Ontario-wide Three Minute Thesis win for U of T's Daiva Nielsen

A speedy lecture on nutritional sciences took the cake: doctoral candidate Daiva Nielsen and her brief research round-up won the 2014 Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) Provincial Championship, successfully defending U of T's title in Ontario.

“The entire experience has been wonderful,” said Nielsen. 

Her three-minute research presentation probed the question: Do Dietary Recommendations Based on Genetics Change Eating Behaviour? Nielsen took home the $1,000 top prize, gained valuable recognition, and earned U of T one of 11 spots in the upcoming National 3MT® competition.

A PhD candidate in nutritional sciences, Nielsen was one of 19 finalists competing in the province’s second annual 3MT® held at McMaster University on April 24. The School of Graduate Studies congratulates Nielsen on defending the University of Toronto’s 2013 championship title. (Read more about U of T's 2013 win)

"I spent a lot of time focusing my overall goal," Nielsen said after qualifying for the provincial championship. "I looked at the bigger picture and thought about the most important point to get across." 

The annual 3MT® challenges graduate students to present their complex research in an engaging, accessible, and compelling talk. Nielsen’s winning presentation showcased her research on genes and personalized nutrition; it also exhibited her stellar communication skills.

Nielsen started her 3MT® journey in March at the U of T-wide competition hosted by the School of Graduate Studies. She placed first in the tough competition against 44 other U of T doctoral candidates, landing her a $1,000 prize and a spot in the Ontario competition. (Read more about the University of Toronto-wide qualifying competition)

At the provincial finals, Nielsen was one of 19 finalists from universities across Ontario. The competition was tight, but the judges selected Nielsen’s presentation to take home first place.

Brian Corman, dean of graduate studies and vice-provost of graduate education travelled to McMaster to support Nielsen. “I enjoyed our victory. I was there because I think the event has real value and importance.

“The 3MT® is a forum for showcasing the great research being done by our graduate students. It also reminds our students that it is important to be able to explain that research to the non-specialist public so that they can appreciate the fine results of the research they help support.

“The event itself is a lot of fun, seeing the range of student research being done across the universities in Ontario."

The top 5 winners from the Ontario provincial finals will compete for the Anglophone national 3MT® title in a virtual event using recorded footage from the provincial finals.

Competing with Nielsen from Ontario will be Leslie Nash from Brock University, Muhammad Ali Naqvi from Ryerson University, Joseph Donohue from Western University, and Yasina Somani from the University of Windsor.

Eleven finalists from Canada’s three regional competitions—Western, Eastern, and Ontario—vie for the first ever Anglophone National 3MT® title in May. A national francophone competition will also be held in May. (Read more about the national title)