UCC celebrates excellence in postgraduate research at Three-Minute Thesis final 2026

16 Oct 2026

UCC’s Dean of Doctoral Studies hosted the final of the University’s 2026 Three-Minute Thesis competition, an event highlighting excellence in postgraduate research across the university.

From a highly competitive field, 10 finalists were shortlisted and presented their work to an audience of over 100 incoming PhD and Research Master's students during the Postgraduate Research Orientation event run by the Doctoral Institute in the Aula Maxima on 13 October.  With only three minutes to make their case, the finalists showcased the breadth and impact of postgraduate research across UCC, before the attendees voted to choose the winner.

Lisa Lonetti, a postgraduate student from the Department of Physiology in the School of Medicine, was chosen as the winner of the competition. She will now represent UCC at the national Irish Universities Association (IUA) final later this year. Her research explores gene editing for cystic fibrosis.

Lisa said: "In Cystic Fibrosis (CF), mutations in the CFTR gene result in broken instructions, preventing the body from producing a protein which regulates the movement of salt and water across cell surfaces, affecting lung clearance and effective breathing. In most people with CF, the two copies of the gene carry different mutations. Although both copies are faulty, each still contains the correct genetic information missing from the other, creating an opportunity for gene repair."

"The goal is to restore production of a functional CFTR protein, helping the lungs clear mucus more effectively. By repairing even just one faulty copy of the gene, we may be able to achieve meaningful improvements in health and quality of life, offering the potential to reduce the long-term burden of CF on individuals, families and healthcare systems, while enabling people living with the condition to lead healthier lives," added Lisa.

The ten PhD students to present at the Three-Minute Thesis final were:

Commenting on the Three-Minute Thesis competition, UCC’s Dean of Doctoral Studies Professor Orla Lynch said: "The three minute thesis competition is a wonderful opportunity to showcase the groundbreaking research being conducted by postgraduate students in UCC. The competition focuses on sharing sophisticated research projects with general audiences and that is at the core of our mission as a university. I would like to congratulate the winner Lisa Lonetti and her supervisory team, who will now proudly represent UCC at the national competition later this year."

Professor John F. Cryan, UCC Vice President for Research and Innovation said: "The Three-Minute Thesis competition has been a huge success in recent years, providing a platform for doctoral students to enhance their communications skills by presenting their research to a diverse audience. I would like to thank the Doctoral Institute for organising this successful event and extend my congratulations to Lisa Lonetti and her supervisory team on this win and wish Lisa every success representing UCC at the IUA final next month."