CEO, and Co-Founder

Nationality:

USA

Location:

Cambridge, Massachusetts

Education:

• Harvard University Graduate School of Design, M.L.A Landscape Architecture Candidate, Dean's Merit Scholar (left Harvard to create Girls In Research)
• University of Cambridge, M.Phil, Sociology of Media and Culture
• Columbia University, B.A, Visual Arts, Magna Cum Laude

Why Girls In Research: I started Girls in Research in order to empower the next generation of women leaders, researchers, and innovators. My parents, colored, non-English speaking immigrants in the U.S, came to the states in order to seek medical relief for my older brother (who passed away at 10 in 1997). I grew up as the de-facto eldest child, of a first-generation family, and the deep, complex meaning behind that identity, shaped my connection to the world around me. Entrepreneurship and education, was not just the means of achieving a better dignified life, but sometimes the only path in being able to do so. Since I can remember, I have always wanted to start a company for social impact, but most importantly, for building community - for our students, for our mentors, and for our employees, where their work are valued, supported, and encouraged. Getting to build a team with my best friend is just an added bonus, from our scholars to my team - like what Uncle Iroh would say “while it is always great to believe in oneself, a little help from others can be a great blessing”.

About Elizabeth: Elizabeth Ulanova, based in Cambridge-Boston, works at the intersection of culture, art, tech, and design. Academically, Elizabeth attended Columbia University (B.A., Visual Arts, Magna Cum Laude, Leadership Service Award), the University of Cambridge (M.Phil, Sociology of Media and Culture, Twining Egginton Prize), and Harvard University Graduate School of Design (M.L.A., Landscape Architecture Candidate) as a full-tuition Dean’s Merit Scholar and Harvard Joint Center For Housing Studies Summer Fellow in urban community design. Her design research centers on the revitalization of underutilized landscapes into public spaces such as utilizing play equity as a design intervention and approaching cemeteries through integrative regenerative ecosystems that challenge traditional burial practices. Elizabeth was awarded 3 consecutive Harvard Spark Grants from Harvard Innovation Lab for her work on Recess that utilized active play as a tool to foster community, connection, and resilience. Eager to push beyond conventional limits, Elizabeth initiated her independent study at both Columbia and Harvard and helped initiate the first student art studio at Downing College, University of Cambridge. As a sociologist, Elizabeth undertook research in the realm of new media communication, specifically exploring the influence of social media on contemporary romantic relationships.

A passionate artist and writer, Elizabeth’s artistry is deeply influenced by fluid, psychological storytelling and she has exhibited original artworks in New York, England, and Boston. Elizabeth’s artwork ranges from abstract sculptures and fluid paintings to conceptual video installations, graphic renderings, and live-spoken poetry. California-born, Elizabeth is a New Yorker at heart and has lived in Asia and Europe. Elizabeth has a lifelong love for travel and has visited countries on five continents. Professionally, Elizabeth has held management positions at tech startups and education NGOs, such as National President for The Ivy League Council, and Co-Head of the US Expansion of Project Access International (New York). After finishing high school early in California, she worked professionally while studying Mandarin Chinese in China before working as the first-ever entrepreneur-in-residence at a biotech foundation. Elizabeth is a proud mom of two adopted pit bulls, Brave (deceased) and Skylar, and can often be found driving with her dog.

CFO, and Co-Founder

Nationality:

Denmark and England

Location:

London, United Kingdom

Education:

• University of Cambridge, Ph.D, Machine Learning For Chemistry, SynTech CDT and UCB Pharma Scholar
• Imperial College London, M.Eng, Chemical Engineering

Why Girls In Research: My journey into research began in high school when I participated in a Danish government-backed initiative called “Forsker Spirer” (literally: “Researcher Sapling”). Under the guidance of a clinical professor, I designed a study investigating the effects of caffeine as a performance enhancer. This early exposure ignited my passion for research and fueled my desire to create opportunities for others, much like the ones I had growing up. Girls in Research is more than just a program—it’s a platform where learning unfolds through the process of designing, building, and creating. Whether it’s delving into the impact of social connectedness on adolescents' emotions following social isolation, producing a short film on immersing oneself in Japanese culture, or developing an app that utilizes AI to identify weeds in crop fields, Girls in Research is dedicated to nurturing the next generation of innovators.

About Daniel: Daniel Wigh is Danish-born, and has lived in Denmark, Venezuela, Singapore, and for the past 8 years, in the UK. Daniel holds an integrated masters in chemical engineering from Imperial College London, and recently completed his industry-funded PhD in machine learning for chemistry at the University of Cambridge. Daniel’s academic focus is on modelling fundamental chemical processes. In his PhD he coupled mathematical modelling with quantum chemical calculations to predict the outcome of novel reactions. He also developed transfer learning as a strategy for chemical reaction optimization, and developed workflows for cleaning and curating big datasets in chemistry which he then used to train transformer models (same model architecture as ChatGPT, but applied to chemistry) and neural networks for various downstream chemical tasks. Daniel is currently exploring industrial applications of his academic work on chemical reaction optimization. His PHD work has been streamlined into the successful deep-tech startup, ReactWise that has been backed by Silicon Valley magnate, Y Combinator in S24.

Beyond academia, Daniel has interned at Bank of America in quantitative strategies, researching automation of trading signals in European bonds. During his undergraduate, he also interned at Barclays in Equity research, and at HSBC where he won the “Future Leader” award, being selected from a cohort of 120 interns. He has a small community of followers on Tiktok (@DanielWigh) where he teaches his followers about chemistry and mathematics, with 10 million+ video views. In addition, he also makes chemistry videos for online tutoring giant Chegg (@CheggChemistry) as their most viewed and longest running influencer with over 8 million+ in collective video views. In his spare time, Daniel enjoys rowing for his Cambridge college, running, and listening to jazz.

Director of Education & Culture

Nationality:

England

Location:

Cambridge, England

Education:

• Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts, Postgraduate Degree, Artistic Direction
• Design Academy Eindhoven, M.A, International Design and Architecture
• University of Edinburgh, B.A, Design and Applied Arts
• Central Saint Martins, University of The Arts London, Foundation Degree in Sculpture

About Samuel: Samuel Selwyn-Bazeley was born in Fiji, South Pacific and was educated at the University of Cambridge. He is a British educator, artistic director, sculptor and philanthropist who is currently head of visual arts in Winchester, England. Primarily interested in the social practice of art, he has held several advisory positions, including chairman of Cambridge based AI for education think-tank and invests in global artistic projects that celebrate play and storytelling for children and adults. He is a fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and earned degrees from prestigious academies and universities including, Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, Design Academy Eindhoven, University of Edinburgh and Central St Martins. Selwyn-Bazeley’s expansive, interdisciplinary practice includes public projects, monumental sculptures, immersive installations, pavilions and playgrounds to film, tapestry, drawing and painting. He takes on architectural spaces with work that combines epic scope and express the immensity of the Pacific Ocean and the thousands of islands settled by voyagers using only the wave patterns, bird flight and stars to navigate. He is working on a series of children’s books that explore the intersection between art, ecology and the rewilding of our habitats. Recent international commissions include A River Runs Through It, the design of a sculpture park in Newbury and State of the Union, a monumental sculpture that celebrates the history of debate and free speech at Cambridge University’s Union. His work is held in major private collections around the world and he continued to receive increasingly significant sculpture commissions. Selwyn-Bazeley will grow educational partnerships for Girls In Research and be pivotal in championing new ideas and fostering creativity.