As part of Summer of Research 2025, the University of Sussex hosted its annual Three Minute Thesis (3MT) Final on Friday 20 June, with eight postgraduate researchers presenting their work in a high-energy competition that celebrated clarity, creativity, and the power of storytelling.
Held at the Student Centre, the 3MT Final challenged researchers to present their thesis in just three minutes using a single, static slide, no jargon allowed!
This year’s finalists reflected the diversity of research taking place across the University. They were:
- Jo Renaut (Life Sciences) – exploring synthetic lethality to identify safer, more effective cancer treatments.
- Chrysovalantis Fekos (Life Sciences) – investigating how interneurons respond to sensory and reward signals in the brain.
- Nathan Pond (Psychology) – testing interventions to reduce attention bias in anxiety disorders.
- Seyi Ugochukwu (Law, Politics and Sociology) – examining how colonial legacies and austerity policies limit undocumented migrants’ access to justice.
- Muthanna Saari (Global Studies) – researching zakat (Islamic giving) and British Muslim approaches to poverty and care.
- Arunima Shandilya (Global Studies) – tracing identity and belonging among Pakistani-Hindu migrants in India.
- Catherine Cundy (Media, Arts and Humanities) – studying how exceptional young musicians experience school and learning support.
- Charmaine Wellington (Business School) – analysing the impact of AI recruitment tools on the career progression of Black women in finance.
Following a competitive round of presentations, Seyi Ugochukwu was awarded first place for her compelling talk on the barriers undocumented migrants face in accessing legal aid in the UK. Seyi received the £500 prize and will go on to represent Sussex in the UK-wide 3MT semi-finals.
Catherine Cundy was named runner-up, receiving a £250 prize for her presentation on supporting musical excellence among young learners.
The People’s Choice Award, also worth £250, went to Jo Renaut, whose engaging explanation of synthetic lethality in cancer genetics won over the audience.
The final was judged by Professor Debbie Keeling, Dr Amanda van den Berg (Nelson Mandela University), Katy Stoddard, and Sunisha Neupane (2024 Sussex 3MT winner). Each finalist received feedback, and the event drew a wide audience of researchers, staff, and students from across the University.
A full recording Seyi Ugochukwu’s winning talk is available to watch:
For more information about Summer of Research 2025 events and opportunities to celebrate and support emerging researchers, visit the Celebrating Emerging Researchers webpage.