From bird migration in urban landscapes to brain function, Martian microbiology and colonial-era Peruvian music, this year’s Three Minute Thesis (3MT) and Ma thèse en 180 secondes (MT180) finalists demonstrated the breadth of research at 91˿Ƶ – and the power of making it accessible.
“This is one of the highlights – maybe the highlight – of our academic year,” said Josephine Nalbantoglu, Dean of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies, to the audience that packed the Ballroom of the Faculty Club on April 1. “You are going to be amazed at what you learn here today.”
Fifteen graduate students took up the challenge, distilling years of specialized work into three-minute presentations for a general audience. With only one slide and a strict time limit, participants translated complex research into clear, engaging narratives for the in-person audience and livestream viewers from around the world.
Top honours span disciplines
Winner of the French MT180 competition, Gabriel Blanco Gomez
Photo: Owen Egan/Joni Dufour
First place in the French MT180 competition was awarded to Gabriel Blanco Gomez, a PhD candidate in the Integrated Program in Neuroscience. His work explores language development in autistic children, combining neuroscience and clinical insight. Gomez will advance to the ACFAS MT180 national competition, with a chance to compete at the ACFAS international competition in France.
First place in the English 3MT competition went to Linda Nong, an MSc student in Natural Resource Sciences. Her research examines how urban environments affect migrating songbirds and what that means for conservation. Nong will represent 91˿Ƶ at the Canadian Eastern Regional 3MT, while trying to move on to the national championships.
Second place went to Eleanor Greenspan-Ardman, MSc, Neuroscience, who studies how markers of neurodegeneration relate to cognitive changes across mental illnesses.
Third place was awarded to Charlotte Little, MSc, Psychiatry, whose research focuses on how environmental and social factors shape youth mental health.
The People’s Choice Award went to C. Ellis Reyes Montes, PhD, Musicology. His work examines musical practices in colonial Peru and their cultural significance.
Presentations were evaluated by a panel of judges including Laura Winer, Senior Academic Associate, Teaching and Academic Programs; Natallia Liakina, Associate Provost, Rayonnement du français; Justine Smith, a film critic and festival programmer based in Montreal; and Racchana Ramamurthy, a Vanier Scholar and PhD candidate in Civil Engineering at 91˿Ƶ who won the 3MT competition in 2025.
Distilling research, finding clarity
Linda Nong, winner of the English 3MT competition-Owen Egan/Joni Dufour
Beyond the competition itself, participants said the process reshaped how they understand and communicate their work.
“For me, I feel like now I have a ‘forever pitch’ for what my PhD is about,” said Kundan Noor Sheikh, PhD, Information Studies. “That’s the most dreaded question when you’re starting out: before you even get to what you are trying to do, you have lost their attention. I think that struggle is now behind me.”
“This really helped me focus my dissertation topic into something that’s distilled into a very quick point,” said Ellis Reyes Montes.
For many, the competition offered a rare opportunity to share research beyond academic audiences.
“Just a couple people are going to read your thesis,” said Eleanor Greenspan-Ardman. “To share our work with all of you is extra fun.”
She encouraged future participants to approach the competition step by step and treat it as a learning experience.
Growth through challenge
Addressing students considering the competition, Midhat Noor Kiyani, PhD, Education, said self-doubt is a natural part of the 3MT process — a point that drew knowing nods and laughs from fellow participants during the Q&A.
“There will be a moment in your 3MT journey where you think, ‘I have no idea what I’m doing. I should just drop out,’” she said. “You will hit a roadblock. But that roadblock is where it all begins to change. Once I got past it, that’s when my research started telling me stories I had never heard before.”
Nalbantoglu praised the finalists for embodying a culture of curiosity and communication, noting that audiences leave “much smarter” after hearing their presentations.
For many participants, the competition’s impact extends beyond their three minutes of fame. By learning to clearly articulate their research outside their fields, they leave with tools that will shape how they teach, collaborate and connect their work to the wider world.