By Susannah Goodman, M.A.
Kimberly Manalang, a postbac from the ImmunoTechnology Section of the Immunology Laboratory, will represent NIAID in the 2024 NIH Three-minute Talk (TmT) Competition on June 27, 2024. Her three-minute talk titled “The Search for the Golden mAb Using Epitope Mapping” received the top score at the NIAID competition that was held virtually last month. Ten other NIAID postbac and postdoc fellows took part in the event and presented their research in short-form talks for the opportunity to compete on behalf of NIAID at the NIH event.
Each year, the NIH TmT Competition highlights fellows’ ability to synthesize complex scientific concepts into digestible insights that can be understood by a broad audience. The event also showcases the impressive breadth of research that fellows are engaged in at the NIH as intramural trainees across all training levels from different Institutes and Centers vie for top science communication honors. Participating ICs for this year’s NIH-wide competition include NICHD, NIAMS, NHGRI, NEI, NIDCD, NINDS, NIDCR, NIAMS, NCATS, NIEHS, NHLBI, NIDDK, and NIAID.
Preparation is a key component of giving a successful three-minute talk. Kimberly found the experience of preparing her talk a fun but challenging contrast to the clinical research she conducts as part of her day-to-day work. After overcoming the hurdle of deciding what topic she wanted to talk about, she also had to learn to pace herself when presenting. Kimberly notes, “I tend to speak fast and stumble over my words because of it, so this challenged me to slow down my speech!"
To walk fellows through the process of crafting a clear and concise talk with a dynamic visual accompaniment that helps the audience grasp the research, the NIAID Office of Research Training and Development hosted a seminar in April led by communication expert Scott Morgan. In addition to attending this event and reaching out to Mr. Morgan for feedback, Kimberly found two other resources particularly helpful when preparing for the NIAID TmT event. She turned to her mentor, Danielle Wagner, Ph.D., for guidance and assistance in refining her talk. “We were so committed that we edited the talk on the plane ride back from a conference!” muses Kimberly. She also utilized Bio Render, an online tool that helps users create stunning, high-quality science figures, when designing a slide to illustrate her message’s key points.
When reflecting on her overall experience, Kimberly considers it an honor to have been awarded 1st place among so many outstanding talks, especially “as someone who wishes to bring accessible science to the general public” in her future career in medicine.
For any fellows interested in competing in next year’s competition, Kimberly recommends simplifying your approach when presenting your research. Her suggestion is to “have fun and think of it as if you are trying to explain your project to a high school or early college version of yourself.”
The NIAID Office of Research Training and Development would like to thank NIAID postdoc fellows Roland Bamou, Ph.D., and Arthur Wickenhagen, Ph.D., predoc fellow Cristina Meehan, B.S., and postbac fellow Hailey Johnson, B.S., who graciously volunteered their time to serve as judges for this year’s event.
Additional information on how to effectively communicate your science or compete in future TmT events can be found on the NIAID Fellows Training SharePoint site or by emailing NIAIDTraining@nih.gov.
Congratulations and best of luck to Kimberly as she competes in the 2024 NIH Three-minute Talk Competition on June 27, 2024!