Research For Life was proud to sponsor the 2025 Three Minute Thesis (3MT) Wellington heat, held on 30 July, where five PhD candidates took on the challenge of presenting their research in just three minutes and in plain English.

First prize was awarded to Danielle Sword, from the Department of Medicine at the Dunedin School of Medicine, for her compelling presentation on CAR T-cell therapy in Aotearoa. Danielle received a $500 cash prize, sponsored by Research For Life, and will now advance to the University of Otago Grand Final in Dunedin on 28 August.

The runner-up prize went to Ellie Johnson (2024 winner) from the Department of Public Health, who presented her research on housing as a public health intervention.

The other competitors included:

• Dr Samantha Murton (Department of Surgery and Anaesthesia) — Art in the art of medicine
• Thalia Heiwari (Department of Pathology and Molecular Medicine) — Microbial colonisation of the infant gut
• Paul Owaci (Department of Pathology and Molecular Medicine) — Racing toward a cancer cure without running out of fuel

The event was MC’d by Professor Rachel Spronken-Smith, Deputy Dean of the Graduate Research School. Judges included Associate Professor Kirsty Danielson (Associate Dean, Research), Nick Baker (Senior Teaching Fellow, Graduate Research School), and Joan Smith (Rotary Club of Wellington).

Research For Life congratulates all participants for their engaging and inspiring presentations and is delighted to support the next generation of researchers in bringing their work to a wider audience.