More than 150 graduate students accepted McGill's 11th edition of the Three Minute Thesis challenge, chasing glory and cash prizes. Of the 15 finalists who made it to the last leg of the competition, who was best able to present their research in 3 minutes or less?
Watch the video on YouTube to find out!
Meet the 2022 Winners!
Atia Amin(PhD, Human Genetics)
3MT First place winner
Preventing Leishmaniasis Using Exosome
Atia is a second year PhD student in Human Genetics. She is originally from Bangladesh, where she did her undergraduate studies in microbiology. During her undergraduate, she became passionate about doing research that has a direct impact on people’s lives, which she continued during her master’s at the University of South Dakota, USA. Currently, she is interested in interdisciplinary research that bridges the gap between molecular biology and computer science, and her research focuses on finding effective biomarkers for different insect-borne diseases. Besides research, she is passionate about science communication, and she loves playing guitar during her spare time.
Ylauna Penalva (PhD, Integrated Program in Neuroscience)
Gagnante: Ma thèse en 180 secondes
La Maladie d’Alzheimer: Avant d’oublier
Ylauna est doctorante en neuroscience. Elle est Franco-camerounaise et a grandi dans 7 pays avant d’effectuer son baccalauréat en physiologie à McGill pour poursuivre sa passion pour la santé humaine. Son expérience en neuroscience durant son projet de recherche de premier cycle ainsi qu’en volontariat en hôpital et centre spécialisé l’ont motivée à rejoindre le laboratoire du Dr. Munter pour se focaliser sur la maladie d’Alzheimer durant ses études supérieures. A travers son implication dans l’association des étudiants africains de McGill ou son rôle d’auxiliaire d’enseignement, Ylauna souhaite inspirer plus d’étudiantes africaines à s’épanouir dans le milieu scientifique McGillois.
Muhammad Ghufran Rafique (PhD, Chemistry)
2nd place winner
Integrating electronics with biology at the nanoscale
Ghufran grew up in Karachi, Pakistan, and moved to Doha for his undergraduate studies in chemical engineering at Texas A&M University at Qatar. After more than four years in the desert, he came to appreciate cold, rainy days, and so he decided to complete his PhD in Montreal in order to better appreciate warm, sunny days. He is an FRQNT Scholar, a Vanier Scholar, and at times, a lazy scholar. Outside the lab, he enjoys exploring the intersections of science, philosophy, and theology, and has a particular interest in the history and philosophy of science.
Charlotte Maschke (PhD, Integrated Program in Neuroscience)
3rd place winner
Charlotte is a PhD student at McGill University working on the transition between neuroscience and artificial intelligence to study human consciousness. In her research, she uses artificial intelligence to translate theories of consciousness into clinical practice. Her aim is to describe the brain’s potential to recover consciousness following an injury. She is fascinated about the philosophical discussions on consciousness in brains and machines.
Christian Moya García (PhD, Biological and Biomedical Engineering)
People's Choice Award
Localized Laryngeal Cancer Treatment: Give Patients a Voice