CCTS hosts second annual T1-T4 in 3 (Minutes) competition

On May 1, the UTHealth Houston Center for Clinical and Translational Sciences (CCTS) held its second annual T1-T4 in 3 (Minutes) competition. Inspired by the Three Minute Thesis competition at the University of Queensland, the contest requires participants to present a summary of their research project in three minutes or less to a panel of judges and event attendees. The challenge lies in effectively communicating complex concepts to a nonscientific audience, with focus on a unique aspect of translational science that connects a specific area of research to a community or population. The competition serves to improve each scholar’s ability to connect and communicate with lay people, bringing relevance to their work on a broader scale. By “translating” their research, the young investigators make their work more digestible and compelling to community members and stakeholders.   

Taking first place, which included a prize of $500, was Jacob Mattia, graduate student at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center UTHealth Houston Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, for his project “Listening to the Genetic Symphony of Neurodevelopment in Down Syndrome.” 

Second place, and a prize of $300, was awarded to Antonio Pagán, postdoctoral fellow at the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, UTHealth Houston, for “¡Iniciando! La Adultez (Launching to Adulthood!): A Cultural and Linguistic Adaptation of a Group Therapy Program for Young Adults with Neurodevelopmental Differences Transitioning to Adulthood.”

The third-place winner, receiving, $200, was Trey Waldrop, graduate research assistant in radiation physics at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, for his presentation “Gone in a FLASH: Treating Pancreatic Cancer with Ultra-high Dose Rate Radiotherapy.”

Maria del Mar Romero López, assistant professor of pediatrics, neonatology division, at McGovern Medical School, UTHealth Houston, captured fourth place and $100 for her project titled “What is the Best Amount of Vitamin D Supplementation in Very Small Babies?”

The four winners will go on to compete at the 2024 Summer Meeting of the Texas Regional CTSA Consortium (TRCC), July 11-12, at UT Southwestern Medical School in Dallas, where they will represent the CCTS.

Pictured above, from left to right, are: Maria del Romero López (4th-place winner), Lea Stitzlein, Antonio Pagán (2nd-place winner), Betty Stewart (judge), Samuel Mulder, Aaron Aguilar (judge), Trey Waldrop (3rd-place winner), Grace Murley, Jacob Mattia (1st-place winner), Meagan Conner, Lindsay Holzapfel, Morgan Riba, Delanderia Anderson (judge). Photo by Laura Stevens, CCTS.