St Catharine’s set to welcome new Gates Scholar

St Catharine’s College is looking forward to welcoming Barbara Neto-Bradley as a postgraduate student when she takes up her Gates Cambridge Scholarship in Michaelmas Term 2021.

Each year, the Gates Cambridge Trust offers around 80 full-cost scholarships to outstanding applicants from countries outside the UK to pursue a full-time postgraduate degree in any subject available at the University of Cambridge. The programme was established in October 2000 by a donation of US$210m from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to the University of Cambridge – the largest ever single donation to a UK university. Approximately 25 scholarships are available for US candidates and 55 scholarships are available for international candidates like Barbara.

She explains, “I moved from Portugal to Canada, where I completed my undergraduate and Master’s degrees at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver. Midway through my undergraduate programme, I was introduced to the botanical research community thanks to my involvement with the University’s Herbarium, which is home to over half a million plant specimens. I went on to pursue a Master’s project that focused on the evolution of photosynthesis, which is a fundamental process for life on our planet. I am looking forward to developing new research skills during my time at St Catharine’s.”

Barbara’s PhD will seek to enhance our understanding of the ecology and evolution of the tropical oaks native to Southeast Asia, with an emphasis on conserving these trees for future generations. She will be based at the University of Cambridge Conservation Research Institute’s Forest Ecology and Conservation Group.

“We know far more about temperate oaks than their tropical relatives. Sadly, in addition to climate change, tropical oaks are also under threat from deforestation and land-use-change for agriculture so it is vital that we identify effective conservation strategies. I’m grateful to Professor David Coomes, who will be my supervisor, for the opportunity to contribute to the conservation of these trees and his support for my application to the Gates Cambridge Trust.”

Now the Gates Cambridge Trust has announced its ‘Class of 2021’, Barbara is excited to experience what St Catharine’s has to offer:

“I’ve never rowed before but I’m interested in getting down to the St Catharine’s Boathouse and trying my hand at rowing. I’m also looking forward to the exchange of ideas that can happen in a College environment: from informal conversations with other students and Fellows, to discussions hosted by groups like the Shirley Society.”

Barbara joins three Gates Cambridge Scholars who are currently part of the St Catharine’s community: Robert Henderson (2018, Psychology), Dorian Minors (2018, Biological Sciences) and Felix von Horstig (2019, Physical Sciences).

Find out more about postgraduate life at St Catharine’s.