Douglas students distinguish themselves in McGill’s Three Minute Thesis Challenge

April 2, 2023  

Among the five Douglas student finalists in McGill’s Three Minute Thesis (3MT) challenge, Samuel Calmels (Debruille lab) won both the People’s Choice award and first prize in the French-language category. Samuel Calmels will represent McGill at the prestigious ACFAS Ma thèse en 180 secondes competition.

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The final round of the 3MT challenge competition was held on March 29, featuring 15 talented students across McGill university. The 3MT competition, developed by the University of Queensland in 2008, challenges participants to present their research in just 3 minutes using a single static slide to present their work. 

This year, 15 finalists were selected from over 150 entries, including five students from the Douglas Research Centre. Our finalists, Lynne Baaj (Rabin lab), Claudia Belliveau (Mechawar lab), Samuel Calmels (Debruille lab), Candice Canonne (Mechawar lab), and Pascal Ibrahim (Turecki lab) presented their research with clarity and passion and showcased the research happening at the Douglas Research Centre. 

2023-3MT-McGill-finalists
Douglas Finalists at McGill’s 3-Minute Thesis event – March 2023


The panel of multidisciplinary judges selected the winners to represent McGill at the 3MT Eastern regional finals and ACFAS Ma thèse en 180 secondes competition. There was also a People’s Choice Award chosen by the audience watching in person and via the live stream.  

Samuel Calmels’ engaging three-minute presentation, ‘Et si nos perceptions pouvaient se contaminer?‘ brought both the People’s Choice award and first prize in the French-language category. As the winner, he will represent McGill at the ACFAS Ma thèse en 180 secondes competition.

Although they did not bring home the prize, the four other candidates also delivered exceptional talks:

  • Lynne Baaj – Getting High, but Feeling Low: The Endocannabinoid System and Anxiety
  • Claudia Belliveau – Hidden Scars: How Perineuronal Nets May Hold the Key to Healing After Childhood Trauma
  • Candice Canonne – Les neurones Von Economo dans la dépression et la schizophrénie
  • Pascal Ibrahim – How do brain cells talk to each other when depressed?

Congratulations to all of the finalists and to Samuel Calmels on his success. 

You can watch the full 3MT Competition Final 2023 here.