Explain Your Science: Another Successful Edition of the CRCHUM Science Communication Contest

On May 8, the Centre de recherche du CHUM (CRCHUM) hosted the second edition of Explain Your Science, its science communication contest. Once again, the event, organized by the CRCHUM's Student and Postdoctoral Affairs Office, was a resounding success!

Over the course of an afternoon, 19 students and postdoctoral fellows took on the challenge of presenting their research projects in just three minutes, using a single slide and clear, accessible language.

A Tailored Format

For the first time, presentations were divided into two categories: Origins and Discovery.

The Origins category was designed for participants at the beginning of their research journey. Presentations could focus on a research question, an innovative methodology, a scientific concept, or the broader context of a research project. The goal was to help audiences understand the scientific challenge and the proposed approach, even before the research project had begun.

The Discovery category was intended for participants nearing the completion of their academic training. These presentations highlighted a key research finding, its scientific significance, or its potential impact on science or society. The challenge was to make a complex result understandable in just 180 seconds.

After all the presentations, a jury composed of a science journalist and three members of the CRCHUM student community selected the winners.

First Prize, which included a $300 award, and the Secondary School Favourite Award, which included a $200 award, were awarded to Clément Martin (Marie-Claude Bourgeois-Daigneault’s laboratory, Cancer Research) for his presentation, Virothérapie oncolytique contre les cancers du sein résistants aux hormonothérapies. 

Second Prize and $200 were awarded to Marie-Ève Lemieux (Arielle Elkrief’s laboratory, Cancer Research) for her presentation, À l'aube, on attaque! 

Third Prize, along with $100, went to Assia Ejjaaouani (Marika Sarfati’s laboratory, Immunopathology) for her presentation, L'armée et la momie : quand le corps se retourne contre lui-même dans la sclérodermie systémique.

A Diverse Program

Alongside the competition, two short presentations were also held on scientific and human-interest topics accessible to a broad audience.

In La science derrière notre quotidien, Maximilien Albert Montiège, a Grade 7 student at Collège Saint-Louis in Lachine, explained the fascinating workings of the human brain and the factors that influence our daily reactions and decisions. “The future of science is in good hands with young people like Maximilien, who communicate science through an evidence-based approach,” said Nathalie Grandvaux, Associate Scientific Director of Student and Postdoctoral Affairs at the CRCHUM.

The second presentation, Donner du sens à la performance, was delivered by France Landry, an educational psychologist at the Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM) and an associate researcher at the Université de Montréal. She invited participants to reflect on the pressures associated with performance in demanding environments and on strategies for maintaining a sustainable balance aligned with their own values.