Department of Pharmaceutics Graduate Student Wins University Three-Minute Thesis Competition

MINNEAPOLIS

Nov. 12, 2021

Vrishali Salian, a graduate student in the College of Pharmacy’s Department of Pharmaceutics, is the winner of the 2021 University of Minnesota Graduate School’s (Virtual) 3-Minute ThesisⓇ (3MT) competition. 

Salian was the winner of the college’s own 3MTⓇ competition last month which earned her a spot in the University-wide event. She competed with eight other University master’s and PhD students. Her presentation title is, “Identifying early signs of Alzheimer’s disease: An attempt to color lives.”

Salian is pursuing a PhD in pharmaceutics at the University. Her research focuses on cerebrovascular inflammation in Alzheimer’s disease and identification of a vascular inflammation biomarker whose expression is altered in the diseased state. Her advisor is Dr. Karunya Kandimalla.

The goal of the 3MTⓇ competition is to celebrate the research conducted by graduate students around the world. Originally developed by The University of Queensland, the competition cultivates students’ academic, presentation and research communication skills. Competitors have three minutes to explain their research in language that is understandable for a non-specialist audience. 

Salian will go on to represent the University of Minnesota at the Midwestern Association of Graduate Schools (MAGS) 3MTⓇ competition.