Repurposing drugs, in three minutes

Three minutes flat to describe her research into putting existing drugs to a new therapeutic use. Mission accomplished with ease for Julie Scotton, who won EPFL's second annual My Thesis in 180 Seconds competition this evening. The crowd was treated to an entertaining and edifying peek inside EPFL's laboratories. A subtle blend of seriousness, humor and charm helped Julie Scotton win over the jury in this year's My Thesis in 180 Seconds competition. What exactly is this life sciences doctoral candidate working on? She is trying to identify existing drugs that could be effective in treating a particular form of brain cancer. For an hour and a half, Scotton and 13 other finalists gave the 500 spectators at the Rolex Forum a peek at what is going on within EPFL's laboratories. Under the competition's rules, the students had three minutes - not one second more - to regale the audience with their cutting-edge research projects without resorting to technical terms and arcane references.