Research Week
Putting research by graduate students and postdoctoral fellows in focus
March 28, 2024
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Part of Research Week, the 3-Minute Thesis final featured 12 graduate students presenting years of research within 180 seconds, with one slide and no props.
The School of Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs (SGSPA) recently hosted Research Week, an annual celebration highlighting the impact and ingenuity of the research being done by the university’s graduate students and postdoctoral fellows.
This year’s Research Week included a series of events, including the final of the 3-Minute Thesis, United Nations Sustainable Development Goal Research Day, and the 3-Minute Research competition for postdoctoral fellows.
“Research Week is an occasion for Queen’s to celebrate and showcase the remarkable accomplishments of our graduate student and postdoctoral researchers,” says Fahim Quadir, Vice-Provost and Dean of Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs. “The week-long event provides a wonderful opportunity for our emerging researchers to come together, across multiple disciplines, and highlight cutting edge research, while simultaneously fostering an environment that encourages collaborative, interdisciplinary, and innovative thinking.”
The winner of the 2024 3-Minute Thesis competition is Julia Tropak, a master's student in chemistry, for her presentation ‘Bacteria: Friend or foe?’. Tropak now advance to the Ontario final.
3-Minute Thesis
The parameters of the 3-Minute Thesis (3MT) competition are well known – no props, one slide, three minutes – for contestants to explain years of research for a panel of non-expert judges.
First place went to Julia Tropak (Master’s - Chemistry), whose talk was entitled ‘Bacteria: Friend or foe?’. Ujjwal Sangwan (Master’s - Biomedical and Molecular Sciences) and Aryaman Sharma (Master’s - Translational Medicine) tied for runner-up while Sharma also captured the People’s Choice award.
The final featured 12 presenters who advanced from the qualifying heats held earlier in the month.
Tropak will now represent Queen’s at the Ontario competition being hosted by Lakehead University Orillia Campus on May 8. The national final is scheduled for November in Toronto.
3-Minute Research
The 3-Minute Research competition is similar to the 3MT, challenging postdoctoral fellows to share their research in three minutes or less.
Participants presented research from a wide range of disciplines, from biology to psychiatry to mining, demonstrating how their research is tackling some of the largest problems facing humanity including sustainability, water management, and improved outcomes for human health.
The top prizes went to Jithin S. Sunny (Biology), ‘Nature’s Heal; Worms unwind the human made plastic problem’; Nazanin Bahaloo Horeh, (Robert M. Buchan Department of Mining), ‘From Waste to Wealth: Microbes turn electronic waste into gold’; and Thamali Kariyawasam (Geological Sciences and Geological Engineering), ‘A 10,000-ton Algal Liver: Genetic engineering for improved wastewater treatment.’
Rafael Santana, a PhD student in Rehabilitation Science, talks about his research applies to the advancement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
UN Sustainable Development Goal Research Day
Representing a wide range of research areas, 11 graduate students and one postdoctoral fellow presented on how their ongoing work applies to the advancement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, at Queen’s and around the world.
The event, co-hosted with the Office of the Vice-Principal (Global Engagement), brought together graduate students and postdoctoral fellows to share ideas and build connections.
Research Reception
Also being held during Research Week was a special reception to recognize graduate students and postdoctoral fellows who have received research awards as part of their studies, with speakers including Vice-Principal (Research) Nancy Ross and Dr. Quadir.
Find out more about Research Week 2024 and each of the events.
