Congratulations to the EPFL MT180 finalists!
Les 14 finalistes © 2025 EPFL
Last Thursday 27 March, the fourteen EPFL doctoral students shortlisted to take part in the EPFL final of the competition "My Thesis in 180 seconds" brilliantly demonstrated their communication skills in front of about 350 people at the Forum Rolex. It was also a great opportunity for the public to discover a fine sample of the research being carried out at EPFL and to understand the issues involved.
1st Prize from the Jury
Medha Raman, a fundamental neuroscientist, uses fruit flies to understand how our neurons manage to adapt to a constant changing environment like blinds regulating the brightness of a room.
2nd Prize from the Jury
Tom Nelis is developing a technology using plant waste to reduce the risk of exposure to bisphenols, endocrine disruptors found in thermal paper such as cash receipts and airline tickets.
3rd Prize from the Jury and Audience Prize
Manuel Loparco extracts information from the image of the cosmic microwave background, the last remnants of the Big Bang. Studying the relationship between particles, forces and the pattern left behind will hopefully enable to understand one day the origin of time itself.
The fourteen EPFL doctoral students successfully met the challenge of presenting their doctoral thesis in 180 seconds to an uninitiated audience in a lively, understandable and passionate way. Congratulations to all of them!
Watch the full video on EPFL MT180 YouTube to discover the link between rowing and neural signals, the role of zinc for a less polluting cement, how machine learning can be used to control of fleet of taxis or to strengthen the critical thinking of young people, for example.
Many thanks to our sponsors: Garrett and La Vaudoise.