A PhD student from Swansea University Medical School has won the Swansea University Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition.
Kristen Hawkins, studying a PhD in Neuroscience, fought off competition from across the University with her presentation "Brain Wars" on her research into combatting Multiple sclerosis.
Established by the University of Queensland in 2008, 3MT is an international competition held at over 200 universities worldwide.
Open to PhD students, the competition challenges participants to present their research in just three minutes and in the form of a single static PowerPoint slide that can be understood by an audience, who, although intelligent, have no background in the research area.
Swansea University is one of around 70 UK-based institutions that now form part of this global network, encouraging postgraduate research students to promote their research and enthusiasm for their chosen topic to reach non-specialist audiences.
3MT is designed to showcase, to various audiences, the excellent quality and diversity of research undertaken by postgraduate research students at Swansea University and its relevancy and impact upon the world.
Speaking about her success in the competition so far, Kristen said: "The 3MT experience has been great. Three minutes isn't very long, which makes you really think about which aspects of your work are most relevant and appealing to a wider audience."
Professor Gert Aarts Deputy Pro-Vice Chancellor, Postgraduate Research, said: "This year's entrants were particularly impressive and more than overcame the challenge of presenting virtually.
"In a tough field, Kristen's passionate and engaging presentation on her research shone through, and I'm delighted she'll be representing Swansea on the national stage."
Kristen will now progress to the 3MT UK quarter-finals and will be in with the chance of presenting in the 3MT UK online Final in September, hosted by Vitae, the global leader in researcher development.
Watch a recording of the Swansea University 3MT Final 2021 to see Kristen’s winning moment and learn about the incredible research taking place at Swansea.