Carlos Mendonca CC'24 Named International Gates-Cambridge Scholar

Congratulations to Carlos Mendonca CC'24 on being named a 2026 International Gates-Cambridge Scholar!

Gates Cambridge Scholarships are highly competitive full-cost scholarships awarded to outstanding applicants from countries outside the U.K. to pursue a postgraduate degree in any subject available at the University of Cambridge. Approximately two-thirds of these awards will be offered to PhD students, with approximately 25 awards available in the US round and 55 available in the International round for the 2026-2027 competition. The program aims to build a global network of future leaders across fields committed to improving the lives of others.

Carlos Mendonca, CC'24 is originally from Wellington, New Zealand. At Columbia he majored in Applied Mathematics, while also conducting research in experimental developmental biology across both computational and laboratory settings. He later combined these interests through MPhil studies at the University of Cambridge, where he developed computational approaches to study placental development, and subsequently secured a departmental scholarship to pursue clinical training in embryology at the University of Oxford.

As a Gates-Cambridge scholar, Carlos will pursue a PhD in Stem Cell Biology. His research will investigate species-specific differences in early mammalian embryogenesis, seeking to understand both what distinguishes humans and what situates us within a broader evolutionary context.

Congratulations also to Soham Mehta, GSAS'26 on being named a 2026 Gates-Cambridge Scholar! Soham will earn his Master's at Columbia GSAS in Conservation Biology in 2026, and will pursue a PhD in Zoology at Cambridge.

Students and alumni can learn more about the Gates Cambridge Scholarship and other fellowship offerings through the Undergraduate Research & Fellowships Office.