The Conference on Everything 2024 featured over 20 postgraduates showcasing their work in a fantastic opportunity to hear about cutting-edge research developments presented in an accessible way to a non-technical audience. The MCR Academic Officers, Belquis Haider and Sruthi Srinivasan who organized the event ensured a packed schedule, with a poster exhibition running alongside the presentations.

A judging panel made up of the Senior Tutor, Rita Monson; SCR President, Prof. Sir Mike Gregory; Outgoing MCR President Santi, and Senior Postgraduate Tutor, Alastair Lockhart awarded prizes for each category: Biological Sciences, Poster Pitching, Data Blitz, Social Sciences & Humanities, and Physical Sciences. In addition, a “People’s Choice” prize was awarded, based on audience voting.

Winners were chosen by the judges based on a clear description of the background and research question, explanation of findings, the research impacts and presentation skills. In summing up the event, Professor Sir Mike Gregory praised the “diversity of research, talent and fun” on show, celebrating the breadth of knowledge and expertise amongst the Churchill College postgraduate community.

Winning presentations included:

  • Biological Sciences: Joshua Weygant for his work exploring drop-on-demand bioprinting to arrange cell types in a 3D environment and explore vascularisation
  • Poster Presentation: Amy Rachael Hodgson for “Validation of a touchscreen-based task to assess spatial working memory in a marmoset model of schizophrenia”
  • Poster Pitching Data Blitz: Joseph Asfouri for his work toward a 3D, flexible, biohybrid device for cell replacement therapy for Parkinson’s disease.
  • Social Sciences & Humanities: Katherine Mann for her study on “Aiding empowerment: Democracy promotion and gender equality in politics”
  • Physical Sciences: Payton Rodman for simulations of magnetically-linked relativistic jets
  • People’s Choice: Juliana Ferraro for presentation of her work studying aerosol delivery of chemotherapy drugs to target mesothelioma.

The event was supported by donor Hua Ye who enabled the award of financial prizes ranging from £50-£100.

Pictured above are the winners (L-R: Katherine Mann, Amy Rachael Hodgson, Joseph Asfouri, Joshua Weygant, Payton Rodman and Juliana Ferraro), with all the speakers plus the Academic Officers pictured below.