- I didn't expect to win. This recognition feels absolutely fantastic. I am so happy that the audience and the jury liked my research as much as I like to tell about it, says Luís Oliveira, who is a PhD student in immunology at the Lund Stem Cell Center.
His presentation convinced both jury and audience. He competed against four other researchers. The prize went to whoever was the best at presenting their research in just four minutes, in the most engaging, interesting and entertaining way possible. Before the competition, the researchers had received help from experts in preparing their presentations. These were judged by a jury that looked at scientific content, stage presence and communicative ability.
Used images, metaphors and popular culture to communicate
Luís Oliveira believes that it was his choice of images, metaphors and way of communicating that convinced the audience both in the preliminary competition in Helsingborg and in the final in Stockholm. By describing – and illustrating – cancer cells as evil, masquerading to bypass the immune system, he wanted to convey what he was researching.
- I likened myself to a hacker who, instead of reprogramming computers, recodes the DNA of cancer cells, and thus starts a war against them. It was important for me to reach the audience through humor and references to things they recognize: Darth Vader from Star Wars, for example, had to illustrate how cancer cells choose to do damage, says Luís Oliveira.
Precisely simplifying the way he describes his research is something he worked on a lot before the Researchers' Grand Prix competitions, both before the preliminary competition and the final. During the coaching, he was helped to remove words that may be difficult for the general public to understand, and to shorten the content. Changes that freed up more time for the performance itself – where he practiced speaking slowly and moving on stage.
- For me, it is extremely important to communicate about what I and other researchers are doing. Not only because it is so important to spread knowledge, but also because it is actually fun. In the future, I want to go beyond the lab and talk about science in different forums. Learning more about how to do it well is important.
Researching dendritic cells
Luís Oliveira, who shares his doctoral studies between Sweden and Portugal, researches how so-called dendritic cells develop. Specifically, he wants to know more about which proteins control their development. Different types of dendritic cells are increasingly important to learn more about because they play a key role in triggering the immune system, which is important in fighting cancer. Luís Oliveira focuses on reprogramming cells, such as skin cells or cancer cells, into different types of dendritic cells.
- Through the reprogramming, I learn about which proteins play a role in this process. It allows me to understand how we can regenerate these cells so that we can then use them for immunotherapy.
