How can you possibly explain five years of research in three minutes?

That’s a question public health Ph.D. candidate Chandni Shahdev asked herself when she joined the Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition, hosted by the School of Graduate Studies.

Started at the University of Queensland in Australia in 2008, 3MT is an international program designed to help graduate students explain their research in a succinct and compelling way to general audiences. 3MT competitions are now held at over 900 universities in more than 85 countries worldwide. UMass Lowell held its first 3MT competition last year.

“It’s very good practice for our Ph.D. students to be able to communicate about their research to people outside their disciplines,” says Partha Chowdhury, head of the School of Graduate Studies. “In academia, students often speak about their work with close peers, using jargony language. This competition breaks down those silos and helps them build strong, practical communication skills.”

Despite Shahdev’s initial hesitation, she won UMass Lowell’s 2026 3MT competition with her presentation, “Invisible Barriers: The Untold Struggle Behind HIV Treatment Adherence in Black Women.” Chosen by a panel of interdisciplinary judges, Shahdev received a $750 prize and the opportunity to enter the Northeastern Association of Graduate Schools’ 3MT regional competition.

“I’m so passionate about the work that I’m doing because it’s so important to save women’s lives,” Shahdev says. “I feel honored to have won this competition.”

Shahdev credits UMass Lowell’s 3MT advisors, including Chowdhury, School of Graduate Studies Associate Head Jill Hendrickson and Psychology Assistant Professor Sarah Merrill, for helping her and the nine other 3MT finalists prepare for the competition.

“They built so much confidence in us that we can do it,” she says.

Image by Brooke Coupal

Biomedical and Nutritional  Sciences Ph.D. candidate Isaac Oluwasogo Amao and Global Studies Ph.D. candidate Myat Su Tin tied for second in the UMass Lowell contest. Oluwasogo Amao, who also won the “People’s Choice” award, presented his research on how hesperidin, a compound found in citrus fruits like oranges, could be used to protect against colorectal cancer.

“The competition was a good challenge,” he says. “You have to think about how to break down complex ideas into simple terms, which helps you really appreciate the work that you are doing.”

Su Tin discussed her research on how social media narratives can shape political support.

“In political science, we may meet with politicians and have to pitch ideas within a short time,” she says. “This competition has been very good training for me.”

For Hendrickson, the 3MT competition was a success.

“The ultimate goal is to help students improve their communication skills, and we felt like that happened,” she says.