International student wins Massey's Three-Minute Thesis Competition

Aamir Ghafoor was the overall winner of the University's second annual Three-Minute Thesis competition for doctoral students run by the Graduate Research School.

Mr Ghafoor, from Pakistan, was also the audience's People’s Choice winner at the competition held in the Japan Lecture Theatre at the Manawatu campus last Monday. He skilfully transformed his thesis topic on Exopolysaccarides in pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilm formation and architecture into a short, sharp and entertaining presentation that persuaded the judges and the audience of the importance of his research.

The 12 finalists were required to think about the key elements of their doctoral research, and to communicate it concisely and convincingly to a non-specialist audience in three minutes with one information slide. Graduate Research School Dean Professor Margaret Tennant noted that the competition helped to showcase the variety of research being undertaken by Massey’s top research students from all campuses.

The runner-up, Dulantha Ulluwishewa from the Riddet Institute on the Manawatu campus, spoke on Interactions between commensal obligate anaerobes and human intestinal cells. He also engaged the audience with a well-judged combination of humour and scientifically credible explanation.

Mr Ghafoor won a prize of $1000 towards conference and research expenses, plus $500 in book vouchers for the People’s Choice Award, and will represent Massey University at the Australasian Final in Perth. Mr Ulluwishewa won $500 towards conference or research expenses. The prizes were supported by Vice-Chancellor Steve Maharey and Assistant Vice-Chancellor (Research and Enterprise) Professor Brigid Heywood.

Presenters spoke on topics ranging from sleep patterns in people with dementia, new means of vaccine delivery, the role of the mosque in disaster recovery, and patterns of chewing and their influence on sensory perceptions of food.