On March 13, 2025, the University of Lethbridge School of Graduate Studies hosted our annual research competitions, the 3-Minute Thesis and the Images of Research.
3-Minute Thesis (3MT) is a research communication competition developed by the University of Queensland that challenges higher degree students to present a compelling oration on their thesis and its significance in just three minutes in language appropriate to a non-specialist audience. The top ten finalists present their research in three-minute segments, in a way that general audiences can understand. These talks are quick snapshots of some of the fascinating work graduate students are doing. This year's winner will represent ULethbridge at the Western Regional Competition in May.
The Images of Research competition is a unique opportunity for Graduate Students at the University of Lethbridge to display their research, scholarly and artistic work. The aim of the competition is to provide graduate students with an artistic alternative to highlight their work, as a way to celebrate the diverse research at ULethbridge.
2025 ULethbridge 3-Minute Thesis - 1st Place
Name: Natalie Krizan
Supervisors: Dr. Laura Chasmer and Raphaël Chavardès (NRCan)
Title: Laser Beamin' the Burns: How the Past Informs the Future of Forest Fire
Fire is a necessary process that once rejuvenated forests in Jasper National Park. For over a century, though, it was controlled intensely. Without fire, the forests have grown very old and dense. As a result, fires now are larger and more intense than they once were. I am using a laser-based 3D modelling technology called lidar to create a detailed map of a recent burn in Jasper. Once I know how it burned, I can figure out what caused that pattern. Understanding this allows us to predict how areas with similar forest conditions will burn in the future.
Natalie will be heading to the University of Victoria to represent the University of Lethbridge at Western Regionals on May 6, 2025.
2025 ULethbridge 3-Minute Thesis - 2nd Place
Name: Amy Wiedenfeld
Supervisor: Dr. Jenny McCune
Title: Population Models for Rare Plants
Census-type data can be collected for rare plants to monitor how populations are changing over time. This information can be used to improve conservation efforts. I am studying four rare plants in the Carolinian forest in southern Ontario. I have made a population model for one of my study species, and have found that most of the Ontario populations are stable or increasing. This census data can be used to improve conservation for these rare species.
2025 ULethbridge 3-Minute Thesis - 3rd Place
Name: Tara Laverty
Supervisors: Dr. David Euston and Dr. Robert McDonald
Title: Roadmapping Development of Gambling Addictions
Childhood adversity is a known risk factor for developing mental health and addiction disorders, including gambling. Yet, so little is known about exactly how a gambling addiction develops. My research connects multiple leading theories to attempt to longitudinally study gambling behaviours in rodents. I'll be using an early life stress model to compare how stress impacts gambling and impulsivity behaviours and analyzing neurobiology - aiming to create an animal model that can be used for further study on addiction development and treatment.
2025 ULethbridge 3-Minute Thesis - People's Choice
Name: Sara Asadi
Supervisors: Dr. Chelsea Ekstrand and Dr. Hardeep Ryait
Title: 4D Classification of Naturalistic fMRI Data Using Deep Learning Methods and Integrating Explainability Approaches
My research introduces a 4D classification approach for fMRI data using deep learning. The method combines 3D convolutional neural networks (CNNs) to capture spatial features and Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) networks to model temporal patterns. Using movie-watching fMRI data as naturalistic paradigm, the study focuses on predicting Beck’s Depression Inventory (BDI) scores. By preserving both spatial and temporal information, this approach aims to improve classification accuracy compared to traditional methods. Interpretability techniques such as DeepExplain and Grad-CAM provide insights into relevant neural regions. The findings contribute to neuroimaging research by improving classification accuracy and demonstrating the advantages of 4D modelling for understanding brain function in naturalistic paradigms.
2025 ULethbridge Images of Research - 1st Place
Name: Natalie Krizan
Supervisors: Dr. Laura Chasmer and Raphaël Chavardès (NRCan)
Title: Fireweed Phoenix
Abstract:
Amid the severe destruction on this fire-ravaged landscape, regrowth can already be seen. A beautiful purple flower, fireweed, rises like a phoenix from the ashes. It sprouts in the wake of disturbances, signalling the start of the forest’s recovery. The forests in Jasper National Park are fire-adapted, meaning fires are rejuvenating and promote natural cycles of growth. But fires here are changing. A century of fire suppression and exclusion has altered the condition of these forests, resulting in recent fires burning more severely compared to the past. My research aims to map that burn severity using lidar-based measurements of the amount of forest biomass consumed during the 2022 Chetamon Fire. This will then be compared to that fire history to determine whether modern fires pose a risk to forest recovery. Will the fireweed phoenix rise? Or will it be smothered by the ashes of high severity fire?
Participant Bio: Natalie is an MSc Geography student in Dr. Laura Chasmer's lab, and is studying the 2022 Chetamon Fire in Jasper National Park, Alberta. She is mapping its burn severity using pre- and post-fire lidar to quantify the amount of biomass consumed by the blaze. Centuries worth of fire history data are available for this area as well, so I am able to compare the Chetamon Fire to past fires to determine whether modern fires are increasing in intensity.
2025 ULethbridge Images of Research - 2nd Place
Name: Atabak Ebrahimi
Supervisors: Dr. Majid Mohajerani and Dr. Robert Sutherland
Title: Glowing Warning
Abstract:
At first glance, these glowing spots resemble stars scattered across a clear night sky. But they are far from celestial. Captured from the brain of a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease using two-photon tomography, these luminous dots are amyloid beta plaques—one of the earliest biological signs of Alzheimer's. These seemingly beautiful formations mark the onset of a devastating process that strips away memory, cognition, independence, and ultimately, life itself. These plaques are associated with neuronal degeneration and neuroinflammation, key pathological features of Alzheimer's disease.
Participant Bio: Atabak earned his bachelor's in physics back in his home country, Iran, and then joined Mohajerani's lab at the University of Lethbridge to do his master's degree in neuroscience. His research project mainly focuses on Amyloid beta plaques deposition in Alzheimer's mouse model brains. Atabak's purpose is to explore where and when the plaques form inside the brain and how they progress through the brain regions.
2025 ULethbridge Images of Research - 3rd Place
Name: Jaxon Reiter
Supervisor: Dr. Elizabeth Schultz
Title: "Bright" Beginnings: The Path from Ovule to Seed
Abstract:
No matter how small, each plant plays a crucial role in human life and the planet’s ecosystem, and each plant begins with a seed. Seed formation starts in a flower, and the development of an ovule is the first step in this process. This image shows an ovule in early development, no larger than the diameter of a human hair. Despite its small size, it holds great potential, and its growth is carefully regulated by a complex network of genes. The green colour in the developing ovule comes from the Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP), originally derived from a jellyfish. When exposed to ultraviolet light, GFP emits a brilliant green glow. GFP allows scientists to track specific proteins inside living cells, providing insights into where and when these proteins are active. In plant ovules, GFP helps identify crucial genes for seed development, offering a closer look at the “bright” beginnings of life.
Participant Bio: Jaxon is an MSc student working on plant development and genetic research with Dr. Elizabeth Schultz. He enjoys teaching students and helping them gain an appreciation for biology. He also enjoys continuing to learn about the fascinating world of plants and is thankful for the experiences and many mentors he has had here at the University of Lethbridge.
2025 ULethbridge Images of Research - People's Choice
Name: Hannah Wilson
Supervisors: Dr. Kevin McGeough and Dr. Julie Young
Title: Excavating at Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump
Abstract:
During the summer of 2024, I volunteered at the University of Lethbridge's Archaeological Field School at Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump. This photo shows the unit that a friend and I were excavating in an area of the site called the Processing Area. Here, we look for bison bones, projectile points, and other evidence of past human occupation. The trowel in the photo is the main tool we use to dig through the layers of sediment to find these artifacts. Later, the artifacts are moved to the ULethbridge Archaeology Lab, where we analyze and catalogue them with the goal of understanding the lives of past people who used the buffalo jump. I took this photo from 1.5 metres underground in a previously excavated unit from the 2021 field season, in which I had also participated as an undergraduate student.
Participant Bio: Hannah is completing a Master of Arts in geography and has a Bachelor's degree in archaeology. She has combined these two disciplines to research objects that migrants interact with and leave behind between the Quebec/New York State border. Hannah often spends her summers doing archaeological fieldwork with students and professors in the department at Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump and elsewhere.