Earlier this year, we invited our doctoral researchers to take part in the prestigious Vitae Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) competition. This internationally recognised event challenges PhD students to condense their entire thesis into a clear, engaging three-minute presentation, designed to communicate the originality and importance of their research to a non-specialist audience.
We received a number of outstanding entries, and after a careful shortlisting process, the selected finalists recently presented their research in front of a live audience at BU.
We’re delighted to announce that the winner of BU’s first 3MT® competition is Anna Preece, from the Faculty of Health & Social Sciences, with her thought-provoking thesis titled “Disordered Eating as a Barrier to Alcohol Recovery.”
Speaking after her win, Anna said: “I’m really excited and proud to have my research recognised in this way – I really didn’t expect it! It’s been an amazing conversation starter around my research and love to hear that people are interested in the topic, which is a good sign for the future.
“Looking ahead to the national element of the competition, I hope to raise awareness of this comorbidity. A difficult relationship with food is often normalised or dismissed, making it incredibly hard to access support or make lasting change. When combined with the shame that so often accompanies alcohol dependence, it becomes even more complex. I just hope this helps initiate conversations and awareness.
“I’m looking forward to seeing other presentations and being in a space of researchers passionate about their topic!”
Anna will go on to represent BU in the Vitae 3MT® national final, which will be streamed live on Wednesday 1 October, with winners announced on Friday 3 October. Further information about how to register to watch the final will be shared in the coming months.
Reflecting on the competition, Dr Julia Taylor, Head of the Doctoral College, said:
“The Doctoral College was delighted to host BU’s first Vitae 3MT® Competition; it was a highly enjoyable opportunity to celebrate the incredible work of our PGRs, who all gave compelling and insightful presentations of their research and its wider significance.
“Explaining their investigations to a non-specialist audience in just three minutes, aided only by one PowerPoint slide, really pushes PGRs to distil their complex ideas into a concise and engaging narrative. Moreover, it takes a huge amount of courage – and we admire and congratulate everyone who entered!
“Our worthy winner, Anna Preece, will go on to present her thought-provoking research into disordered eating and alcohol dependence in the final of the competition in October. We hope everyone at BU will get behind her to cheer her on!”
We would like to extend congratulations to all our finalists, and a special mention to our top three:
Winners:
Winner: Anna Preece (Faculty of Health & Social Sciences) – Disordered Eating as a Barrier to Alcohol Recovery
Runner-up: Adrian Butterworth (Faculty of Media & Communication) – To what extent is the university television studio an inclusive learning space?
Third place: Catherine Beresford (Faculty of Health & Social Sciences) – Experiences of care in advanced liver disease.
Finalists:
Adina Maglan (Faculty of Media & Communication) - Inclusive Britain: A comparative study on marginalisation and recognition of Eastern European identities in London and Birmingham public policy
Adrian Butterworth (Faculty of Media & Communication) - To what extent is the University Television Studio an inclusive learning space?
Anna Preece (Faculty of Health & Social Sciences) - Disordered Eating as a Barrier to Recovery for Women with Alcohol Dependence
Catherine Beresford (Faculty of Health & Social Sciences) - Experiences of care in advanced liver disease
Jodie Lacey (Bournemouth University Business School) - Influencing factors towards consumer acceptance of millet as a food source
Mukeh Kenneth Fahnbulleh (Bournemouth University Business School) - Disaster Risk Governance and Early Warning Systems in Sierra Leone: A One Health Perspective
Jordan Caspian King (Faculty of Science & Technology) - The Pixels of our Past: Exploring What Makes Nostalgic Video Games Memorable
Lyndsey Bradley (Faculty of Science & Technology) - Understanding perception of stress in autistic and non-autistic children: an in-depth exploration with a view to improving health and well-being across the lifespan
We’re incredibly proud of the talent and passion demonstrated by all participants, and we look forward to seeing how their research continues to make an impact.
