Congratulations to Aurelien Caron from the faculty of Human Anatomy and Cell Science who the judges chose as the first place challenger.

Second Place and Third Place awards sponsored by the French Embassy and Acfas Manitoba were awarded to Sara Telles-Langdon from the department of Physiology and Pathophysiology and Courtney Marshall from Immunology.

Dr. Jean-Eric Ghia, professor at the University of Manitoba hosted the event which was broadcast on Youtube. “For this 4th edition, we saw solid competitors, demonstrating the presence of many strong francophones graduate students in Manitoba. Most importantly, presentations covered an extensive breadth of science, from linguistics to medical science.“

“Pour cette quatrième édition, nous avons vu de très forts concurrents, ce qui démontre la présence de nombreux étudiants francophones aux études supérieures au Manitoba. Mais plus important encore, les présentations couvraient un large éventail de domaines de recherche, allant de la linguistique à la science médicale.”

Aurelien took home the top prize of $1600 generously supported by Acfas Manitoba and the University of St. Boniface and he will now advance to the National Final being held on May 10, 2023 in Montreal.

“Thank you to all the competitors for such engaging presentations across such a diverse range of topics. Congratulations to everyone and the winners for showcasing their research in French.”

“Merci à tous les concurrents pour ces présentations intéressantes sur un éventail de sujets aussi varié. Félicitations à tous et aux gagnants pour avoir présenté leurs recherches en français.”  Says Kelley Main, Acting Dean in the Faculty of Graduate studies

All challengers and their thesis titles can be found here. The 2023 MT180 recorded event can be viewed here.

Fèlicittions to all the challengers, Bonne chance Aurelien in Montreal!

The competition challenges graduate students to present their research, in French, before a non-specialized audience and panel of judges in only 180 seconds (or less), using a single, static slide.

On April 19, four graduate students – Camila Chacon, Diane Tshikudi, Patti Germann, and Courtney Marshall – each showcased their research to judges and the online audience. The competition was hosted by Dr. Jean-Eric Ghia, professor at the University of Manitoba and Honorary Consul of France in Winnipeg

“This competition highlights the presence of francophone students in our university, a pool of students who contribute to the advancement of knowledge and participate in developing a scientific culture in Canada,” says Ghia. “Through that competition and the spread of their research, they are a major vector for enrichment.  I would like to thank all the participants for their engagement through their community and their contribution en Français.”

First place, sponsored by the association francophone pour le savoir (Acfas) Manitoba, was awarded to Camila Chacon, a master’s student in the department of physiology and pathophysiology.

Chacon, a recipient of the Faculty of Graduate Studies Research Completion Scholarship in 2021, hopes that her research will help lead to advancements in optimizing therapeutics for individuals living with spinal cord injuries.

Second place, sponsored by the Ambassade de France au Canada, was awarded to Diane Tshikudi, a doctoral student from the department of immunology.

A recipient of the 2021 Mindel and Tom Olenick Research Award in Immunology, Tshikudi intends to establish herself as an independent researcher, working on better understanding inflammatory diseases and developing therapeutic approaches to help improve patients’ care.

All members of the UM community are encouraged to tune in and support her as she advances to the Acfas national final*, held in-person on May 11, 2022, at 6:30 PM EST at le Théâtre de la Cité universitaire in Laval University.

Third place, sponsored by the Ambassade de France au Canada, was awarded to Patti Germann, a doctoral student in French, Spanish and Italian.

“It is a great testament to these students that they can discuss their research for a lay audience in French. They have found a way to successfully communicate their ideas and inspire others with their passion and drive”, says Kelley Main, acting dean of the Faculty of Graduate Studies. “I would like to congratulate all the competitors and wish Diane the best as she competes at the finals.”

The link to watch the UM final can be found here.

*The rules stipulate that only PhD students can advance to the Canadian Finals, and as Camila is a Master’s student, Diane will be advancing to the ACFAS final. The national final will be held on May 11, 2022.

The MT180 competition challenges graduate students to present their research project in simple terms to a non-specialized audience, in French. This competition is modelled after the Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition.

The UM competition allows both master’s and doctoral students the opportunity to compete, and the top placing doctoral challenger will advance to the National final being held on May 11 at the Acfas Congress at Laval University.

The four challengers who will be presenting at UM’s final event are:

Camila Chacon – Physiologie et Pathophysiologie, M.Sc
Le système nerveux sympathique et l’intégration des neurones spinaux V3

Courtney Marshall – Immunologie, M.Sc.
Les différences sexuelles dans l’immunomodulation de l’inflammation par peptide synthétique. 

Diane Tshikudi – Immunologie, PhD
Effet de la chromogranine A et de la pancréastatine sur le processus de guérison de la muqueuse intestinale dans la colite ulcéreuse.

Patti Germain – Francais, Espagnol, Italien, PhD
Le Lieu touristique dans les œuvres d’Alain Rennais et de Marguerite Duras (1944-1965) : espace des violences présentes et passées.

Everyone is invited to watch the event online!

UM MT180 Final
Tuesday, April 19, 2022
4 PM CT
Watch online

Details of both the UM MT180 and 3MT events can be found at umanitoba.ca/3mt.

Ma thèse en 180 secondes is a French-language communication contest launched by Acfas (Association francophone pour le savoir) in 2012, modelled after the Three Minute Thesis competition founded by The University of Queensland in 2008. Each challenger, in three minutes or less, must present a clear, concise explanation of their research project, in French.

MT180 is designed to be a challenge for students to succinctly convey ideas and principles of research in a way that will be understandable by a lay or non-specialist audience.

“Trying to communicate a specific research aim is always challenging, especially when we share it with the public,” says Jean-Eric Ghia, Associate Professor, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, and Honorary Consul of France in Winnipeg. “In a world where science communication became a key element, “Ma thèse en 180sec” gives Francophone graduate students, located in Manitoba, an opportunity to enhance their communication skills and storytelling capacities.

“Essayer de communiquer un objectif de recherche est toujours un défi, surtout lorsque nous le partageons avec le grand public. Dans un monde où la communication scientifique est devenue un élément clé, “Ma thèse en 180sec” donne aux étudiants candidats à la maîtrise et au doctorat francophones, situés au Manitoba, l’occasion d’améliorer leurs compétences en communication et leurs capacités de narration.”

Nolan De Leon, a master’s student in physiology and pathophysiology, explained his thesis on using circular RNA for the prognosis and diagnosis of congenital anomalies and won first place at the second annual University of Manitoba MT180 finals on April 15, 2021. He also competed in 3MT and won first place in that competition as well.

“The [MT180] competition was a great way to introduce me to all of the wonderful work being done in our university and gave me a chance to hone my skills as an effective communicator,” says De Leon discussing his experience. “As a scientist and an aspiring physician, I believe that communication is key to understanding problems and providing patients with the best care. By finding ways to turn our research into a conversation, we ultimately bring our ideas to life.”

By finding ways to turn our research into a conversation, we ultimately bring our ideas to life.” ~ Nolan De Leon

Kelley Main, acting Dean of the Faculty of Graduate Studies, says: “I hope our graduate students who speak French will consider competing in MT180. It is a great opportunity to present one’s research to a non-academic audience.

“J’espère que nos étudiants de deuxième et troisième cycle qui parlent le français considéreront une participation au concours MT180. Il s’agit d’une chance unique de présenter votre travail de recherche à un auditoire autre que celui du monde universitaire.”

Competitors will present in UM’s MT180 competition on March 24 and have the chance to move on to the national final taking place on May 11, 2022.

Information on how to apply for MT180 can be found on the Faculty of Graduate Studies website.

Applications for MT180 2022 close February 13, 2022 – apply now in English or in French.

Applications are being accepted from all universities in Manitoba with graduate programs.  Current doctoral or master’s students can compete at the competition being held at UM, however only doctoral candidates will be eligible for the Canadian and International Final competitions.

The competition challenges graduate students to present their research, in French, before a non-specialized audience and panel of judges in only 180 seconds (or less), using a single, static slide.

Seven graduate students showcased their research on April 15^th virtually to judges and the audience. The competition was hosted by Dr. Jean-Eric Ghia, Associate professor at the University of Manitoba. “It was breathtaking to see the diversity of research presented by the challengers, merci à vous.”

The awards distributed were in two categories: An overall competition where the winner could be either Master’s or Doctoral, and a sub category for Master’s students. 

First place in the overall category, sponsored by the association francophone pour le savoir (Acfas) Manitoba, was awarded to Nolan De Leon, a Master’s student in the department of Physiology and Pathophysiology.

Second place in the overall competition, sponsored by the Ambassade de France au Canada, and advancing to the Acfas MT180 national finals*, is Veronica Copppolaro, a doctoral student from the department of Geography.

First place in the sub category, sponsored by the Ambassade de France au Canada, was Noushin Ahmadpour, a Master’s student in Pharmacy.

Second place in the sub category, sponsored by the Faculty of Graduate Studies was Emily Garcia, a Master’s student in the department of Biochemistry and Medical Genetics.

“I am so proud of our graduate students for taking the time to present their thesis research in French and for engaging with our community and judges, well done everyone!”, says Dr. Kelley Main, acting dean of the Faculty of Graduate Studies .

The link to watch the competition can be found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aUax5abxVLM.

*The rules stipulate that only PhD students can advance to the Canadian Finals, and as Nolan is a Master’s student, Veronica will be advancing to the ACFAS final. The national final will be held on Tuesday June 15, 2021.

The second annual UM MT180 (Ma thèse en 180 secondes) competition will be held virtually on April 15 at 5:00pm. This French thesis competition is modeled after the English version of 3MT, where challengers have one slide and just 3 minutes (180 seconds) to present their research to a panel of nonspecialized audience and judges.

The challengers who will be presenting are:

• Daya Kaur, Rehabilitation Sciences
• Veronica Coppolaro, Geography
• Diane Tshikudi, Immunology
• Nolan De Leon, Physiology and Pathophysiology
• Semiyu Adegbite, French, Spanish and Italian
• Emily Garcia, Biochemistry and Medical Genetics
• Noushin Ahmadpour, Pharmacy

“This demonstrates the importance of the francophone community in several different fields of research at the University of Manitoba,” says Jean-Eric Ghia, Associate Professor and Honorary Consul of France in Winnipeg.

The top PhD candidate will move on to the National Finals on June 15, 2021 which will be held virtually.

“I would like to thank all of our competitors for MT180 for participating in our second annual event. I look forward to learning about their research in French,” says Acting Dean, Kelley Main.

You are invited to attend the competition virtually.  Details of the MT180 and 3MT events can be found at umanitoba.ca/3mt. 

The 3MT and its French equivalent – Ma Thèse en 180 Secondes (MT180) – follow the same rules and format, challenging students to summarize and describe their research in a short, dynamic presentation.

The fifth-year international PhD student who will represent the University at a national research competition in November says romance had a role in her choosing UM for her doctoral studies.

Lucile Jeusset, who is from Bretagne, France, completed her engineering degree in France before embarking on an internship program in the UM department of Chemistry. When she met her future husband on campus, she decided to change her research and do a PhD in the department of biochemistry and medical genetics in the Rady Faculty of Health Sciences at UM instead.

UM Today caught up with Lucile to learn more about her research and to say, “Bonne chance, Lucile!”

Why did you choose to do a PhD at the University of Manitoba?

I did an engineering degree in France and as part of my engineering degree I had the opportunity to do some internships abroad and did one of them at UM in the chemistry department. I enjoyed the research but then I wanted to come back because I met my husband. I changed my research and went into cancer genetics…

Let’s talk about your research. What is it about?

I’m working in the field of cancer genetics at Cancer Manitoba. More specifically, we’re interested in a phenomenon that’s called chromosome instability. Simply speaking, it’s that cancer cells, instead of always having 46 chromosomes like all our normal cells, they tend to lose and gain chromosomes. And so for instance if you look at a typical late-stage colorectal cancer cells from those tumours, they can have over 90 chromosomes…double what a normal cell should have. And the problem with that it’s not just that it’s abnormal, but it drives a more aggressive evolution process for the tumour. That genetic evolution enables a tumour to resist treatment, to regenerate after treatment and metastasize.  Ultimately, these changes in chromosomes have poor outcomes for the patients.

What’s the ultimate goal of this research for cancer patients?

What we want to do is understand why the numbers are changing in the first place…We want to understand that so that we can better stop that phenomenon and develop better treatments for the patient…My personal project is more in the earlier stages of research. It’s still far removed from something that would be applied to the clinic, but that’s the end goal; to improve treatment options for patients.

 What made you interested in doing this research in the first place?

I was looking at the different research I was proposed and I came across Dr. (Kirk) McManus, my supervisor’s research and I really liked the concept of altered stability of the chromosomes…. I really like the idea of mitosis in normal cell division… normally it’s like a choreographed scene where all the chromosomes are migrating to the new cells in a very organized way…And then cancer totally disturbs that that process. I find that fascinating. How did that happen?

How did you manage to boil all this information down into a three-minute presentation?

The first step is make choices. What’s the most important? Simplify as well because I can’t go into the specifics…All of that is just too much. So it needs to be simplified. In terms of concept, in terms of language, I’m addressing only four elements of my research. I can’t talk about everything.

Ma Thèse en 180 Secondes is the first competition of its kind conducted in French. Why do you feel it’s important for Manitobans to offer it in French?

There’s a lot of international students that speak French…Actually, in the first competition, we were all international students from four different countries….But there’s also a large home community. I think it would be great if next year there are some home-grown Francophone Manitobans that participate. I think that would be excellent to showcase as it’s a big part of the community.

Did you have a chance to practice in front of friends and relations in France?

I tried with my family on Skype mostly because they were in France. It was my parents and my grandfather. I tried the presentation and they gave me a little bit of feedback. It was a good report. Usually they don’t understand when I talk about my research so that was nice to be able to share something in French with them.

Could you give us three tips for speaking in public?

You need to take the time to rehearse and practice, and obviously that will make it flow more easily but also give you confidence so you’re less shaky and it’s really easier… I think something that I have struggled with is that I can be….way too fast and, I think also, too flat.  I try to think now more in terms of where I want to put emphasis so that people remember the core messages, and also it holds people’s attention for longer…The last idea is really to try to get feedback from friends or colleagues…Really honest feedback can really help you improve.

Lucile Jeusset competed in the UM’s MT180 in July 2020. The first place winner was Abdoulaye Diarra, second place was Lucile.  The rules stipulate that only PhD students can advance to the Canadian Finals, and as Abdoulaye is a Master’s student, Lucile is that challenger. Cheer her on Nov. 19 from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. CST.

“Manitoba being the second largest Francophone community outside Quebec, it was natural to bring that type of event here in Winnipeg” says Jean-Eric Ghia, Associate Professor of Immunology and internal Medicine at the Rady Faculty of Health Sciences and Honorary Consul of France in Winnipeg. “The objectives for the students are to convey in French the passion for their research while informing Francophone people in an accurate, creative way, to a very diverse audience.”

The Manitoba competition will take place at Université de Saint Boniface on April 6 at 6 p.m.

To be eligible to compete in the competition you must:

• Be a current student in Manitoba registered in a Doctoral or Master’s degree program (Master’s students are strongly encouraged to apply, however only Doctoral candidates will be eligible for the Canadian and International final competitions.)
• Be available to present at the national final on May 5 & 6 2020, if chosen as the winner of the local competition.
• Be available to present at the International final in late September 2020, if chosen as the winner of the National competition.
• Not have won jury or public prizes at a national competition for 3MT or Ma thésis en 180 secondes previously.
• Do your presentation in French.

How to Apply:

• Complete the application form.
• Create a 30 second video in which you introduce yourself, indicate your department and program, and briefly explain your research.
• Email the completed application form and video to deanfgs@umanitoba.ca with the subject line “Ma these en 180 secondes”

Deadline to apply is March 9, 2020, however all applications received by March 2, 2020 will be entered in a draw to win a $50 U of M Bookstore Giftcard. Apply today!

Don’t miss this opportunity to share your research, showcase your communication skills in French, expand your network, and stand out!

To see past challengers click here. For more information about the competition, visit our website or contact jean-eric.ghia@umanitoba.ca