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Nathan Pond (School of Psychology)

Does training attention away from threat reduce anxiety?

Everybody experiences worry sometimes, but 1 in 20 people have an anxiety disorder in which worry becomes time-consuming, uncontrollable and debilitating. Despite the high prevalence and devastating impact of anxiety, 50% of people who receive the leading treatment for anxiety will not make a full recovery. People with anxiety experience an attention bias, in which attention is automatically captured by mildly threatening stimuli. My research is testing an experimental intervention that aims to reduce this attention bias, and in turn anxiety symptoms. If effective, this intervention may provide a new low-cost treatment approach, helping us combat low recovery rates.

Jo Renaut (School of Life Sciences)

Synthetic Lethality: Finding Cancer’s Hidden Vulnerabilities to Save Lives

In 2014 Cancer Research UK highlighted oesophageal, lung, brain and pancreatic cancers as areas where treatments have barely improved in 50 years. My research searches for fresh solutions. In my thesis I explore “synthetic lethality”: pinpointing two weak spots in a cancer cell so that disabling both kills the tumour while sparing healthy cells. By utilising large genetic datasets and running computer simulations of cell behaviour, I uncover new gene pairs that drugs could target. I also examine how this tactic can be matched to each patient’s unique cancer for truly personalised care.

Catherine Cundy (School of Media, Arts and Humanities)

"It's ok, Miss, I have my knitting!” Unlocking potential in our most able young musicians

Limited research has explored what constitutes effective provision for the most able young musicians. To uncover the current teaching and learning strategies in English secondary schools, I am undertaking research at the junior departments of music colleges, giving our most able young musicians a voice by sharing their experience of teaching and learning within their typical school day. This will enable me to understand what they expect and require from their teachers. The research should benefit a wide range of educators, increasing the effectiveness of their professional practice and the systems we operate to support children with their learning.

Charmaine Wellington (ÃÛèÖÊÓƵ Business School)

AI in Hiring & Promotion: Levelling the Field or Tilting the Scale for Black Professional Women?

Artificial intelligence is transforming hiring and promotion processes in financial services, yet its impact on Black professional women in senior leadership remains minimal or non-existent. My research examines how AI-enabled technologies influence recruitment and promotion practices, shaping workplace equity through insights from HR professionals, technology vendors, and Black professional women. As financial services adopt AI, understanding these dynamics is crucial to ensuring fair and equitable career advancement. Early findings reveal conflicting narratives—some view AI as a tool for reducing bias, while others see it as perpetuating discrimination. This research highlights AI’s role in shaping the future of inclusive leadership

Arunima Shandilya (School of Global Studies)

Pakistani-Hindu migrants in India: narratives from migration to citizenship

People from post-colonial South-Asian nations often find themselves at the crossroads of nationality and religion. Pakistani-Hindus exemplify this, as their religious identity seems at odds with their national identity, given Pakistan’s Islamic majority and India’s Hindu majority. My PhD investigates a significant wave of migration that occurred post-1990s, focusing on the journey of Pakistani-Hindu migrants in India, from their pre-migration aspirations to citizenship. The stories of migration to citizenship entail aspects of migration aspirations and abilities, social integration and belonging in India, and ultimately viewing citizenship as state-recognized belonging to India. However, this journey is shaped by their intersectional social location of caste, class, gender, and age.

Seyi Ugochukwu (School of Law, Politics and Sociology)

Access to Legal Aid for Undocumented Migrants in the UK: A postcolonial perspective

This research explores systemic barriers preventing undocumented migrants in the UK from accessing legal aid, which supposedly guarantees justice to all. It reframes these exclusions as rooted in colonial legacies rather than bureaucratic failure. Analysing laws like LASPO 2012 it shows how modern immigration policy embeds racialised hierarchies and institutionalised marginalisation. Through a postcolonial lens, it reveals how legal frameworks reproduce imperial power by denying justice to those from formerly colonised regions. By centring undocumented migrants within debates on migration and justice, this work challenges Eurocentric narratives of equality, advocating for decolonial reforms to eliminate enduring inequities in accessing legal aid.

Johnny Hopkins (School of Media, Arts and Humanities)

What are the impacts of Union Jacks in popular music? And should we be worried?

Flags are all around us on food packaging, palaces, homes, council buildings, political broadcasts, sports stadiums - and in music. Yet we rarely notice them. Despite their role in shaping nations, there is comparatively little academic work on flags even in studies of nationalism. Through interviews and analysis, my research demonstrates why the music industries’ use of Union Jacks matters. Indeed, they can be used to reinforce or, conversely, challenge the nation, nationalism, national identity and histories of colonialism. With the rise of the far-right, my work urgently encourages the music industries to reconsider their flag practices.

Muthanna Saari (School of Global Studies)

Solidarity in ‘scarcity’ – reimagining the practice of zakat

Muslims donated 4.3 times more than average adults in the UK through various types of giving. Zakat-giving stood out as a practice that works on wealth redistribution among its wider community, emphasising care and solidarity for others. However, at the same time, an estimated half of UK Muslim households live in poverty. My research looks into the perspective of Muslims in Britain on how zakat practice is located within the contemporary social welfare benefits system of the UK. It reveals their moral dispositions in rationalising their acts and decisions to care for others whilst aspiring for a good life.

Chrysovalantis Fekos (School of Life Sciences)

Are brain cells fated to play their role?

The primary somatosensory cortex has been considered a somatotopic map representing sensation of different body parts. It has been proposed that the three principal molecularly defined interneuron types, expressing parvalbumin, vasoactive intestinal polypeptide, and somatostatin, map onto separate functional identities. We showed that interneurons could respond to both/either sensory (i.e. touch) and/or non-sensory aspects of behaviour (i.e. action or reward). However, our results revealed overlapping functions among the three cell types, with the vasoactive intestinal polypeptide interneurons being the least sensory ones. By knowing how the brain works, we could potentially identify which neuron types are affected in neurological disorders.

3MT 2025 Judges

• Prof Debbie Keeling, Pro-Vice Chancellor for Knowledge Exchange
• Dr Amanda van den Berg, Associate Professor at Nelson Mandela University
• Katy Stoddard, Researcher Development Manager
• Sunisha Neupane, 3MT winner 2024

About 3MT

3MT is an academic competition that challenges postgraduate researchers (PGRs) to deliver a compelling spoken presentation on their research topic and its significance in just three minutes. It started at the University of Queensland and competitions take place at institutions around the world each year. 

Participants at Sussex compete for a chance to win £500 towards research and a place in the Vitae UK semi-finals. There are also prizes of £250 for the runner-up and People's Choice. Entrants are supported with training and a peer practice session to help hone those presenting skills.

About the 2025 competition

This year, to open the competition to more researchers, 3MT heats will take place in each of the four faculties, with the top three from each going forward to the Sussex final in June.

The heats take place in a more informal setting, giving you a more gentle introduction to presenting your research in the build-up to the big event, and are a chance to share your work researchers outside your immediate environment and across your broader discipline.

If you are considering taking part in this years 3MT then check out our pages on preparing your 3MT presentation. 

Key Dates

• Tuesday 25 February: 3MT training for everyone entering heats
• March-April: Faculty heats
• Tuesday 13 May: 3MT training day for finalists to hone presentations
• Tuesday 3 June: peer practice day for finalists
• Friday 20 June: Sussex 3MT final

Eligibility

• Active postgraduate researcher's (PGRs) registered with the ÃÛèÖÊÓƵ who have successfully passed their confirmation milestone (including PGRs whose thesis is under submission) by the date of their first presentation are eligible to participate.
• PGRs who have already had their viva are not eligible to participate.

Rules

• A single static PowerPoint slide is permitted. No slide transitions, animations or 'movement' of any description are allowed. The slide is to be presented from the beginning of the oration.
• No additional electronic media (e.g. sound and video files) are permitted.
• No additional props (e.g. costumes, musical instruments, laboratory equipment) are permitted.
• Presentations are limited to three (3) minutes maximum and competitors exceeding three (3) minutes are disqualified.
• Presentations are to be spoken word (eg. no poems, raps or songs).
• Presentations are considered to have commenced when a presenter starts their presentation through either movement or speech.
• The decision of the adjudicating panel is final.

Rules and criteria set by the , as of April 2024

Judging Criteria

The following criteria will guide the judges' decisions. Each criterion is equally weighted and has an emphasis on audience.

Comprehension and content

• Presentation provided clear background and significance to the research question
• Presentation clearly described the research strategy/design and the results/findings of the research
• Presentation clearly described the conclusions, outcomes and impact of the research

Engagement and communication

• The oration was delivered clearly, and the language was appropriate for a non-specialist audience
• The PowerPoint slide was well-defined and enhanced the presentation
• The presenter conveyed enthusiasm for their research and captured and maintained the audience's attention

Rules and criteria set by the , as of April 2024

Why take part?

Taking part in 3MT allows you to showcase your research in a dynamic and concise way, helping you develop the ability to communicate complex ideas effectively. It’s a chance to engage with a broader audience, as well as think critically about your research's core message, making it accessible and impactful to non-specialists. 

We hope you find this unique opportunity a great way of developing your presentation and research communication skills, as well as meeting other PGRs from across the University who are taking on the challenge.

Check out what finalists have to say about taking part in the 3MT in the video below or have a look at our previous 3MT competitions.

Video Transcript 

[MUSIC: Soft Piano Music] 

[TITLE CARD: Title at top of slide ' Sussex Researcher School'. Middle of slide sunshine yellow speech bubble with question 'How did you find taking part in the Three Minute Thesis?'. At bottom of slide ÃÛèÖÊÓƵ logo and 3MT logo.]

 Heather Williams - Institute of Development Studies: 

I found it a really rewarding and uplifting experience actually. 

Theresa Clementson -  Media, Arts and Humanities:

The training was fantastic. The day with Catherine Pope, where we kind of prepared our stories and our narratives and practised with each other was incredibly helpful. 

Imelda Dwi Rosita Sari - Education and Social Work: 

This was very very helpful for me because I'm still very nervous about speaking in front of the public. So I just really have to force myself and this Three Minute Thesis competition give me the platform to practise and to present in front of the public. 

Dominika Varga - Psychology:

It's very challenging, but it's very fulfilling when you are able to make a three minute story of all the work that you have done throughout your PhD. 

Belen Martinez - Global Studies:

Well, it was actually a great experience because we spent the day together with the rest of the participants and it was a very supportive environment, and we learned about each other and our work. 

[END CARD: Title at top of slide 'Sussex Researcher School'. ÃÛèÖÊÓƵ logo in the centre.]