil in Data Intensive Science at Cambridge, I will explore how data science can streamline pharmaceutical manufacturing, contributing to higher yields, lower costs per dose, and ultimately greater access for patients. I’m excited to join the Gates Cambridge community and become a member of Corpus Christi College, and I look forward to collaborating with passionate scholars to improve the lives of others around the world."