PhD students shine in 3MT thesis competition
Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute (BDI) PhD students compete annually in the Three Minute Thesis (3MT™) competition, hoping ultimately to represent Monash University at the Asia-Pacific Final.
An 80,000 word PhD thesis would take nine hours to present. Students competing in 3MT have just 3 minutes! With only one slide to assist them, students must explain their research compellingly – and in language that can be understood by a general audience.
The 2024 Monash BDI 3MT finals were held on 30 May. Dr Belinda Henry, Director, Monash BDI Graduate School, moderated the competition. The judging panel assessed the students’ presentations on comprehension, content, engagement and communication.
Six Monash BDI PhD students participated, and shone in this year's 3MT thesis final, making sense of their topics for a non-technical audience, and demonstrating the wow factor of their research:
- Kaixin (Catherine) Huang: “Putting the brakes on compulsive exercise in anorexia nervosa” (Supervisor: Dr Claire Foldi, Department of Physiology)
- William Studley: “Treating pulmonary hypertension: Clearing deadly roadblocks” (Supervisor: A/Prof Jane Bourke, Department of Pharmacology)
- Maria Hernaiz-Garcia: “Biomechanics of Neanderthal anterior dentition” (Supervisor: A/Prof Luca Fiorenza, Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology)
- Charlotte Barker: “Exploring if gut bacteria ignites brain damage following stroke” (Supervisor: Dr Brad Broughton, Department of Pharmacology)
- Sheida Shadani: “Unleash the magic of mushrooms: Psilocybin & social behaviour” (Supervisor: Dr Claire Foldi, Department of Physiology)
- Isabel Everard: “Spartan strategies: Using radiotherapy to bypass the walls of cancer” (Supervisor: Professor Gail Risbridger, Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology)
L-R: Monash BDI 2024 3MT winners: Isabel Everard (Runner up and People’s choice) and Charlotte Barker (winner)
Tightly contested, the judges selected Charlotte Barker (Department of Pharmacology) as the winner. Charlotte’s presentation was titled "Exploring if gut bacteria ignites brain damage following stroke".
Charlotte's research focuses on understanding how having a stroke breaches the brain’s defences and triggers the translocation of bacteria from the gut to different organs, including the brain. She is testing the hypothesis that gut bacteria that has translocated to the brain will exacerbate neural damage and stroke outcomes.
Charlotte is completing her PhD in the Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Pharmacology Group under the supervision of A/Prof Brad Broughton and A/Prof Barbara Kemp-Harper and of A/Prof Francine Marques, who heads the Hypertension Research Lab (School of Biological Sciences).
[20 June update: Charlotte won First Place in the 20 June faculty final , the second year in a row that a BDI PhD student has won the faculty final! Charlotte will represent the faculty in the University final on 27 August. See also Charlotte's interview after she won the Faculty final.]
Charlotte takes home $200 and will go on to compete in the Faculty 3MT final on 20 June (details below).
Isabel Everard (Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology - main supervisor Professor Gail Risbridger) was awarded both Runner-up and People’s Choice awards, for her presentation "Spartan strategies: Using radiotherapy to bypass the walls of cancer". She received $100 for each category and the opportunity to present at the Faculty final should Charlotte be unable to compete.
The calibre of the speakers was extremely high, so the Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences Final promises to be both informative and entertaining. Support our Monash BDI representative: add the Faculty of Medicine Nursing and Health Sciences (MNHS) Final to your diary now:
Faculty MNHS 3MT Final
- Thursday 20 June 2024, 1.30-3.30pm
- South 1 Theatre, 43 Rainforest Walk, Clayton Campus
- Zoom link
Monash University Final 27 August
Monash University 3MT Final will be held 5:00-7:30pm, 27 August. Information on the University final will be published on this site https://www.monash.edu/graduate-research/news-and-events/3mt
About the Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute
Committed to making the discoveries that will relieve the future burden of disease, the Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute (BDI) at Monash University brings together more than 120 internationally-renowned research teams. Spanning seven discovery programs across Cancer, Cardiovascular Disease, Development and Stem Cells, Infection, Immunity, Metabolism, Diabetes and Obesity, and Neuroscience, Monash BDI is one of the largest biomedical research institutes in Australia. Our researchers are supported by world-class technology and infrastructure, and partner with industry, clinicians and researchers internationally to enhance lives through discovery.