University of Otago Vice-Chancellor Grant Robertson with doctoral candidate Jim Davies. Jim was the winner of Otago's 3MT® Grand Final.
Otago’s Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) Grand Final was held recently. Eight doctoral candidates and four Master’s candidates each had three minutes to communicate their research to a non-specialist audience, with the help of one static slide. Communications adviser Koren Allpress spoke with the doctoral winner Jim Davies and Master’s winner Krystle Mikaere about their presentations.
Overall results and photo gallery
3MT® win confirms tauira is on the right track
Jim says that aside from the lead role in his school play The Highwayman in Year 5, and winning a speech competition in Year 10, he hasn’t had any prior experience in public speaking or theatre.
“I don't have any formal training, but I just love the game. I’ve always been interested in explaining things to people,” he says.
Jim completed his PhD through the Department of Psychology. His 3MT® presentation ‘Of Mice and Men: Modelling Alzheimer’s’, investigated whether gene therapy could strengthen the brain’s resilience to Alzheimer’s disease.
He says winning 3MT® has really cemented the idea that he should pursue a career involved in either science communication or lecturing.
“It feels wonderful and it’s such an honour to win. I worked really hard on it and was really pleased.
“It’s really given me the confidence I needed to know that I am able to engage an audience, which was really validating.”
Jim says he rewrote his entire talk from start to finish three times, and practised his final version “well over a 100 times” until he knew it by heart, but admits to feeling a bit stressed out on the night – being the eighth and final speaker meant he heard some amazing talks ahead of his.
“Being the final speaker was nerve-racking because I’d just listened to seven really strong presentations. I knew there was no room for error.”
Jim thinks the 3MT® competition is an excellent opportunity to practise delivering research in an engaging way, and he believes all research students should take the chance to practise explaining their research to people.
Over the years he has explained his research and thesis to “anyone that I can get my hands on”, which has highlighted for him the parts that are interesting and the parts that are less interesting.
“Sometimes I hit, and sometimes I miss.
“I love the science or the art of communication. I love that emotional connection when somebody’s excited while listening to you, or talking about themselves.
“Connecting with somebody and getting them excited about what you're excited about is one of the most satisfying things, just a wonderful thing.”
Jim handed in his thesis in August and will soon shift to Auckland to be with his girlfriend. While he is sad to be leaving Otago, he says there are a lot of opportunities for collaboration between universities in New Zealand.
This is not the first time Jim has won during his time at Otago – he was also recently announced as a 20Twenties Young Alumni Award winner for 2025.
3MT win ‘bigger than individual achievement’
University of Otago Vice-Chancellor Grant Robertson with masters candidate Krystle Mikaere. Krystle won Otago's Grand Final masters section.
Krystle Mikaere’s success at 3MT® was more than a win; it was an opportunity to bring tauira Māori stories to the forefront.
Krystle (Ngāti Pūkenga, Ngāti Ranginui, Ngāi Te Rangi, Ngāti Kahu), from Te Tumu, won the Master’s section of Otago’s 3MT® Grand Final with her presentation ‘Mā wai rā? Who gets to define success’.
“Winning felt special, but so did the opportunity to tell that story and see it connect with people. It was a real taonga to share my kaupapa,” she says.
“I’m grateful for the opportunity to bring Māori student experiences and understandings of success into spaces like 3MT®, and to encourage more of our tauira to see that their kaupapa, stories and research belong on these stages too.
“It was a blessing to share research that comes directly from the tauira and communities I care deeply about.”
Krystle says she is about halfway through her Master’s degree with plans to submit her thesis in February 2027.
In addition to carrying out her Master’s research, Krystle works at the University as Kaituitui | Colleges Programme Coordinator. The role sees her supporting tauira living in residential colleges and helping the colleges to strengthen their support for tauira Māori.
“I also lead our Wahieroa programme, which creates opportunities for tauira to connect through wellbeing, whakapapa, creativity, kai and whakawhanaungatanga.”
Her work is closely connected to her research, she says.
“My relationships with tauira, colleagues and the Māori Postgraduates Collective continue to shape how I understand the kaupapa and the stories I get to share. It’s a privilege to help create spaces where people can share their experiences, support one another and build a stronger sense of belonging.”
Krystle says she is “incredibly grateful and proud to have represented Otago’s Māori tauira in the competition.
“All of the research presented at the 3MT® was incredible, and it was a privilege to stand alongside students whose work has the potential to make a real and positive impact in the world.
“When I walked onto the stage, I knew I wasn’t standing there alone. I was carrying the support and aspirations of my whānau and the wider Māori community. Their encouragement made the moment feel much bigger than an individual achievement.”
It’s not the first time Krystle’s presentation has won. Krystle also won Otago’s first 3/5 Miniti Kōrero competition, hosted by the Graduate Research School (GRS), earlier this year, as well as winning the Humanities Divisional heats, which gave her a spot in the grand final.
Krystle made small changes to her presentation each time she presented her research, as her understanding of the kaupapa continued to develop.
“Each presentation gave me an opportunity to refine the story and consider what I wanted people to take away from it. Through conversations with my whānau, the Māori postgraduates collective, the team at Te Tumu and the tauira and communities at the heart of the research helped me shape it in a way that felt authentic and meaningful.
“By the grand final, I felt more comfortable explaining not only what the research is about, but why it matters, where it comes from and who it is for.”
Krystle would love to continue competing and sharing her research if the opportunity arises.
“The most valuable part of the experience has been the conversations that followed. Presenting has allowed me to hear people’s perspectives and explain why this kaupapa matters.”
Krystle is grateful for the support she has received from everyone who encouraged her.
“Their support made the experience feel bigger than an individual achievement, a chance to carry our collective stories and aspirations into a space where they deserve to be heard.”
Otago’s Grand Final 3MT® photos and winners
-Jim Davies, from the Department of Psychology, Doctoral winner with his presentation ‘Of Mice and Men: Modelling Alzheimer’s’.
-Yuki Teh, from the Department of Physiology, Doctoral runner up with her presentation ‘When Breast Cancer Cells Run Red Lights and Speed Away’.
-Krystle Mikaere, from Te Tumu, was the Master's winner with her presentation ‘Mā wai rā? Who gets to define success’.
-Doctoral candidate Jena Gawn, based on Otago’s Ōtautahi Christchurch campus, won the People’s Choice award for her presentation ‘Every health behaviour counts: lifestyle behaviours and youth mental well-being’.
Next competitions:
Jim will now go on to represent Otago at the online Asia-Pacific 3MT® final, and he and Yuki will both compete in the online Matariki Competition to be held in October.