Biomedical Engineering PhD student Ahmed Ramadan impressed judges and attendees alike at Dalhousie's 3 Minute Thesis competition this week, emerging with both the top prize and the people’s choice award.
Ahmed stood out among the 12 finalists for his engaging presentation about a more patient-friendly approach he’s researching to treat heart arrhythmias — a major cause of sudden cardiac death globally — using light-sensitive proteins to guide electrical waves through the heart.
The winner says he's grateful for the entire 3MT experience. "It has reaffirmed to me that the public is engaged in research that has the potential to transform how we treat arrhythmias, ultimately with a goal of saving lives and improving patient outcomes."
The emerging scholars had three minutes and one slide to share their research. Finalists included six PhD and six Master’s students from seven faculties: Medicine, Health, Arts and Social Sciences, Law, Engineering, Agriculture, and Science.
Madeline Kwan, an MSc student in Health and Human Performance, earned second place in the battle of brevity and creativity with her presentation: Medicine for All Prescription PaRX: Nature is the Greatest Medicine for All.
Madeline Kwan.
And third-place finisher Sharon Vogel,a PhD student in English, brought everyone up to speed fast on witchcraft, rulership and skepticism on the early modern stage with her presentation.
Sharon Vogel.
We caught up with Ahmed, who will represent Dalhousie at the regional 3MT competition at Memorial University in June, to discuss his 3MT experience and what next year’s competitors can do to make their presentation shine.
But first, watch his prize-winning presentation below.
You won the Dalhousie 2025 3 Minute Thesis (3MT) competition. What did this mean for you and your research?
It is an incredible honour, and I feel very grateful. Even just participating in the finals, I am very proud to have shared my research with the greater Dalhousie community and I hope that it opens doors for collaboration both within Dalhousie and globally. The 3MT competition itself really challenged me to simplify the message of my research without losing the essence of my work. In doing so, it has made me a more confident speaker as I feel I am able to articulate the complexities of my research and make it feel more approachable for the public. Most importantly, it has reaffirmed to me that the public is engaged in research that has the potential to transform how we treat arrhythmias, ultimately with a goal of saving lives and improving patient outcomes.
Your research focuses on the use of light and light-activated proteins for treating heart arrhythmias. Can you explain why this is important?
Arrhythmias are a common cause of mortality in the number one killer world-wide, heart disease. This research is important because current treatments for arrhythmias can be aggressive, non- specific, and often come with significant drawbacks. Medications can be ineffective or worsen a patient’s condition, tissue-burning procedures leave irreversible scars which can further contribute to an arrhythmia, and implanted shock devices can cause painful, unpredictable jolts which can greatly reduce a patient’s quality of life. By developing light-based therapies using light-activated proteins, we aim to provide a potentially highly specific, reversible, and pain-free alternative to tackling arrhythmias. With such an approach, we can directly target the source of the arrhythmia with high precision and restore the hearts natural rhythm; ultimately overcoming the harsh side effects of existing treatments and potentially offer patients a safer and more effective solution.
Why is it important for students to participate in competitions such as 3MT to present their research?
Participating in competitions like the 3MT is important for students because it challenges them to clearly and effectively communicate complex research to a broad, non-specialist audience. This skill is essential for bridging the gap between scientific discovery and public understanding, which can influence funding, community support, and ultimately policy decisions. Additionally, it helps students build confidence, sharpen their storytelling skills, and foster interdisciplinary connections that can enhance their research and future career opportunities. I want to emphasise this last point specifically. Participating in such events are not just a valuable communication exercise that will help for years to come, but it can foster new collaborating opportunities that you would never expect.
Explain how the training leading up to the competition helped you gain the skills and confidence to create your 3MT presentation.
I have to give a special shoutout to all the organizers behind the 3MT. The Brightspace page, the presentations, one-on-one consulting, everything. They went above and beyond to prepare us, helped us grow our confidence, and made sure we had fun! Through these sessions put in place by the organizers, I learned how to distill my research into its most essential points and present it in a way that’s engaging and understandable to a general audience. I also had a great support group in my lab. The feedback I received from my supervisor and colleagues was crucial for improving my clarity, pacing, and storytelling.
I must admit the most challenging is managing nervousness, and I am not sure that every great presenter has it perfected. You have to put yourself in these types of opportunities when they come because that is the only way to deal with stage fright. You have to mess up, it's a part of becoming a better speaker. Ultimately, the entire 3MT training process has transformed what I would have thought a few months ago was too complex of project to get across in 3 minutes, into a compelling and relatable story.
In your opinion, what makes a compelling 3MT presentation?
A compelling 3MT presentation strikes a balance between clarity, passion, and simplicity. It starts with a powerful hook that captures attention of the audience, something that immediately connects the audience to the background of the research question. Presenters should take advantage of what they are passionate about. I love sports and I was able to relate it to the heart and arrhythmias. Such metaphors, analogies, or personal stories can make the research feel relatable and memorable.
Of course, a strong 3MT presentation also maintains a clear, focused message, with every part of it building towards not only a cohesive narrative, but the impact your research brings. And finally, a great 3MT presentation ends with a lasting impression, whether it’s a thought-provoking question or a funny joke!
What is one piece of advice you have for future 3MT presenters?
Simplicity is your friend, it truly is. I think as scientists, especially as trainees, we are so caught up in using the “lingo” to seem sophisticated or to have a sense of fitting in. I argue that even speaking to an audience who does understand your research, you should still use simple language. You have to make the audience feel like they understand what is happening. You are teaching them, whether they are experts in your field or not. So besides trying to explain it to friends or family who don’t understand your work, challenge yourself to explain your research to a middle schooler, who may not even understand some of the big words we like to use to sound smart!