Research that resonates: PhD candidates shine in festival competition
University of Newcastle PhD candidates captivated a live audience to decide the winners of the annual Three Minute Thesis (3MT) and Visualise Your Thesis (VYT) competitions.
Angela Joy won the 3MT final, receiving $5,000 towards research expenses.
In three minutes with only one slide, she delivered an engaging presentation about her investigation into how Deaf role models influence the development and quality of life of Deaf children born into hearing families.
“I'm honoured to have won among such a high calibre of competitors,” Angela said.
“The prize money will get me to New Zealand to investigate a Deaf role model program and hopefully bring back a whole lot of best practice ideas for Australia.”
3MT winner Angela Joy receives cheque from University of Newcastle Vice-Chancellor Alex Zelinsky
Angela will represent the University at the Asia-Pacific 3MT competition semi-final hosted by the University of Queensland.
Kristin Xenos was named the VYT winner, taking home $1,000 and an extra $150 for the winning the People's Choice award. The competition format is gaining popularity, with 24 universities now competing across six countries.
Kristin's research was presented in a 60-second explainer video. It investigates how pharmacists are educated to expand their scope of practice to support patient care and ease pressure on the health sector.
VYT winner Kristin Xenos
“This competition was an incredible opportunity to demonstrate why our research matters," Kristin said.
“I think a lot of PhD researchers grapple with imposter syndrome, and it really helps to be able to distill your work and explain it to a general audience in a meaningful way.”
The event was a highlight of the University's annual Higher Degree Research (HDR) Student Festival which ran from 25-28 August 2025. It was an opportunity for HDR candidates to showcase their research and achievements in front of industry partners, the University community and their peers.
3MT winner and runners up:
First place: Angela Joy – PhD (Education)
The Missing Piece: Embedding Deaf Role Models into Policy for Inclusive Practice
Second place: Gamsavi Kanagasundaram – PhD (Civil Engineering)
Models for the long-term stability of legacy highwalls
Third place & People's Choice: Christie Catley – PhD (Immunology & Microbiology)
Understanding Mucosal Healing Pathways Associated with Intestinal Anastomotic Leak
VYT winner and runners up:
First Place & People's Choice: Kristin Xenos – PhD (Pharmacy)
Evaluating pharmacist prescribing education programs: A realist approach
Joint second place: Danielle Simmonette – PhD (Psychology - Science)
Experiences of diagnosis and support for late-diagnosed neurodivergent women
Joint second place: Elizabeth Bembridge – PhD (Nursing)
Facilitating reflection among new graduate registered nurses through co-design and development of a novel digital application
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