Department of Biology - University of York

A Fund has been set up in the memory of Radhika V Sreedhar, a PhD student in the Sweeney Lab of the Biology Department of the University of York, who suddenly died on 1st November 2011 at the young age of 28.

Radhika was a vivacious, vibrant and a promising scientist who had made an excellent start in her chosen field of neuroscience. Her early work showed great promise and she had wished to continue a career in science and contribute to society.

In the other facets of her life, she was a lovely human being and showed abundant care and goodwill to her colleagues and friends. She was a valued member of the lab, helpful in attitude and welcoming to new members and is greatly missed. She herself strongly supported philanthropy and contributed to many humanitarian causes.

About the Fund

The main purpose of the Fund is to support Biology research students who are showing a strong academic performance. The Funds will be made available to eligible MSc by Research & PhD scholars, who can demonstrate a strong case. PhD students may apply from their second year onwards. These emerging academics will benefit from the immediate funding to help them complete and carry on successful careers as a result of support from the Radhika Fund.

The scholarship fund is to assist research students through a period of self-funding, with a particular focus on overseas students, who need extra support at the end of their degree; especially in their final stages. Grants of £500 and £1000 will be awarded.

The Fund is administered by the Department of Biology: a panel led by the Chair of Graduate Studies and Dr Sean Sweeney will consider applications.

If you would like to donate a gift in memory of Radhika, or just to support this wonderful fund, it would be greatly appreciated.

Previous recipients

Please read below to hear what a difference this fund has made to just a few of the recipients.

Shikin Ihsan 

I am deeply feel grateful to have been awarded a grant by the Radhika V. Sreedhar Scholarship Fund. It is indeed incredibly helpful to me and my family with funding for the last few months of my PhD study here. I am at the final writing stage of my project and being able to fully focus on my work, without having to worry about financial constraint is a great relief to me. I appreciate the generosity of the Biology Department by considering my application as well as the benefactors of the Radhika V. Sreedhar Memorial Scholarship Fund. I pray that all people who are directly and indirectly involved with the process of this award will always be blessed by God, and may the soul of Radhika stay happy and peaceful in the next world. It is so kind-hearted of her family to be helping other students particularly in the Biology Department, York University through this fund. As I was one of the winners of the Biology Bake-Off competition in 2016, I am looking forward to contributing home-made cakes as part of the effort to raise monies for the scholarship fund. May this fund continue to support other students in future. Thank you so much.

Rebeca Ridings-Figueroa

I am very grateful to have been awarded a grant by the Radhika V. Sreedhar Scholarship Fund. It will prove incredibly helpful to me and my family with funding the last few months of my Masters by research. I am currently working in the Coverley lab, investigating the function of the Ciz1 protein in the process of X chromosome inactivation. I am at the writing stage of my project and being able to fully focus on my work, without having to worry about financial constraints is of great relief to me. I really appreciate the generosity of the Biology Department as well as the benefactors of the Radhika V. Sreedhar Memorial Scholarship Fund. This award will make a real difference to me.