Research on temporary feeding tube management receives the top prize

A PhD student whose research addresses the challenges faced by families of children with temporary feeding tubes has won the 2024 University of Queensland Prize Completion of the Three Minute Thesis (3MT).

Claire Reillyfrom UQ's SFaculty of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, won first prize for her convincing presentation The silent fight: Temporary tube feeding management in children.

Ms. Reilly was one of eight finalists who had just three minutes to present her research and its significance to a wide audience, supported by a single PowerPoint slide.

I have been a dietitian for almost 20 years and have prescribed thousands of feeding tubes to children, but many families have difficulty managing these devices and this is often unknown.

My research aims to help families with children who require temporary feeding tubes to better manage this at home, while bridging the gap between families, doctors and health services.”

Claire Reilly, Faculty of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, UQ

Ms Reilly said taking part in the 3MT competition allowed her to refine the way she communicates her research to a wider audience.

“Public speaking was challenging for me, but it was worth honing this skill through competition,” she said.

“I learned the importance of crafting a narrative that clearly communicates the problem, goal, and results of my research.”

Ms. Reilly will now compete against graduate students from universities in Australia, New Zealand and Asia Asia-Pacific 3MT virtual finals on Wednesday, October 30th.

Dean of UQ Graduate School, Professor Virginia Slaughter said she was impressed by the breadth of research examined in this year's competition.

“The 3MT competition is an annual highlight of the Graduate School and a great opportunity to learn more about the amazing research of our HDR candidates from across the University,” said Professor Slaughter.

“Congratulations to Claire on her winning presentation and the other finalists who were also excellent presenters.

“Many thanks also to our sponsors, especially our platinum sponsor UniSuper, for their generous support.”

Arthur De Alwis, from UQ's Faculty of Mechanical Engineeringering, architecture and information technology, took home both the runner-up and audience awards for his presentation. A song by Rocks on Fire.

The first 3MT competition was held at UQ in 2007, with the competition's origins being traced back to this Emeritus Professor Alan Lawson.

Seventeen years later, 3MT has nurtured some impressive UQ alumni and is now held at more than 900 universities around the world.

Winner 2023 Emily Cooper was a member of the jury this year and is in the final stages of her doctoral thesis. She is researching cheaper and greener batteries while also working part-time as a data analyst at UQ.

“The 3MT inspired me to develop batteries for the real world,” said Ms. Cooper.

“Communicating your insights and key points to a wide audience really shines a light on your work, and the competition has encouraged me to develop my research with real-world application in mind.”