The School of Biological Sciences’ Three Minute Thesis (3MT) Competition took place on 13 May, offering an engaging platform for PhD students to present their research to a wider audience and gain insight into the diverse work happening across the School.

The 3MT competition challenges students to deliver a compelling spoken presentation on their research and its significance to a non-specialist audience in a maximum of 3 minutes using just a single, static slide. The challenge is to communicate complex ideas clearly and concisely, in a way that is accessible to all.

This year’s competition featured ten PhD students, each offering a snapshot of their current work:

• Sreyashi Acharjee – Beyond resistance: understanding mechanisms of anti-fungal drug tolerance in Candida glabrata
• Ellie Oliver – Let’s get to the heart of the problem: heartworm diagnostics
• Emily Currie – It’s not always black and white: monitoring badgers with thermal imaging
• Mariagiovanna Pais – Exploring endocrine disruptors pathways using knowledge graph and network biology
• Xiyuan Qi – Breaking down cancer’s factory: a novel combination therapy for colorectal cancer
• Tsz Hin Lo – Personality and cognition: The dynamic duo in biological invasion
• Gemma Crossan – Parasite ecology: Untangling the complex webs of parasite transmission
• Sinead O’Callaghan – Does milk replacer allowance of Holstein heifer calves affect feeding behaviour in later life?
• Tareq Al-Yasari – Real-time sunflower oil authentication
• Gama Dominic – Antimicrobial peptides as an alternative to treat tuberculosis

Ellie Oliver was awarded first place for her presentation “Let’s get to the heart of the problem: heartworm diagnostics.”

Second place was awarded to Gama Dominic for her presentation, “Antimicrobial peptides as an alternative to treat tuberculosis.”

 

PGR Director Dr Gareth Arnott, Ellie Oliver (First Place) and Gama Dominic (Second Place)

 

As the winner of the School competition, Ellie will go on to represent the School at the university-wide 3MT competition, hosted by The Thomas J. Moran Graduate School, in June. The School of Biological Sciences has a strong track record in this competition, with Emily Legge taking first place last year for her presentation “The effect of changing soundscapes on predator-prey interactions.” We wish Ellie the best of luck in this year’s competition!

Sincere thanks go to all the presenters, the judging panel, and the students and staff who attended and supported the competition.