At 3MT Asia Pacific, Australian National University Wins Silver

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At the 2019 Asia-Pacific 3MT final in Queensland, Australian National University Ph.D. student Lithin Louis has taken second place for his presentation Mysteries of a Beating Heart.

The Three Minute Thesis is a program that exhibits postgraduate students to express their research into simple language that allows anyone to understand easily.

Among 56 finalists from across Australia, New Zealand, Oceania, North-East Asia, and South-East Asia, Lithin made his place impressing the judges with his short presentation that covered how he has been researching cellular-level interactions that cause hearts to beat.

Lithin, who has been pursuing his Ph.D. through the ANU John Curtin School of Medical Research, received the runner up trophy and $2,000 cash but says the most valuable part was the experience and opportunities that 3MT has offered.

From the past few months, for a competition which was held in early September, Lithin and the other participants worked intensively with the University’s Research Services Division, under the guidance of ‘Thesis Whisperer’, Associate Professor Inger Mewburn to fine-tune their presentation skills.

After the event, Lithin says he was “blissed out” to win runner up.

He added further, “To represent ANU on an international platform and bring back the silver was a proud and an incredible experience.”

“I was a bit nervous at times but having Dr. Cally Guerin from ANU Research Training there with me was very helpful.”

“It was also great getting to know many of the other contestants and their research. Some of their experience and stories are incredibly motivating.”

“It’s not every day you get to talk about your research to an international gathering,” he says.

“I’m quite excited to pursue the opportunities that 3MT has brought me, moving forward.”

For now, though, Lithin will return to the lab to reunite with his beating heart cells so he can focus on finishing his Ph.D. The 3MT outcome means the University’s tally now sits at one gold and two silvers over the past six years of the 3MT competition.