A postgrad researcher in GMIT’s Medical Technology Research Centre, GMedTech, has won the 2015 National Thesis in 3 final, held in the Sugar Club, Dublin, recently.
Fiona Malone took first prise for her three-minute presentation on her thesis, ‘How stroke can be caused by blood clots that form in the heart of people with atrial fibrillation (AFib ).’
Students from all over Ireland presented their masters’ or doctoral research in the Thesis in 3 format, communicating their work in a series of concise, rapid-paced, talks consisting of three slides of exactly one minute each, to a panel of judges in front of an audience.
Ms Malone’s presentation was titled ‘Stroke: are we only just a heartbeat away?’ She used a character called Bob to tell the story of her research.
“It was the first time that GMIT has ever been involved in this national competition and we’ve managed to scoop the top prize,” she said after the competition. “I’m over the moon. My talk was about how a stroke can be caused by blood clots that form in the heart of people with atrial fibrillation, a type of irregular heartbeat.
“This is the most common heartbeat irregularity across the globe and these blood clots can account for up to 30 per cent of all strokes,” she added. “I introduced the topic to the audience with a character named Bob, a typical Irish man who finds one day that he is experiencing AFib. I then discussed how this could lead to the fatal condition of stroke.
“This topic is the core work of my PhD, which concerns the haemodynamic factors that influence stroke occurrence. My aim is to simulate the whole stroke scenario from clot formation to stroke occurrence.”
Thesis in 3 is a highlight of the science communications calendar, showcasing some of the science, technology, engineering, and maths research work happening in Ireland today. Hosted by Rick O’Shea of RTÉ 2fm, the event is aimed at the general public and creates an open forum for anyone to get an insight into the world class research being carried out in Ireland today.
Other winners on the night included Niamh Kavanagh (Tyndall Institute ), and Clíodhna O’Connor (UCD ), with Martin O’Reilly (Insight ) picking up the audience choice prize.
The event was recorded with edited videos appearing shortly on the Thesis in 3 YouTube channel. For further information see www.thesisin3.com
For further information about GMIT’s GMedTech Centre, see www.gmit.ie/gmedtech.
