UCalgary graduate student wins Three Minute Thesis Canadian championship

For the second time in four years, a University of Calgary graduate student has taken top honours at the Three Minute Thesis Canadian nationals. Chidera Nwaroh, a master’s student in medical science at the Cumming School of Medicine (CSM), won first place for her talk, A Virtual Biopsy: Detecting Metabolite Changes in the Brain.

Nwaroh has come a long way since beginning her program in September 2017. On the advice of her supervisor, Dr. Ashley Harris, Nwaroh decided to give the 3MT a try, thinking it would be good practice speaking about her research to a general audience, as well as a good learning experience. 

New to public speaking

“I never thought of myself as a good public speaker,” says Nwaroh. “I had delivered research presentations to classmates as an undergraduate, but had never pitched a project to a large group. I thought I would get some experience, and learn from the other 3MT participants.”

Nwaroh’s compelling delivery of her complex research topic made her a clear favourite among the judges. “This competition has clearly motivated the students to be at the top of their game,” said 3MT nationals judge Alejandro Adem, CEO and scientific director of Mitacs. “Nwaroh’s performance was quite remarkable. It is rare to see such research depth and communication expertise in a graduate student.”

“We are so proud of Chidera, and all of our 3MT participants,” says Lisa Young, vice-provost and dean, Graduate Studies. “The 3MT is a great experience. It trains students to think carefully about their audience, and helps them hone in on the impact of their research. Having a UCalgary student win for the second time is thrilling. It speaks volumes about how we’re preparing students for careers, in and out of the classroom.”

Machines and methods in biochemistry

As an undergraduate at the University of Alberta, Nwaroh discovered a love of little things that have big impact. “I went into biochemistry because I’m fascinated by processes that occur on a small scale. A change in one enzyme can have a cascading impact on the human body,” says Nwaroh.

Meeting Harris, a specialist in Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and brain injury at the Hotchkiss Brain Institute, was key in Nwaroh applying for graduate studies back in her hometown of Calgary.

As a part of Harris’s research team, Nwaroh explores the use of Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (MRS) as a non-invasive approach to understand brain chemistry in children. Using MRS, Nwaroh studies the effects of transcranial direct current stimulation (TDCS), a safe form of electrical stimulation of the brain. MRS gives insight into neurochemistry not available through standard MRI techniques, and the research will help establish a knowledge base for future explorations of TDCS as a therapy.

Reaching a broader audience

The 3MT helps students learn to communicate their research to a broad audience, and Nwaroh is amazed to see how effective her message has been.

“Lots of people have reached out to learn more about my work,” says Nwaroh. “The 3MT has given me more confidence, even conversationally, in speaking about my research. It’s a great way to focus on what’s important. Three minutes isn’t long, especially when you’re passionate — it’s a challenge deciding what to leave out, because you don’t want to undersell the impact of your project.”

Elizabeth Watt, a UCalgary master’s student specializing in radiation oncology physics, won the national 3MT competition in 2015.

The future looks bright for Nwaroh. She hopes to pursue an MD alongside her graduate research via the CSM’s Leaders in Medicine program, which allows students to complete the MD degree simultaneously with a graduate research degree. Nwaroh plans to use the program as a path into a career doing medical research that impacts lives.

At the moment, her focus is clear as ever. When asked if she was celebrating her win, Nwaroh laughed, saying “I’m celebrating by learning!” Pitch perfect.