Shahmir Aziz, an Old Aitchisonian, Wins Scholarship to the University of Oxford

It is a moment of pride for us all at Aitchison College that one of our students Shahmir Aziz, also a Rhodes Scholar has made his mark globally. He is an undergraduate researcher in different Harvard labs, had studied the impact of physical exertion on the glycolytic levels of diabetes patients and investigated nano-lipids as potential drug delivery vesicles. As an intern at Novo Nordisk, he has focused on optimising drug-delivery processes. He wants to keep working on the cutting edges of biotechnology and desires to help others do so as well, in his native Pakistan.

“…In the long run, I hope to help start a culture of startups and biotech in Pakistan, so that students and other innovators can grow out their ideas,” said the Adams House resident named one of two Rhodes Scholars for Pakistan.

A first-year course in Quantitative Physiology taught by Linsey Moyer solidified Aziz’ chosen field of study. He also took Government and Political Philosophy courses, feeding an equal passion for international relations.

At Oxford, Aziz plans to pursue a Master’s in bioengineering, followed by a second degree in Diplomacy and Global Governance — arenas in which he has also made meaningful contributions on campus.

A member of the leadership team of Harvard’s International Relations Council, Aziz helped the University’s Model United Nations team win two major intercollegiate competitions. “The opportunity I have cherished most at Harvard has been to interact with students from all extremes and opposites of background, pursuing all nature of subjects, and dreaming all ranges of noble dreams,” Aziz wrote in his scholarship application.

Some of those interactions have come in his four years playing Harvard Club Tennis, as a sports editor with The Harvard Crimson, and as a Course Assistant in the Department of Mathematics.

Concentration/Area of Research:  Biomedical Engineering and Mathematics, secondary in Computer Science, Language Citation in French

The original text was sourced from The Harvard Gazette