Linda Nong (M.Sc., Natural Resource Sciences)

3MT/MT180 talk: “City Rest Stops for Migrating Birds”

Winner: First place 3MT (English)

Linda is a first-year master’s student in the department of Natural Resource Sciences. She has always loved wildlife conservation and hopes to help protect species at risk and encourage people to care more about the natural world. Linda completed her undergraduate degree in Zoology at the University of Guelph, where she first experienced the joys of fieldwork and research with birds. Since then, she has worked on multiple different research projects, monitoring populations of birds in the wild. Sparrows and migratory shorebirds have a special place in her heart. Linda is very excited to be working on her research project at McGill, which will investigate how urban landscapes affect migrating songbirds.

Gabriel Blanco Gomez (PhD, Programme intégré en neurosciences)

MT180/3MT présentation: "Le plus grand super pouvoir d’un bébé"

Gagnant: première place MT180 (Français)

Gabriel is a Ph.D. student, patient advocate, and neuroscientist with a passion for learning languages. While learning French, he became curious about why learning a new language is easy for some but difficult for others. This curiosity led him to study language development in children with autism, where he combines insights from linguistics and neuroscience. Gabriel’s mission is to enhance clinical practices by bridging the gap between research and application, all while uncovering the mysteries of how language works in the brain.

Eleanor Greenspan-Ardman (M.Sc., Integrated Program in Neuroscience)

3MT/MT180 talk: “Brain Traffic and Mental Illness”

Winner: Second place

Eleanor is a first-year master’s student in neuroscience at McGill University. Growing up, she developed a strong interest in human behavior and the brain, and more recently mental illness has affected people close to her, further motivating her interest in this field. This led her to pursue research at the Centre for Precision Psychiatry – Quebec under the supervision of Dr. Simon Ducharme. Her work explores how markers of neurodegeneration may relate to cognitive changes across different mental illnesses, with the goal of improving how these conditions are understood and monitored. Outside the lab, she volunteers to promote science communication and transparent, accessible research practices. She enjoys hiking, painting and spending time with loved ones. Eleanor hopes to pursue a career in healthcare, where she can connect with patients and make a meaningful impact.

Charlotte Little (M.Sc., Psychiatry)

3MT/MT180 talk: “Shedding Light on Youth Mental Health”

Winner: Third place

Charlotte is completing her MSc in Mental Health in the Department of Psychiatry at McGill University. Charlotte’s graduate research focuses on the complex interplay between the built environment and youth mental health. She is particularly interested in the environmental and social determinants that influence mental well-being, and how they can inform interventions at both the individual and community level. In her free time, Charlotte enjoys developing her cooking skills, reading, and attending live music and sports events.

C. Ellis Reyes Montes (PhD, Musicology)

3MT/MT180 talk: “The Pipe and Tabor in Colonial Perú”

Winner: People's Choice

C. Ellis Reyes Montes is an accomplished musician and scholar who has performed and presented around the world. A recipient of the 2025 Thomas Zajac Memorial Scholarship, FRQSC Doctoral Grant, and the 2025 Research Alive Student Prize, he is a PhD candidate in musicology at McGill University, researching pipe and tabor in the Viceroyalty of Perú in the 16th-18th centuries. A fourth-generation musician and performance practice specialist, he performs historical and traditional music with a variety of wind instruments, including the bassoon, oboe, pipe and tabor, recorder, panpipes, and quena. Through his research and performances, he strives to build community across cultures.

Finalists

Lamha Kumar (PhD, Plant Science)

Lamha is a PhD candidate in Plant Science at McGill University. Her fascination with plant biology was sparked by the realization that plants, which appear stable, are remarkably dynamic. This curiosity led her to investigate the hidden architecture of leaves, focusing on the tradeoff between mechanical strength and photosynthetic efficiency. Her research explores how the mesophyll, the primary site of photosynthesis, also contributes to leaf mechanical strength, and how leaf organization changes as the plant develops in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana. Beyond her research, Lamha currently serves as President of the Macdonald Campus Graduate Students’ Society, where she works to support and represent graduate students. Through her work, she hopes to uncover the principles that shape plant form and function, bringing us closer to understanding the unseen forces that shape the living world.

Andrea Amado (M.Sc., Animal Science)

Andrea est titulaire d'un baccalauréat en sciences agroenvironnementales, avec une spécialisation en production animale et en agronomie professionnelle, de l'Université McGill. Son parcours universitaire ainsi que ses expériences pratiques dans le secteur agricole, ont forgé sa passion pour le bien-être animal et la gestion durable du bétail. Elle poursuit actuellement une maîtrise en sciences animales à l'Université McGill, avec une spécialisation sur les besoins comportementaux des vaches laitières élevées en étable sur litière accumulée. Son objectif est de contribuer à la recherche visant à améliorer le bien-être animal tout en soutenant les producteurs grâce à des solutions fondées sur des données probantes. Elle souhaite devenir le pont entre les avancées scientifiques et les applications pratiques dans l'élevage.

Alyna Wong (M.Sc., Chemical Engineering)

Alyna is a first-year Master of Science student in Chemical Engineering at McGill University. She completed her Bachelor of Applied Science in Nanotechnology Engineering at the University of Waterloo, where she focused on nanobiosystems. Her strong interest in the biomedical application of materials science led her to continue her academic journey under the supervision of Dr. Corinne Hoesli in the Stem Cell Bioprocessing Lab. Alyna’s work is focused on surface modifications of synthetic polymers to promote endothelial cell growth. Outside the lab, Alyna enjoys spending time with friends, reading, and knitting.

Kyle Story (M.Sc., Microbiology)

Kyle is a second-year master’s student in microbiology. During his undergraduate program in biochemistry, he found a passion for researching metabolomics and antimicrobial resistance. This led him to McGill’s Antimicrobial Resistance Centre, where he learned of the field of astrobiology through Dr. Lyle Whyte, with whom he has undertaken his current project. Kyle is working to assess the risks posed by returning samples from other worlds, especially Mars, by investigating specific Mars-like sites right here on Earth. He hopes this research will advance knowledge in the study of planetary protection and help inform both protocol and policy surrounding the handling of samples from beyond our world.

Ederna Ferron (PhD, Chemical Engineering)

Ederna is a first year PhD student in Chemical Engineering at McGill University. During her engineering diploma and her biomedical engineering master’s degree in Paris, she worked on several project related to tissue engineering and diabetes which led her to join Prof. Hoesli’s laboratory for her doctorate where she is working on the design of a bioartificial pancreas for treatment of Type 1 Diabetes. Outside of her studies, Ederna likes to run, swim, dance, cook and go out with friends.

Midhat Noor Kiyani (PhD, Integrated Studies in Education)

Midhat is a PhD Candidate in Integrated Studies in Education (Science & Mathematics Focus) and an FRQSC Scholar. With background in engineering and STEM outreach with youth in at-risk communities, she developed a strong interest in student-led and sustainability-focused learning beyond formal classrooms. In her doctoral research, she now explores how STEM university students learn within informal, student-led sustainability clubs. Outside of her doctoral research, she is also involved in other research projects in STEM and teacher education across both formal and informal settings. When she is not in her ‘research cave’, you will find her exploring Canadian landscapes with her husband and toddler.

Julia Baumgarte (PhD, Earth and Planetary Sciences)

Julia is a PhD candidate in McGill’s Earth and Planetary Sciences department. The mystery of why and how earthquakes happen interests her, so she recreates them (albeit much smaller versions) in her lab. This helps her, as well as other earthquake scientists, better understand what causes earthquakes and what could make them big and disastrous. In particular, she cares about how the unique surfaces and shapes of faults affect earthquakes, because current understanding of earthquakes largely ignores this. When she’s not making “labquakes,” Julia rides her bike, paints, and bakes bread.

Devan MacDonald (M.Sc., Chemistry)

Devan is a second year MSc student in the Chemistry department. Her thesis focuses on prebiotic chemistry inside atmospheric aerosols with a focus on photochemistry. She studied chemistry during her undergraduate degree at Queen’s University which fostered her passion for research, while her love of the outdoors led her to pursue an environmentally related project. In her free time, Devan loves spending time with her friends and family, reading, and channeling her zen in yoga classes.

Meghana Munipalle (PhD, Biological and Biomedical Engineering)

Meghana is a PhD candidate in Biological and Biomedical Engineering. Her research applies computational models to study regenerative stem cell biomaterials for spinal disc repair. First trained in physics at the University of Toronto (HBSc) and later in biophysics at the University of Guelph (MSc), she combines biology, physics, chemistry, mathematics, and computer science to solve problems across scientific disciplines. Throughout her academic career, Meghana has nurtured her passion for science outreach and communication and is actively involved in science policy initiatives at the national level. Outside of the lab, she enjoys reading sci-fi and fantasy, singing, and exploring Montreal's café scene.

Kundan Noor Sheikh (PhD, School of Information Studies)

Kundan Noor Sheikh is a PhD candidate at the School of Information Studies. Having engaged with various communities as an educator, researcher and development economist, she now works at the intersection of sustainability and information practices. Her key area of interest is community-based research in Crisis Informatics.

Her intended doctoral thesis aims to explore how disaster-affected communities locally mobilise information to build community resilience against climate change. She is excited to carry out the field research for this qualitative study and looks forward to re-visiting disaster-affected communities in Pakistan who are currently in the process of rehabilitating after the Sindh Flash Floods, a recent example of the severe impact of climate change in the Global South.