Because of you

"Memory and perception are intimately interlinked in the human brain. I am working on the development of an app designed to detect signs of dementia earlier than traditional cognitive tests, by assessing perception rather than memory.

"Importantly, because this app is visual rather than verbal - e.g. testing perceptions of rooms or faces – it is translatable across cultures.

"More than two-thirds of people with dementia live in low- and middle-income countries, yet only 10% of population-based dementia research has been conducted in these regions.

"Existing tests used in the UK and US are often not culturally or linguistically appropriate to be applied in other countries, so there is an urgent need to develop new tools.

"The app could lead to earlier dementia diagnoses cross-culturally, and a wider understanding of brain disorders in diverse populations.

"Thank you for enabling this research to cross borders!"

"I wanted to study chemistry to help combat climate change and find solutions to rising CO2 levels. The catalysis research at Cardiff University is an amazing context for this.

"I don’t want my education to be limited by money, but the general costs of university add up.

"My family can’t support me financially due to personal circumstances - I don’t have that backup where others do if they’re desperate.

"I work part-time at a supermarket, but working any more hours than I already do would affect my studies, as well as my general mental and physical health.

"I’m massively grateful for this bursary. I hugely appreciate it - it’s so selfless, giving money to people like me who need financial help.

"It has, and will, help me as I walk into the next phase of my life. I’m now pursuing a PhD!"

"Research into how pancreatic cancer starts is vital, as symptoms don’t show until the cancer has spread elsewhere in the body.

"That’s why pancreatic cancer statistics are so extreme. If we can understand how it starts, we can detect it earlier and treat it more effectively.

"With donor support, I’ve been able to investigate how mutant cells and healthy cells interact to give rise to malignant lesions.

"It seems as though the mutant cells take advantage of healthy cells, engaging them in what would develop into a tumour, like gangs recruiting surrounding cells into the lesion.

"The abnormal growth takes on normal cells to increase and invade the body.

"Because of the seedcorn funding from donors, I was able to focus on this aspect of how cancer starts, and I’ve secured more funding to pursue this further. Thank you."

"This scholarship was life-changing for my university experience and has motivated me to be more career-focused.

"With donor funding, I obtained the technical equipment needed to assist with my astigmatism and short-sightedness, allowing me to fully participate in lectures and seminars.

"Since this, my grades are the best they’ve ever been.

"I was also able to complete a Global Opportunities summer placement in Washington, D.C.

"I worked as a counsellor at Sandy Spring Day Camp for children, using my Computer Science degree to teach students computer programming.

"I learned so much doing this and now feel confident to step out of my comfort zone.

"I’m so grateful to donors for supporting students like me. By receiving a scholarship, I’ve been able to participate in rewarding opportunities that were otherwise inaccessible."

"People with major psychoses like schizophrenia and bipolar disorder often experience disruptions in associative learning and memory.

"I am trying to discover what is happening in the brains of people with psychosis to cause these disruptions.

"I’m looking at calcium signalling, which plays a central role in regulating the processes involved in learning and memory.

"Certain genes related to calcium signalling are more commonly found in people with psychosis, and if we can understand how these processes are affected by those genes, we can potentially develop targeted drugs to manage it.

"This could help to reduce or even prevent disrupted memory and learning, massively improving people’s quality of life.

"I’m so grateful for being awarded this wonderful opportunity to unravel the intricacies of psychosis and help people in need of better treatments.

"It’s inspiring to know my PhD was supported by someone who wanted to make a difference for future generations."

"As an undergraduate, I knew my degree wouldn’t be enough to stand out professionally and I felt like I didn’t have control over my future.

"So, when I began my master’s at Cardiff, I joined the Student Futures Career Mentoring Programme.

"My mentor was Andrew Jones (BSc 2014), an entrepreneurial business coach. Andrew shared practical insights into entrepreneurship, helping me grow my brand and expand my network.

"Being mentored also built my confidence, preparing me for starting a business by learning from Andrew’s lived experience.

"Now, I’m Co-Founder of my own start-up, Iotabl, a platform that crowdsources cybersecurity information for IoT security professionals.

"Andrew’s mentoring was invaluable in helping me get here, and I’m so thankful for this support."