This scholarship will make an enormous difference to my financial stability during a particularly demanding stage of my academic and clinical training. Having recently completed my DPhil, I have now returned to full-time clinical studies while continuing to prepare several research manuscripts for publication. Balancing these commitments is rewarding but also challenging, particularly as a financially independent student. 

Without the generous support of this scholarship, I would need to seek part-time employment, which would limit the time and energy I can devote to my professional development. This scholarship will allow me to fulfil my academic hunger, writing papers, attending conferences, and pursing my research, without worrying about external financial strain. This support is truly valued. 

My research investigates how sex hormones, particularly oestradiol, influence fat distribution and cardiometabolic health. While abdominal fat increases disease risk, gluteofemoral fat is protective—a difference partly driven by oestradiol. Using a multidisciplinary approach that combines human adipose tissue transcriptomics with in-vitro co-culture models, I explore how oestradiol shapes communication between adipocytes and immune cells such as macrophages. My findings reveal sex- and depot-specific gene expression patterns and suggest that oestradiol modulates intercellular signalling to influence adipose tissue function. This work advances understanding of how sex hormones contribute to metabolic health and disease risk.