Thank you to all who attended our live final on Thursday 12 September. It was a fantastic evening!
Huge congratulations to our winners
- Major prize: Jack Mest (Faculty of Health) 
- Runner-up: Matthew Vestal (Faculty of Science and Technology)
- People’s Choice Award: Milad Esmaeilbeigi (Faculty of Science and Technology)
Special thanks to all our finalists, judges, MC, and UC Media Team for making this such a memorable event. 
Couldn’t attend? Read all about it!
UC PhD Candidates Shine at 3MT Final
- 8 October — Asia-Pacific 3MT Semi-Final Showcase
- 21 October — Asia-Pacific 3MT Final Showcase
- 30 October — Asia-Pacific 3MT Final (online)
Missed out in 2024? Let us know you’re interested to compete next year and be first on the list to receive all the information about the 2025 faculty heats as well as HDR Development training to get 3MT-ready!
Please note this is not an official competition registration form.
Jack Mest
Major Prize Winner
Jack Mest
Faculty of Health
Hero’s heel? Rethinking our approach to the Achilles heel of recreational runners
Jack is a PhD candidate and Sports Physiotherapist. He has worked as a clinician for 15 years across locations in both Australia and the UK. His research investigates the interaction of psychological and physical factors associated with chronic lower limb tendon pain. Jack hopes to develop a rehabilitation approach that improves psychological outcomes in those with Achilles tendon pain. He is part of the teaching team for the physiotherapy program at the University of Canberra, and has co-authored three peer-reviewed publications.
Matthew Vestal
Runner-up
Matthew Vestal
Faculty of Science and Technology
Your Trash is My Treasure
Matthew is a PhD candidate in the SciTech faculty working in the robotics lab. His interests are in using AI technologies to address climate and environment issues. His research experience varies from ocean flow modelling to computer vision.
Milad Esmaeilbeigi
People's Choice Winner
Milad Esmaeilbeigi
Faculty of Science and Technology
Metal pollution: a silver lining for amphibians to survive against the deadly fungus?
Milad is a PhD student and researcher at the Faculty of Science and Technology. His research interests are environmental stressors, disease ecology, and aquatic ecology. Milad has published many papers in international journals. During his PhD, he is looking at the impacts of environmental stressors, including metal pollution on the chytrid fungus, which is deadly for amphibians. His research hopes to understand if such stressors could potentially help amphibians to survive exposure to chytrid fungus.
Check out our finalists for 2024.
Sahana Sehgal
Sahana Sehgal
Faculty of Business, Government and Law
Intercultural engagement in a multicultural society
Sahana is a researcher, storyteller, and communications professional. Originally from India, she has been living in Australia since 2017. Sahana’s research explores intercultural relations and dynamics amongst ethnic minorities in multicultural societies. Sahana holds an undergraduate journalism degree from the University of Mumbai and a master’s degree in international relations from ANU. Over the past four years, she has worked at Canberra Multicultural Service (FM 91.1), where she currently produces and presents the Hello Canberra show on CMS Radio FM 91.1. In 2023 Sahana was honoured with the Volunteer Manager of the Year Award for Excellence in Inclusion.
Jess Seymour
Jess Seymour
Faculty of Health
Five minutes could save your life
Jess is a clinical Exercise Physiologist and PhD candidate at the Health Research Institute. Over the past eight years, she has worked in clinical and public health roles around Australia and in the Pacific. As a clinician-researcher, Jess has a passion for helping people with chronic conditions to live healthier for longer. Her PhD focuses on the implementation of a very brief physical activity intervention 'Measure It' into cardiac rehabilitation programs in the ACT and NSW, helping people with heart disease to become more active, and prevent future heart attacks.
Monty Nixon
Monty Nixon
Faculty of Education
Learning from Country: a path to ecological balance
Monty is a PhD candidate in the Faculty of Education whose research explores how Indigenous methods of teaching and learning (such as Country as Teacher) can be embedded in modern education to enhance people's ability to know, understand, and care for the places they live in. Under the supervision of Indigenous knowledge holders, Monty’s PhD documents the journey of Outdoor and Environmental Educators as he assists them in embedding these old methods of teaching and learning in their educational practice.
Judges
Dr Shyam Barr
Dr Shyam Barr
Dr Shyam Barr is a leading figure in the field of self-regulated learning. With a background as a secondary school teacher, educational leader, and researcher, Shyam’s passion lies in advancing evidence-informed teaching approaches to nurture students’ self-regulated learning skills. As co-host of the podcast Educate to Self-Regulate, a TEDx speaker, a recently published author, and a sought-after thought leader, Shyam continues to inspire educators globally. In 2024 Shyam was selected by the Australian Council for Educational Leaders as one of their New Voice Scholars for Educational Leadership Research and The Educator named Shyam one of the most influential educators in Australia.
Nazia Ahmed
Nazia Ahmed
Nazia Ahmed is the CEO of the Social Outcomes Lab and founder of the social enterprise Her Kitchen Table. She is a leading social sector economist with over 20 years of experience working in government, private sector, and not-for-profit sectors. She is also a passionate social innovator, expert facilitator and speaker, delivering a TEDx talk on 'Why asking for help is the most effective way to change the world' in 2022.
Jason Perelson
Jason Perelson
Jason is a leading voice in creativity, human experience, and innovation through impact and disrupting convention. He has been called upon to work with Cricket Australia, Miller Genuine Draught, Red Energy, McDonald’s, Uber and the Advanced Strategic Capabilities Accelerator in the Defence Science and Technology Group. He is Chair of the advisory board to the Chief Minister on Canberra’s identity and place brand, and member of the Centre for a Better Canberra advisory board.
The HDR Development team would like to thank a few dedicated and talented people, without whom the 2024 UC Three Minute Thesis Final would not be possible.
To our MC
To our Judges for so generously donating their time, expertise, and insights for this event:
Dr Shyam Barr, Nazia Ahmed, and Jason Perelson
To for providing pitch training in the lead up to the faculty heats and coaching with the finalists. Thank you for your energy and enthusiasm to help our finalists elevate their pitches to new heights.
To our faculties for organising the Faculty Heats.
To the UC Deputy Vice-Chancellor Research and Enterprise, , for providing financial and event support.
To for event videography
To UCx for their venue support
To UC Web Team for putting the webpage together
To UC Design Team for designing all our UC3MT printed and digital materials
To UC Media Team for producing the finalists’ pitch videos and profile photos, event photography, and social media promotion
Lastly, and most importantly, thank you to all the competitors in the heats and our finalists for taking part in this event and helping to make it a success – without you, there is no 3MT event!
Contact the HDR Development team to learn more about this year’s 3MT® competition.