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UCC PhD Student Wins Third Prize at International “My Thesis in 180 Seconds” Final
The Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics warmly congratulates Ms Melanie Depret, a third-year PhD student, who was awarded third prize at the international final of “My Thesis in 180 Seconds” (Ma thèse en 180 secondes) held in Bucharest, Romania.
This international science communication competition challenges PhD students to present their research in French to a non-specialist audience, using only one slide and just three minutes to engage, educate, and inspire. The event celebrates clarity, creativity, and storytelling, encouraging researchers to share their work in an accessible and captivating way.
Melanie first competed in the Irish regional competition, organised by the Irish Universities Association (IUA) in partnership with the Association of Franco-Irish Studies (AFIS) and the French Embassy in Ireland, which took place at the University of Galway on 30 May. She won first place among 15 participants, earning the opportunity to represent Ireland at the international final.
The international final, organised by the Agence Universitaire de la Francophonie (AUF) and the University of Agronomic Sciences and Veterinary Medicine (USAMV), brought together 20 PhD students from 20 countries including France, Thailand, Senegal, and Canada. Each participant had 180 seconds to present their research to an international audience. Representing Ireland, Melanie impressed the jury with her engaging presentation and was honoured to receive the Third Jury Prize among the four awards presented.
Melanie’s presentation, titled “Functional Mapping of Brain Pathways Involved in the Gut Microbial Modulation of Social Behaviour”, reflects her doctoral research conducted within APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, in collaboration with the Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience and the Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics. Her work is supervised by Dr Linda Katona and Professor John Cryan.
Melanie’s research explores how the gut microbiota — the trillions of microorganisms living in the digestive tract — influence social behaviour through communication between the gut and the brain via the vagus nerve. Using mouse models, she studies how changes in gut bacteria affect social interaction and brain activity, identifying the neural pathways involved. This work offers new insight into the potential for developing targeted probiotic or prebiotic approaches to support mental health.
We extend our heartfelt congratulations to Melanie on this exceptional achievement, which highlights both her dedication to research and her ability to communicate complex science with clarity and passion.
📺 Watch the international final replay: https://www.youtube.com/@planeteauf/search?query=finale