Pharmacy Students Earn Top Honors in 3MT Competition

Nawal Shehata, a fourth-year Ph.D. student studying pharmacognosy in the Department of BioMolecular Sciences, was named the competition’s overall winner, while Preethi Lakkala, a third-year Ph.D. student in the Department of Pharmaceutics and Drug Delivery, earned first place in the doctorate division.

The annual Three Minute Thesis, or 3MT, competition brings together graduate students to present their research topics in a three-minute window, supported by a single fixed slide. The format challenges students to narrow their work to its most essential elements and communicate it effectively to a panel of judges.

Shehata, who is from Cairo, Egypt, received a $1,000 scholarship as the overall winner in recognition of her scholarship and communication skills. She will also represent Ole Miss at a regional 3MT competition in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, in February.

“Winning was incredibly exciting and completely unexpected,” Shehata said. “The competition was very strong, and many students presented outstanding work. What meant the most to me was realizing that so many people understood and connected with our research, something very technical, and were excited to learn more.

“Sharing our group’s work and inspiring curiosity in others was the best part of the whole experience.”

Shehata’s research focuses on myxobacteria, soil-dwelling bacteria that hunt other microbes in coordinated groups and produce a wide range of natural chemicals with potential medical applications.

Many environmentally important myxobacteria cannot be grown independently in laboratory settings, possibly because they rely on “companion” bacteria to survive. Her project seeks to identify these hidden partnerships in nature to help culture new species, understand how they evolve and unlock potential applications in drug discovery and agriculture.

“I chose this topic because my research group studies myxobacteria, and we truly believe they are remarkable and full of untapped chemical potential,” Shehata said. “My advisor, Dr. Cole Stevens, recently received a $1.1 million grant to investigate these bacteria as a source of new medicines, and being part of this exciting project inspired me to share our work.”

Lakkala, who is from Tirupati in India, presented research on a small, dissolvable, hormone-free vaginal film designed to help prevent pregnancy. The film works by restoring the vagina’s natural acidic environment, which stops sperm from moving. The product is intended to be easy to use, mess-free and affordable.

“I chose this topic because there is a strong need for safe, non-hormonal and on-demand contraceptive options, especially for women who experience side effects from hormonal methods,” Lakkala said. “I wanted to create something that works with the body’s natural biology while being practical and accessible.”

Lakkala said the competition was both challenging and affirming.

“It was an incredibly rewarding experience and a real confidence boost,” Lakkala said. “All of the participants were outstanding so being selected among such strong candidates made the win feel especially meaningful.”