Temerty Faculty of Medicine
Search this site
Menu
How to get help
Feb 28, 2024

Students shine in LMP's 3MT Final: communicating complex research to the public

Programs: Graduate, Programs: TRP, Agile education, Impactful research
A group of young people smiling at the camera
By Jenni Bozec

“It’s a lot more challenging than it looks to take what can be years of complicated research and distill it down into 3 minutes that a high school student could understand. I think each and every one of these students managed to do that very effectively,” commented Dr. Laurent Bozec at the 3-Minute Thesis Final in the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology earlier this month.

A man speaks into a microphone in front of an audience
Dr. Bozec hosting the LMP 3MT Final

The 3MT (or 3-Minute Thesis) is an academic research communication competition developed by The University of Queensland, Australia in 2008. A graduate student has one slide and 3 minutes to communicate their major research project. Dr. Bozec, a Professor cross-appointed in LMP from the Faculty of Dentistry, has been running 3MT competitions for the last decade and recently brought the competition to LMP.

“We saw this as a training opportunity for all learners in LMP. It takes a lot of work to take these scientific concepts and terminology and make it more accessible. Through training, coaching and a lot of practice, these students have developed skills that will help them communicate to those within and outside their field; with patients; to apply for funding in pitches and grant applications – there are many benefits to challenging yourself to develop these skills,” Dr. Bozec added.

Learners in LMP attended training sessions and one-on-one coaching with Dr. Bozec, as well as using the expertise of the Peer Communication Team (PCT) to refine their entries.

Six graduate students made it to the final and presented in front of Department Chair Dr. Rita Kandel and a live audience of friends, current and prospective students, and faculty. The judging panel included Darina Landa (Executive Director, Advancement, Temerty Faculty of Medicine), Linda Quattrin (Director Communications, Temerty Medicine), and Dr. Myron Cybulsky (Vice Chair Research, Clinical, LMP).

The winners!

  • First Place: Carolyn Kelly-Ruetz, MHSc Translational Research (TRP) student, “10 km: the difference between living and dying”
  • Second Place: Ain Kim, PhD candidate in the Gabor Kovacs lab. “Shape sorting cubes for proteins to better understand disease”
  • Third place: Juliette Blais-Savoie, MSc student in the Samira Mubareka lab, “Cracking open the differences between egg-grown and cell-grown influenza vaccine stocks”
  • The People’s Choice Award: Suji Udayakumar, MSc student in the Mario Ostrowski lab, “HIV: Where your immune system is a battlefield”

Winner, Carolyn Kelly-Ruetz commented, “Winning the LMP 3MT has given me the confidence to know that I can continue to communicate powerfully about topics that matter to me. Public speaking often feels nerve-wracking so it’s great to be able to look back at this competition and use it as encouragement to continue speaking about my research. I’m now looking forward to progressing to the U of T- wide 3MT. This will give me the opportunity to further represent the LMP department and share just one research project that is coming from such a diverse department.”

People’s Choice Award winner, Suji Udayakumar received coaching from Dr. Bozec and the Peer Communications Team. “Both gave insightful advice that helped me improve my presentation. I learned valuable communication skills, such as voice modulation and pacing, and it helped me increase my confidence in my ability to present.” 

Judge Linda Quattrin commented, “The effort and enthusiasm that goes in to a 3MT event is so inspiring. These students are honing valuable skills in synthesis, editing and knowledge translation, finding compelling metaphors, using visual imagery and clear language to outline the impact of their science. This is not an easy task, and the results were impressive.”

Dr. Rita Kandel presented the prizes. “All the learners who entered this competition should be very proud of themselves. I am always impressed by the range of research happening in LMP and to hear some of it presented in such an accessible way was wonderful. The candidates all clearly worked very hard to tell the story of their research and have developed some excellent communication skills.”

Carolyn will next compete in the U of T 3MT semi finals March 12 - 14, and present at the LMP Research Day on April 25.

Find out more about the 3MT competition in LMP.

View photos from the event on Flickr.

You can watch the full event on our YouTube channel, or see each presentation below.

Watch the finalist's presentations!

10 km: the difference between living and dying

Carolyn Kelly-Ruetz won first place and is a MHSc Translational Research (TRP) student. “Public speaking always feels challenging to me, but I can look back on the experience and know that it’s something I have the ability to do if I work hard at it. The 3MT event itself allowed me to connect with people in the audience that were excited about my project and others who had previous experience related to my own research; it was great to meet peers and experts and share stories and knowledge”.

Shape sorting cubes for proteins to better understand disease

Ain Kim won second place and is a PhD candidate in the Gabor Kovacs lab. “Partaking in the 3MT competition helped me realize the barriers in scientific communication even within the scientific community. The 3MT has definitely changed the way I present my research even in conferences and in academic settings because the key point of data presentation is for others to understand the research we are doing so that we can collaborate or build upon each others' discoveries, catalyzing in-depth scientific findings. I also think that having the skills to communicate your research with the non-scientific community is also a way we can make a positive impact in our communities.”

Cracking open the differences between egg-grown and cell-grown influenza vaccine stocks

Juliette Blais-Savoie won 3rd place and is an MSc student in the Samira Mubareka lab. “I was forced to think about my methods and results in a brand new and more straightforward way, which was both challenging and extremely rewarding. One of the core aspects of a good 3-minute-thesis is that it’s entertaining. This means that it’s a very fun presentation to put together and present to your peers. Also, I love that I now have a ready-made speech for when friends and family ask me what my research is about!”

HIV: Where your immune system is a battlefield

Suji Udayakumar received The People’s Choice Award (voted by the audience on the night) and is an MSc student in the Mario Ostrowski lab. “I entered to challenge myself to present a very science-heavy project to a general audience in a way that ensured their interest and comprehension. The 3MT is challenging as it requires one to critically think about how best to present to a general audience in a way that is both unique and understandable. This was not a straightforward process, and I made a lot of edits to my script throughout, but it was definitely a valuable experience that I learned a lot from.” 

Wearables detect brain tumors from home

Finalist Ingrid Campbell is an MSc student in the Phedias Diamandis lab. “I enjoyed how the LMP 3MT entries got the chance for one-on-one coaching with a 3MT expert to improve our submissions. I appreciate the support from the judging panel who left comments and feedback from the first round. It was great to have the opportunity to proudly present my research to an audience - LMP created a safe space to promote growth and challenge ourselves within our community.” 

Put the Lung in Gym: Can Ventilation Inflate Hope for Lung Regeneration?

Finalist Shiyuan Bian is a PhD candidate in the Golnaz Karoubi lab. "I really enjoyed the process of thinking on how I can convert my research into an interesting story. When people got interested and asked me questions about my project after the presentation, that feeling of recognition made me really happy. I really think that 3MT gives us a chance to communicate our research to a wider audience. It would not only help us enhance our communication skills, but it also builds a bridge between the public and the current biomedical research community".

This initiative showcases the following pillars of the LMP strategic plan: Impactful Research (pillar 3) and Agile Education (pillar 5)