Homa Rezaei’s grandmother wanted to understand what her granddaughter did in the lab every day. She saw Rezaei leave for work tired and return excited to go back the next morning, but when Rezaei tried to explain her research, she could see her grandmother getting lost.
“It was kind of sad for me that I cannot explain something that I’m very passionate about to those who are near and dear to me,” Rezaei said. “They cannot understand what I’m doing every single day.”
That moment stuck with the third-year PhD student, who traveled halfway around the globe from her home country to study at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center. When she read about the Three Minute Thesis competition in an email from the College of Graduate Health Sciences, she recognized it as the opportunity she needed.
Flipping a Complicated Switch
In October, Rezaei claimed first place in the university’s annual competition, distilling years of complex molecular research into a three-minute presentation anyone could understand. Her winning topic explored how scientists can turn specific genes on or off to treat genetic disorders, an effort she compared to finding a single typo in an entire encyclopedia.
The competition, sponsored by the Graduate Student Executive Council and the College of Graduate Health Sciences, challenges graduate students to present their thesis using only one static presentation slide and language accessible to any audience, regardless of scientific background. Competitors cannot exceed three minutes, use slide animations or transitions, or include any props.
“Life came full circle, from winning the 3MT last year to announcing the winners this year,” said Ishita Kathuria, who’s studying for her PhD in pharmaceutical sciences. “Leading the competition from the other side was an incredibly fulfilling experience. From planning and coordinating the competition and our first 3MT training workshop to cheering on participants as they took the stage with confidence and creativity, it was inspiring to watch their hard work come to life. Organizing this event with my amazing team and the graduate school’s support has been a truly rewarding reminder of how powerful research storytelling can be.”
Rezaei works in Dr. Aseem Ansari’s lab at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, where she combines chemistry and medicine to develop new therapeutics for genomic disorders. Her research focuses on a precise but daunting task: targeting one specific gene out of billions of nucleotides in the human genome and turning that gene back on or off, depending on what the patient needs.
“I love the fact that my work requires targeting one specific gene,” Rezaei said. “By doing this perfectly, we can restore normal amounts of a protein in the patient’s body, and because of that, they can walk, they can fight against heart diseases, or even have a very normal life like other people.”
She uses a metaphor of a train moving across DNA that encounters rocks blocking its path. Those rocks represent the extra genetic repeats that cause disease. Her research develops small molecules that help the train navigate through those obstacles, allowing the body’s protein-making machinery to do its job.
Connecting Worlds
The path to her Three Minute Thesis win began with her pharmacy degree in 2022, which she completed in five years instead of the typical six. She saw pharmacy as the intersection of sciences, where chemistry meets physiology, biology and immunology. But during her training, she noticed a gap between clinical pharmacists who focus on patient cases and laboratory researchers who focus on molecular pathways.
“I wanted to be someone who kind of connects these two fields and worlds together,” Rezaei said.
When she applied to PhD programs, she received several acceptance letters. She chose UT Health Science Center because of its strong culture of collaboration, not just within the university but also with partners like St. Jude, other universities, hospitals, and industry.
“For someone like me who wants to work in industry later, it’s very important to make networking connections,” she said. “It’s very important to see how our research can translate beyond the academic environment.”
Practice Makes Perfect
Preparing for the competition was difficult. Rezaei rewrote her script many times, testing different metaphors to explain genetic disorders, topics less familiar to general audiences than diabetes or heart disease. She practiced with people both inside and outside her field to ensure her message landed clearly, working on pacing, tone, and confidence.
“It’s really amazing how fast three minutes can go,” she said.
The nerves hit before she took the stage, but she knew they could be channeled to help her excel, and they also transformed once she began.
“As soon as I started speaking and saw people smiling at me, the nervousness kind of turned into excitement,” Rezaei said, noting the immediate feedback of smiles and nods told her she was on the right track.
Runner-up Matthew Jung echoed the value of the competition.
“Preparing for 3MT was such a rewarding and challenging experience,” said Jung, a native Memphian who graduated with his bachelor’s in biological sciences from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. “Having to effectively communicate my thesis under a time constraint really boosted my capacity as both a researcher and a communicator. I’m super excited to compete again in next year’s competition.”
Jung is studying for his PhD in biomedical sciences in the College of Graduate Health Sciences, in collaboration with UT-ORII’s DART (University of Tennessee – Oak Ridge Innovation Institute, Development and Advancement of Radiopharmaceutical Therapies) initiative with Dr. Rachel Perkins’ lab in the Pathology department.
Quick, Quality Communication
The Three Minute Thesis competition originated in 2008 at the University of Queensland in Australia during a severe drought. When Queensland residents used egg timers to limit their showers to three minutes, the then-dean of the graduate school saw an opportunity to apply that same timeframe to research presentations. What began with 160 students at a single university has grown to more than 900 universities across more than 85 countries worldwide.
As the first-place winner, Rezaei will represent UT Health Science Center at the national Three Minute Thesis competition.
For her, the experience has reinforced a belief she carries into her research every day.
“Being able to present your work is sometimes more important than the work itself, because you need to convince people your research matters, to funders, to collaborators, to patients, or even your family and friends. If you cannot explain your science in different languages for different audiences, they may never understand its value.”