University Welcomes First Cohort of New Fulbright Award Programme

The University of St Andrews welcomed the first cohort of Fulbright-University of St Andrews Scholar and Distinguished Scholar awards. Scholar Dr Samantha Allen of Tennessee Technological University and Distinguished Scholar Professor Manuel Díaz-Ríos of Bowdoin College were selected for the 2026-27 academic year.

The US-UK Fulbright Commission is part of the broader US Department of State-funded Fulbright Programme, which aims to promote cross-cultural diplomacy by sponsoring American citizens’ research and professional work abroad through grants and scholarships. 

The Scholar and Distinguished Scholar awards are administered through the Fulbright Commission, which specifically focuses on strengthening US-UK relations primarily through academic grants. This is the first year St Andrews will sponsor the Scholar and Distinguished Scholar awards — however, the University previously hosted undergraduate and postgraduate students through the Fulbright-St Andrews Summer Institute and Postgraduate Award initiatives.

“The University has a long history of working with US institutions and researchers, and expanding our partnership with the US-UK Fulbright Commission was a natural next step,” a spokesperson in the University Global Office told The Saint. “Building on the success of our existing partnership, these new awards will help strengthen connections, support new collaborations, and create opportunities for scholars to share expertise and ideas.”

According to the spokesperson, the “Fulbright Scholars are hosted by an academic School and supported throughout their visit by the Global Office.” This includes supporting and promoting their research, integrating them into the wider university community, and encouraging the Scholars to engage in student-facing activities.

Allen, who started her fellowship this month, is working with both the Carbon Neutral Islands project and the School of Geography and Sustainable Development project to research the impacts of environmental changes on landscapes and freshwater ecosystems. 

Díaz-Ríos begins his programme in January. He will work with the School of Psychology and Neuroscience and the Institute of Behavioural and Neural Systems to study the effects of plastic pollution and rising temperatures on the nervous system. To do this, he will conduct experiments using Drosophila larvae to observe the neurons’ response to these environmental stressors.

Díaz-Ríos described to The Saint his enthusiasm to collaborate with Dr Stefan Pulver, who has conducted extensive research on neuroethology in small animals, including Drosophila larvae. “[My] primary reason to apply for this prestigious award [...] is due to the exciting research being conducted by Dr Stefan Pulver and how much I could learn from his research model,” Díaz-Ríos said.

Díaz-Ríos also explained the broader impacts of his research. “Environmental neurotoxicology is one of the most critical and rapidly growing areas of scientific study today because it addresses several major global health concerns,” he said. “I am drawn to this field by the urgent need to understand how lifelong exposure to environmental toxins — such as heavy metals like lead and mercury, pesticides, and air pollution, including particulate matter — may contribute to the rising rates of neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s.”  

He added, “The field is also especially important because the developing nervous system of fetuses and children is extremely sensitive, and studying how even low-level chemical exposures affect brain development can help shape public health policies and protect future generations.”

In a University press release, Professor Tom Brown, Vice-Principal (Research, Collections and Innovation), commented on the programme launch: “As St Andrews continues to build its world-leading research activity, attracting outstanding researchers from around the globe remains central to our ambitions.” 

He continued, “We are delighted to welcome Dr Allen and Professor Díaz-Ríos to St Andrews and look forward to the new collaborations, research insights and long-term partnerships their visits will help to foster.”

Photograph from Wikimedia Commons