Biography
Fitzroy "Pablo" Wickham of Brown's Town, St. Ann, Jamaica is the 2021 recipient of the Rhodes Scholarship for Jamaica. He graduated from Wesleyan University, Middletown, CT, USA with a double-major in Neuroscience and Theater with a minor in Chemistry. At Wesleyan, he served as the Senior Class President, a senior board member on the Community Standards and Honour Boards and Head Resident for Residential Life. Pablo became interested in scientific research when he joined the Naegele Lab, at Wesleyan University, where he conducted stem cell research to treat temporal lobe epilepsy in mice. He also interned at Voyager Therapeutics in Boston, where he conducted Alzheimer's research in mice. At Oxford, Pablo completed his DPhil in Clinical Neuroscience under the supervision of Professors Masud Husain and Sanjay Manohar. His thesis titled 'Dynamics of Human Decision-Making Under Uncertainty in Health and Disease' explored the impact of brain pathology on human behaviour. Ultimately, he wishes to establish his own biotech company in Jamaica to encourage interest in the field while simultaneously diversifying it. It is his desire to raise mental health awareness and advocate for child neurological illnesses throughout the country and surrounding Caribbean region. Pablo is also an actor with stage credits including Othello in Shakespeare's Othello and George in the Great Gatsby. He is equally passionate about transforming the theatre landscape of Jamaica and using the artform as a platform for activism.