In a world of TikTok shorts and hot takes, attention is at a premium. So how does a researcher respond to dwindling attention spans? Condense, condense, condense. Down to three minutes, to be exact.
That was the goal for ten of Duke’s most promising Ph.D. students at the fourth annual Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition on August 4, 2026, sponsored by the Graduate School, the Office of Biomedical Graduate Education (OBGE), and the Pratt School of Engineering. Students competed for a cash prize and the opportunity to represent Duke at the Southeast Regional competition in February, 2027.
A unique competition, the 3MT challenges doctoral students to communicate their current research to a non-specialized audience using only one presentation slide and their words. The best competitors boil down months, if not years, of highly technical scientific study into digestible metaphors – a field of dandelions, a pianist, a bridge between islands.
After a series of fascinating talks, four judges selected three winners (full disclosure, I was a judge):
- 1st place ($1000): Parker Esswein, Biomedical Engineering; “Gaining inSight: Modeling blood vessels to treat diabetic visual impairment”
- 2nd place ($750): Anna Towne, Pharmacology and Cancer Biology; “No Leg to Stand On: Exploiting cancer's balancing act to improve treatment options”
- 3rd place ($500): Lailah Ligons: Biomedical Engineering; “ElectroGLuE: Understanding Each Musician in the Symphony of the Brain”
In today’s research environment, when many in leadership and the general public express doubts about science, there is a strong call to convey scientific work clearly to non-scientists. Second-place winner Anna Towne sees a professional value in exercises like 3MT. While we have seen “splintered trust between our non-science community and biomedical researchers,” practicing good communication can help scientists “begin to mend this rupture.”
First-place winner Parker Esswein also recognizes the importance in communicating to non-experts, “such as local community members, patients, funding agencies, and government figures,” as well as the “end-users” of the research. As Esswein explains, the competition forces researchers to “truly understand all of the innerworkings and details” of their work: “identify what points were most critical to discuss, determine which analogies correctly conveyed my work in a scientifically meaningful way, and establish how to simplify the content without altering its accuracy.”
But the 3MT competition also had an unexpected personal benefit for Esswein: his parents now “have a much better understanding of [his] work and can accurately convey [his] research to others!” Good science communication doesn’t just enrich the community – it can even bring families together!
From its origin at the University of Queensland in 2008, the 3MT competition has spread world-wide over the last two decades, with more than 900 universities in 85 countries competing. Since its humble start with nine competitors four years ago, Duke’s 3MT event has grown as well. Duke’s 2026 competition began with 40 competitors who were whittled down to the final 10 through preliminary rounds.
The judges for the finals were:
- Suzanne Barbour, Dean of the Duke Graduate School
- Tammy Collins, Burroughs Welcome Fund
- Wendy Jacobs, Durham County Commissioner
- Gabe Sealey-Morris, Duke Office for Research & Innovation
As the winner of Duke’s 3MT finals, Esswein will represent Duke at the Southeast Regional competition in February 2027.
For questions about participating in Duke's 2027 competition, contact the 3MT team.
The winners of the 2026 Duke 3MT competition (from left): Parker Esswein, Anna Towne, Lailah Ligons.
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First-Place Winner of the Duke 3MT competition, Parker Esswein.
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The three winners of the 3MT competition.
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