Session Overview

Consilium has always been a forum for big ideas and bold thinking. In this session, we turn the spotlight on emerging researchers who will share their innovations in a dynamic, rapid‑fire format designed to spark cross‑sector conversations.

This pitch session draws inspiration from the 3‑Minute Thesis (3MT) competition — a program that began at the University of Queensland in 2008. Originally developed as a tool to help PhD students sharpen their communication skills, 3MT challenges researchers to distil years of complex work into a single, clear, and compelling three‑minute talk that engages a non‑specialist audience. Sometimes referred to as the “PhD 3 minute Olympics”, the format has since become a global phenomenon, embraced by universities worldwide to help young scientists communicate with impact.

At Consilium, we have adapted this approach to provide a high‑visibility platform for early‑career scientists to present their research to an audience of leaders from science, business, policy, and philanthropy.

This Year’s Presenters

• Elizabeth Zoneff (University of Melbourne) – “Brain Tissue Gels”
  Exploring bioengineered gels for brain tissue repair and regeneration, offering new possibilities in neural therapeutics.
• Joyce Tsai (University of Queensland) – “Artificial Nerves”
  Developing synthetic nerve constructs to restore function in damaged neural pathways and enhance human–machine interfacing.
• Fiach Antaw (University of Queensland) – “Long‑Lasting Neural Electrodes”
  Designing durable, biocompatible electrode systems for next‑generation brain–computer interfaces and neuroprosthetics.

Celebrating Past Success

This segment at Consilium has a strong track record of highlighting talent that has gone on to achieve significant impact:

• Dr Simon Puttick – Co‑founder & CSO, AdvanCell Pty Ltd; secured US$112 million (Feb 2025) for breakthrough cancer radiotherapeutics. Simon’s core technology was originally pitched at Consilium 2019.
• Dr Kevin Koo – NHMRC Emerging Leadership Fellow, Centre for Clinical Research, University of Queensland. The core research approach for Prostate Cancer from Kevin’s high profile Fellowship was originally pitched at Consilium 2019.
• Dr Rebecca Lane – Clinical Scientist, Cancer Genomics, University of Oxford, UK. Rebecca’s approach, of “Cracking the Enigma DNA code” as a novel method to treat cancer patients, was also pitched at Consilium 2019.

Format

• 3‑minute pitch per speaker
  Q&A after each presentation
  Closing discussion with all three presenters, focused on translating early‑stage research into real‑world impact

Key Takeaways for the Audience

• Exposure to cutting‑edge research from the next generation of Australian innovators.
• A deeper appreciation of how early‑stage science can be communicated simply and powerfully.
• An opportunity to mentor, collaborate with, and support rising talent driving the future of Australian science and technology.