Dog food research dazzles at 3MT finals
A veterinary researcher beat 10 other finalists to win the PhD finals of the Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition with
his research on dog protein requirements.
The competition format is a strict three-minute presentation with one slide, no props and with the aim of making
audience want to know more, not to trivialise or generalise on the topic, and to be enthusiastic and engaging.
Mark Roberts took home the $5000 first prize and will fly to Brisbane next week for the 2016 Asia-Pacific 3MT
Competition at the University of Queensland. His presentation impressed the four judges who praised his passionate
delivery and clear outline of his research topic on whether dogs, like humans and cats, are consuming too many
carbohydrates and not enough energy-giving protein and fat, causing obesity.
Mr Roberts, who trains and races Siberian huskies, became interested in the nutritional content of dog food through his
involvement in racing sled teams. This interest took him to study with the Institute of Veterinary, Animal and
Biomedical Sciences, and says his research is inspired by stories his father told him of his work as a geologist in
Antarctica in the 1960s while looking after sled dogs.
X Factor academics deserve a TV show says host
The competition, held at Palmerston North’s Globe Theatre on Wednesday night, saw PhD finalists from Massey and
Inter-University Masters finalists take part in the X Factor-style competition for scholars, with comedian and celebrity
Te Radar as host.
Throughout the night, the audience and judges heard about bees on pub crawls, godwits with superpowers, lunar-phobic
mammals and double-whammy disasters in the form of the ‘Quake-Cano’ as participants got inventive with language and
analogies to best communicate the complexities of their research to a general audience.
Providing a hilarious commentary to the programme of six master’s and 11 PhD finalists, Te Radar (real name Andrew
Lumsden) told the audience he was dazzled, although wondered if he would sleep at night after hearing about the
‘quake-cano’.
He suggested a television series to feature some of the innovative, fascinating research being done in New Zealand’s
universities, saying they are great stories and would inspire the next generation of young people.
“The thing that astounds me is the breadth and depth and diversity of the research that’s going on – everything from
social policy through to drug-resistant bugs, water quality, dog food,” he says.
“The essence of it is they are often taking a basic question – how do we solve this? Is this a problem? How can we do
this better and look at something in new and unique ways?”
He says he used to love watch science-based TV programmes as a kid, which was what inspired him to become a journalist.
“We have this country that we want to be innovative and at the leading edge – but what inspires our kids?”
The event showcased how researchers are grappling with important issues and seeking to find solutions to problems to do
with clean water, waste treatment, pest control, antibiotic resistance and disaster warning systems.
Canine mastitis, honey and disasters in Master’s winners
Massey University canine mastitis researcher Siti Anurddin took out the master’s section and $1000 for her study on what
causes the potentially fatal condition. Already a qualified vet with a degree from Universiti Putra Malaysia, Ms
Anurddin came to New Zealand in June to carry out her research on a topic she is passionate about. She says dogs in
guide dog, working farm dog and police dog breeding programmes are at risk for the potentially fatal condition and is
focusing her research on guide dogs.
She was up against master’s researchers from around New Zealand whose topics included court-based and restorative
justice; how bees use nectar to make Manuka honey; the dynamics of growth in the sharing economy with new forms of
business such as Uber and Airbnb; and using mammals’ sensitivity to moonlight in the war against predators.
Runner-up in the master’s section was Kay Higginbotham, University of Canterbury, who won $500 for her presentation on
her study of the phenomenon of the Quake-Cano – how earthquakes trigger volcanic eruptions. Ms Anurddin also won the
People’s Choice award, worth $250.
Environmental, health issues dominate in PhD research
Science and health topics dominated the PhD section, with the sole exception of Victoria Kerry – a linguistics
researcher in the School of Humanities who is studying how YouTube conversations on same-sex marriage offer a voice to
people who otherwise feel too threatened to share their experiences.
Runner-up was Angela Parody-Merino, from the Institute of Agriculture and Environment, who is studying godwits’ DNA to
find out more on their “super-powers” – including an internal timing system – of this long-distance migratory bird that
flies from New Zealand to Alaska every year. She won $2000.
The PhD People’s Choice Award, worth $1000, went to Braden Walsh from the Institute of Agriculture and Environment, who
hopes to develop a phone app from his study using seismic techniques for real time analysis of volcanic lava flows for
warning and risk management.
Other participants included Yanita McLeay, School of Sport and Exercise, who is investigating whether feathers can be
turned into food for athletes, as a form of keratin supplement, and Heather Collins, from the Institute of Agriculture
and Environment, who is examining the social norms and behavioural codes among farmers that determine whether they
report on environmental issues such as effluent levels in water.
The judges were Palmerston North City Councillor Tangi Utikere; Massey University Council member Ben Vanderkolk;
Assistant Vice-Chancellor Research, Academic and Enterprise Professor Giselle Byrnes; and Pro Vice-Chancellor of Massey
Business School Professor Ted Zorn.
Find out more about the 3MT competition here.