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The co-established Lucy Cavendish-Trinity Studentship will support MPhil students on the Population Health Sciences course.

Thanks to the generosity of Dr Jackie Spayne, member of the Lucy’s North America development committee and the Cambridge in America Board, and her husband David Leith (both alumni of Trinity College) we have alongside Trinity College co-established the annual Lucy Cavendish-Trinity Global Health Studentship for students on the MPhil Population Health Sciences course, which will support one student per year over 10 years. Five will join us at Lucy Cavendish and 5 will study at Trinity.

Their support will enable students otherwise unable to fund Cambridge study to undertake research linked to global health and infectious diseases. We were delighted to welcome the first recipient to the College this autumn.

Dr Jackie Spayne says, “We are excited to be part of the growth and transformation of Lucy Cavendish, particularly the aim to become a hub for graduate students interested in furthering the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Our aim is to support those for whom funding sources are limited.”

About Dr Jackie Spayne and David Leith

Jackie recently retired from clinical practice as an academic Radiation Oncologist at the University of Toronto, after a career caring for people with breast and lung cancer. She is now concentrating on global health, focusing on cancer care in low resource settings.

After completing a PhD in pharmacology at Trinity College, Cambridge, Jackie worked in the venture capital and biotech industries for 10 years.  She then trained as a physician and radiation oncologist as a mature student at the University of Toronto; she has recently completed a Master’s in Global Health at University College London.

Jackie holds UK, Portuguese and Canadian citizenship. She and her fellow Cambridge alumnus husband are long-time friends and supporters of Cambridge University. For ten years she helped with recruitment and selection of Canadian undergraduate candidates for admission and scholarships. She is a member of the Board of Cambridge in America; Lucy Cavendish (where her daughter did an MPhil) is her “adopted” college.

David Leith

David is an independent board member at RF Capital. He has had a distinguished career as an investment banker and corporate director, serving on numerous public and private boards. Mr. Leith spent over 25 years with CIBC World Markets, based in Toronto and London and has extensive experience in debt and equity markets, government finance, and mergers and acquisitions. Mr. Leith holds a B.A. from the University of Toronto and an M.A. from Trinity College, Cambridge.