The Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition is an academic research communication competition developed by The University of Queensland (UQ), Australia in 2008. Students compete by explaining their research to a lay audience in three minutes, with one slide.
Graduate students across the University of Toronto have been competing in a series of heats and semi-finals.
We are delighted to announce that LMP MSc student, Atefeh Mohammadi has won the 3MT final and will represent the University of Toronto at the provincial showcase.
Atefeh is highly involved in LMP being part of the committee organising the LMP Research Day, as well as a Junior Academic Representative in CLAMPS (LMP's graduate student union). She also practices her science communication as a show host and promotions lead for the Raw Talk Podcast team. Atefeh led their latest episode, Unsolved: Investigating Forensics, featuring LMP faculty member and Chief Ontario Forensic Pathologist, Dr. Jayantha Herath.
Atefeh is studying the lungs of premature babies in the lab of Dr. Estelle Gauda at SickKids. She is looking at how citrulline, a compound occurring naturally in watermelons, can help treat bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) – a common lung disease in premature babies that causes tissue damage in the grape-like alveoli (air sacs) of the lungs.
She prepared by presenting her research to as many people as she could, from a variety of backgrounds, mainly friends and family.
"We know what we're doing and why our research is important, but it's essential we can communicate it to those outside our field and the general public to help disseminate our research," says Atefeh. She found the 3MT a valuable way to challenge herself to communicate in a different way.
