Schulich Medicine & Dentistry’s Androu Abdalmalak places third in Western's 3MT Finals
About 40 per cent of vegetative state patients who are aware are misdiagnosed as being unconscious, mainly because they lack the physical ability to follow commands. Androu Abdalmalak is examining the use of equipment that is less expensive and more portable than fMRI to determine ways to communicate with these individuals.
On April 9, Abdalmalak presented this research at Western University’s 3MT (Three Minute Thesis) Finals, and came in third place overall. Abdalmalak, an MSc Candidate in the Department of Medical Biophysics, said it was an exhilarating and rewarding experience to place in the top three out of 20 finalists.
“Showcasing my research in three minutes was surely a feat, but it was extremely enjoyable to be able to share my work with colleagues and the public,” he said, adding that he also enjoyed listening to other students from a variety of faculties eloquently discuss the research they are working on at Western.
Abdalmalak encourages other students and trainees to take advantage of this opportunity in the coming years, as gaining confidence and experience with public speaking is an important skill to acquire.
Camilla Urbaniak, another top 20 finalist that represented Schulich Medicine & Dentistry in the 3MT Finals, took on the challenge to practice presenting her research to an audience greater than her colleagues.
“Presenting your work in front of your colleagues who have background knowledge in your field is one thing, but presenting your work to a general audience in lay terms in three minutes or less uses a completely different skill set, which is important to develop,” Urbaniak explained.
Click here to watch Abdalmalak’s presentation at Western’s 3MT Finals.
