The top three winners in the 2026 University of Windsor Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) competition are (from left) Alex Stoinescu, Dora Strelkova and Isabelle Hinch. (DAVE GAUTHIER/University of Windsor)
Biology PhD candidate Isabelle Hinch earned first place at the 2026 University of Windsor Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) competition with a three-minute pitch on breastfeeding and breast cancer risk.
Judged on comprehension, communication and engagement, Hinch took the top prize at the April 1 final. In addition to a $1,000 cash prize, she will represent UWindsor at the provincial competition hosted by Brock University in St. Catharines, Ont., on May 6, 2026.
For the second year in a row, Dora Strelkova placed in the top three. The mechanical engineering PhD candidate won first place in 2025 and finished second this year with a presentation on defects in 3D printing, earning $500.
Third place and $250 went to Alex Stoinescu, a master's student in chemistry and biochemistry, who presented research on diagnostic tools for preclinical Alzheimer's disease.
Seventeen graduate students competed in the preliminary round, with eight advancing to the final.
Seventeen graduate students competed in the preliminary round of the 2026 University of Windsor Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) competition. (DAVE GAUTHIER/University of Windsor)
The 3MT® is an international competition developed at the University of Queensland; more than 900 universities participate worldwide, including more than 20 in Canada.
Contestants have one slide and three minutes to present their research and its broader impact to an audience of judges and members of the campus community.