PhD Student, Department of Bioengineering

Imperial College London, London, UK

Biography

Leah recently completed her PhD (March 2026) with Claire Higgins at Imperial College London, where her research explored hair follicle evolution and how the dermal papilla controls the growing hair fibre. Her interest in hair biology began during her MEng in Bioengineering at Imperial, where she researched pattern hair loss. She has since expanded her work internationally through a fellowship at Karolinska Institute and a collaboration with NYU Langone Health, and is first author on publications in the British Journal of Dermatology and the Journal of Experimental Dermatology.

Alongside her research, Leah completed her diploma in Clinical Trichology with the Institute of Trichologists in 2025, graduating with distinction. She is passionate about making hair science accessible and has contributed to public and patient-focused events including BBC Unexpected Elements, the ITC Journal Club, the Alopecia UK Big Weekend, and the DOSE x Salon Symposium.