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Sana M.

New mentor

Lecturer in Architecture & Design

Dr Sana Malik is an academic and researcher in the Department of Architecture & Built Environment at Birmingham City University, with over 15 years of experience in academic leadership, curriculum design, and housing research. Her work focuses on affordable housing, housing design, the built environment, and the urban political economy. She holds a certification in Urban Affordable Housing from the Harvard Graduate School of Design. Sana actively contributes to the UK housing and built environment sector as a Research Associate at the Centre for the New Midlands, where she supports policy-focused research and thought leadership. Her primary research interest lies in examining how institutional and stakeholder collaborations can enable the sustainable delivery of affordable housing. She is also a committed advocate for equity, diversity, and inclusion, championing EDI through her role as Spotlight Coordinator for South Asian Women in Higher Education (SAWHE). Her doctoral research led to the development of the Malik ISC Model, a well-established and peer-reviewed framework published in a prestigious academic journal. She is now focused on translating this model into real-world applications to inform policy and practice in housing delivery systems. Her broader research interests include women in housing, housing design, and the sustainable built environment, with a strong commitment to addressing housing challenges in both emerging markets and the UK.More

GuanYu S.

New mentor

PhD candidate

I am an incoming PhD researcher at the University of Cambridge (starting in October 2026), with a background in physiotherapy, clinical neuroscience and academic research. I completed my MSc in Clinical Neuroscience at UCL with Distinction and currently work as a Research Assistant at the University of Cambridge, where I contribute to projects in neurotechnology, sensorimotor neuroscience and rehabilitation. I navigated both my Master’s and PhD applications independently, including programme and supervisor selection, research proposals, personal statements, interviews and scholarship applications. Coming from a physiotherapy background, I successfully transitioned into neuroscience, receiving Master’s offers from UCL, King’s College London and VU Amsterdam, and later PhD offers from both Oxford and Cambridge. I will begin my fully funded PhD at Cambridge in October 2026. I particularly enjoy supporting students who are applying for research-focused Master’s or PhD programmes, changing academic fields, or trying to turn a broad interest into a clear research direction. I can help with application strategy, academic CVs, personal statements, research proposals, supervisor outreach, scholarship applications and interview preparation. My main areas are neuroscience, rehabilitation, physiotherapy, and health sciences, although I am also happy to support applicants in related research fields. Having studied and worked in the UK as an international student and researcher, I am also familiar with many of the questions international applicants face when navigating the UK academic system. I can mentor in both English and Mandarin.More

Wareed A.

2 successful cases

Venture-Backed Founder & PhD (Imperial) — PhD/Master's Admissions, Research Strategy & Academic-to-Founder Careers

I'm a venture-backed founder and PhD who's spent the last decade moving between academic research and real commercialisation. I hold an MRes in Bioimaging and a Diploma of Imperial College from Imperial College London, and a PhD in Healthcare from the University of Westminster — and in 2024 Imperial named me an Emerging Alumni Leader. I founded Twinn Health, an AI-powered MRI diagnostics company that grew out of my own doctoral research into a patented, NHS-validated platform, raising £1M+ from investors across the UK and Saudi Arabia. Before that, I was Assistant Professor at King Abdulaziz University, where I designed an 8-module postgraduate MRI Master's programme from scratch and chaired the department's Examinations Committee. I'm also a UK Global Talent visa holder, endorsed by Tech Nation as Exceptional Talent in Digital Technology. What I'm best at: turning a research idea into an application that actually gets read properly — picking the right programme and supervisor fit, building a research proposal that survives real scrutiny, and academic CVs that don't read like everyone else's, and prepping for interviews and funding/fellowship applications. I've sat on the other side of the table too — as a mentor with KAUST's TAQADAM accelerator, the UNDP (mentoring women innovators across the Arab region), and Pegasus Tech Ventures' Startup World Cup — so I know what makes a reviewer stop skimming and start paying attention. I mentor because I remember how closed off this process felt from the outside, and because most advice out there is generic. I work milestone by milestone — an honest read of where your application is weak, a rebuilt narrative and documents, and real feedback on drafts until they're ready, not a once-over comment. If you're applying for a Master's or PhD, chasing a supervisor or funding, or you're a researcher thinking about spinning your work into a company, that's exactly where I can help.More

Kazem N.

1 successful case

Dr

Tamsin H.

7 successful cases

Academic Life and Career Coach and Trainer; and Professor Emeritus, Sociology of Gender and Education

As a UK university Professor and senior leader I have extensive firsthand experience supporting and evaluating students and academics at all career stages to progress in their academic journeys. This includes over 20 years experience that includes assessing applications, proposals and assessments from undergraduate and postgraduate students; mentoring students and graduates to develop proposals and job applications; prepare to perform confidently and competently in interviews and vivas; and giving in depth formative feedback on written and oral presentation of academic work. As a social scientist leading research and teaching including 3.5 years leading a UK University Education Department, as well as higher level leadership as an Associate Dean, I am experienced in expectations of entrants and supporting individuals to develop these. Specialising in international higher education, I have extensive knowledge and experience working with students and academics from across many diverse parts of the world that include Brazil, Nigeria, China, India, Central and South-East Asia, among many others.I have supervised 10 PhDs to successful completion, including five awarded prestigious funding; and my expertise has been recognised through being invited examiner for 15 PhDs including 10 international including from South Africa, Australia, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Greece and Pakistan. I have extensive academic journal and book publications of my own, and have been called on many times to provide expert evaluation of academic research proposals and publications by others. I am an accredited, practising Academic Career and Life Coach, Mentor and Trainer, working with students and academics of diverse ages, career stages, academic disciplines and nationalities. This includes support developing and reviewing applications, proposals and academic writing at all stages; identifying academic career development goals and strategies; and preparing for vivas and interviews. I am experienced supporting around managing dimensions of lived experience relating to academic development, including neurodiversity, cultural change, health and illness, and care responsibilities. Coaching and mentoring people in their academic journeys at all stages is my absolute passion and I now focus my work on this. One client entering an elite UK University this year said: 'I got it! I’m over the moon. Tamsin, you were absolutely instrumental in getting me to the emotional and mental place I needed to be for the interview. I honestly don’t think I would have got the job without your advice.' You can find recommendations on my Linked in: https://www.linkedin.com/in/professor-tamsin-hinton-smith-04678819/ 'I would love to hear from you and explore how I can help you reach your next stage academic career journey goals!More

Misha S.

New mentor

ApplyKite mentor

Misha recently completed her PhD at the Institute of Cancer Research, undertaken as a competitive iCASE studentship in partnership with AstraZeneca. Her doctoral research sits at the intersection of AI, computational biology and biomedical science, incorporating multi-omics image analysis alongside the development of deep learning and spatial analysis approaches with broad application across metabolic disease and immuno-oncology. She has authored multiple peer reviewed publications in computational biology. Prior to her doctoral studies, Misha completed a Masters in Integrated Immunology at the University of Oxford. She graduated with first class honours in Applied Medical Science from University College London, finishing in the top quartile of her cohort.More

olaniyi F.

New mentor

Lecturer/Module Leader

I’m a Higher Education Lecturer, researcher, and academic consultant with extensive experience teaching and supporting undergraduate and postgraduate students. My background spans Business, Information Systems, Data Analytics, and Research Methods, giving me a practical, multidisciplinary approach to academic development. I’m strongest at turning complex research ideas into clear, workable studies. I can help with research proposals, research questions, literature reviews, quantitative and qualitative methods, data analysis, academic writing, Master’s and PhD applications, and preparing to approach or meet potential supervisors. I mentor because I enjoy helping people move from “I have an idea, but I’m not sure what to do with it” to having a clear direction they can confidently defend. I won’t just tell you what to change, I’ll challenge your thinking, explain why, and help you build the skills to do it better yourself.More

Malwina W.

New mentor

Higher Education Educator | Academic & Research Mentor | PhD Candidate

I am a higher education educator, researcher and academic mentor with over 20 years of international teaching experience across Portugal, Poland, China and Germany. I currently teach at ISCTE - University Institute of Lisbon, where I work with university students, researchers and faculty, and I am also pursuing my PhD in language education, multilingualism and citizenship. Throughout my career, I have worked with learners from diverse academic and cultural backgrounds and have developed a strong understanding of the challenges involved in navigating higher education, research and academic communication in international environments. My expertise lies in academic and research mentoring, academic writing, research development, presentations and public speaking, academic CVs and applications, and intercultural communication. Alongside my university teaching and research, I mentor high-achieving secondary-school students conducting university-level research, supporting them in developing research questions, working with academic literature, structuring arguments, responding to feedback and becoming more confident and independent researchers. I particularly enjoy helping students turn broad or uncertain ideas into clear, manageable academic projects without taking ownership of their work away from them. As a mentor, I combine structure with empathy and creativity. I don't believe mentoring is simply about correcting a document or telling someone what to do. I want students to understand why something works and develop skills they can use independently afterwards. I can support you with university applications, academic CVs and cover letters, research proposals and papers, interview and presentation preparation, academic English, or simply finding clarity when you feel stuck. Having studied, taught and worked internationally myself, I also understand that academic journeys often involve questions of confidence, language, culture and belonging - not only grades and documents.More

Mahdi A.

8 successful cases

PhD Candidate at the University of Technology Sydney

Hi! I'm Mahdi. I am currently a PhD Candidate at the University of Technology Sydney. I am conducting biomedical research at the Institute for Biomedical Materials & Devices (IBMD) within the Faculty of Science. With a background in Mechanical Engineering in my BSc and MSc, I stepped into this interdisciplinary field of biomedical research. I wrote an impressive proposal and managed to secure the UTS International Research Scholarship, which is quite competitive. I have experience collaborating with some of the best universities and researchers around the world, which resulted in impactful research and several publications (mostly as first author). I am well trained in conducting scientific experiments, numerical analysis, writing papers & proposals, communicating with universities and reaching out to researchers around the globe, participating in various interviews, and preparing application materials such as CVs and SOPs. These are outcomes of being an academic for over 10 years and still counting. I started mentoring two years ago, when I saw many talented students and researchers around me who couldn't find their right spot despite their qualifications, just because of a lack of experience in communication and outreach. At first, I started by helping my friends and colleagues with their applications and academic journey. After a while, I received great feedback and decided to expand my mentoring activities. I believe in honesty as the main mentoring foundation. Everyone's time is precious, and no one should waste your time by giving false info and false hope. I also try to be practical as a mentor, so my mentees can follow in my footsteps and gain experience. I can help you out with various aspects of your applications, such as preparing a standard CV, drafting SOPs and cover letters, filling in your applications and reviewing them, reaching out to supervisors, and preparing for interviews. Book a free intro call, and we'll discuss the future in front of you!More

Sepehr I.

New mentor

PhD Candidate

Who? Sepehr Ilami is a fourth-year PhD candidate in Industrial and Systems Engineering at Northeastern University, where he works on multi-agent AI systems, networks, and collective behavior. He moved to Boston after a B.Sc. in Computer Engineering at Sharif University of Technology in Tehran, which he entered ranked 101st out of 145K students in Iran's national university entrance exam. He also did research internships at EPFL in Switzerland and UC Berkeley in California during his undergrad studies. His research appears in several journals, and he has given talks and presented posters at various conferences. What makes him useful to applicants is not only the record, but the route: he built it as an international student from a developing country. So he knows how overwhelming and confusing it gets, and how he can help. According to previous mentorship feedback and experiences, he is a good listener, and he is good at finding a good story to tell to a faculty member. Years of serving as a teaching assistant taught him how to give feedback that lands without discouraging, and how to help someone explain their own work clearly enough that its value is obvious. He also sees the process from the other side: as a PhD student who is sometimes involved in evaluating applicants, he knows what faculty actually look for, which emails get opened and answered and which get skipped, and how to come across in a first conversation with a potential supervisor. That same perspective shapes how he reads a statement of purpose or a CV, because he knows which parts a busy professor reads closely and where a strong candidate quietly loses their reader. Why mentoring others? Sepehr wasn't an exceptional student. He was lucky. He went to a university where plenty of people around him had already done this, where you could ask a friend what a good email to a professor looks like and get a real answer. Most students don't have that. They're piecing it together from forum posts and guesswork, and it shows in their applications long before anyone tells them why. For a lot of them, especially students from developing countries or families where money is genuinely tight, getting into a funded program abroad isn't one option among several. It's the way out, and they know it. That's why he does this. Talent is not the thing in short supply here; access is. And access is something he can actually hand someone. How? His mentorship is one-on-one and relationship-based, not a template: regular catch-ups, work reviewed between sessions, and steady presence from the earliest planning stage through IELTS/TOEFL preparation, building a realistic school list, reaching out to potential supervisors, drafting and redrafting the application materials, interview practice, and finally weighing offers and deciding where to spend the next couple of years. He takes on a small number of mentees at a time so that each one gets real attention.More

Aakash B.

9 successful cases

Assistant Professor in Applied Electromagnetics

I am a Royal Academy of Engineering UK IC Reserach Fellow and Lecturer (eq. to Assistant Professor) in Applied Electromagnetics at Loughborough University in the UK. I have been supervising and supporting a number of undergraduate, postgraduate, doctoral and post-doctoral researchers across the globe. I will be happy to provide additional support to anyone who is looking for an academic pathway, either with support related to admissions, or with building a career in academia and industry.More

Atefe R.

New mentor

Doctoral Researcher at University of Helsinki