Peter Akor, a postgraduate researcher at Glasgow Caledonian University (GCU), has made history by winning both the Judges' Choice Award and the People's Choice Award at the 2026 Vitae Three Minute Thesis (3MT) Competition. Akor, from GCU's School of Science and Engineering, emerged as the overall winner of the national competition, competing against five other postgraduate researchers from universities across the UK. His success marks the first time Glasgow Caledonian University has won the national 3MT final.
Akor's winning research presentation, titled "The Minutes That Matter: Transforming Epileptic Seizure Care from Reaction to Prediction," explores how technology and data can be used to predict epileptic seizures before they occur. This has the potential to improve safety, treatment, and quality of life for people living with epilepsy. Akor secured his place in the national final after winning the Judges' Choice Award at GCU's annual 3MT final in June.
The Vitae 3MT competition challenges postgraduate researchers to communicate the significance of their research to a non-specialist audience using one presentation slide and just three minutes. The 2026 national final featured six researchers from universities across the UK, including the University of Oxford, King's College London, and the University of Surrey. Akor's achievement is notable, as he is only the second researcher in the history of the Vitae competition to win both the Judges' Choice and People's Choice awards in the same final.
Akor's academic journey began in Nigeria at Joseph Sarwuan Tarka University, Makurdi (JOSTUM), where he graduated with First Class Honours in Electrical/Electronics Engineering in 2012. He emerged as the Best Graduating Student in the College of Engineering and subsequently joined the university as a Graduate Assistant and progressed to Lecturer. Akor spent about nine years in academia before moving to the UK to undertake his PhD at Glasgow Caledonian University.
As part of his Judges' Choice prize, Akor will receive a £1,000 grant sponsored by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), mentorship from The Brilliant Club, and an engraved trophy. He also received a £250 UKRI-sponsored grant, mentorship from The Brilliant Club, and another engraved trophy as the People's Choice winner. The monetary awards are designated for public engagement or professional development activities.
Akor plans to use the funding to organise two public engagement events, one in the UK and another in Nigeria, subject to approval. The proposed events will bring together researchers, medical professionals, AI enthusiasts, patients, and carers to raise awareness of how artificial intelligence and research can help people living with neurological disorders manage their daily lives more effectively.
Akor's achievement follows his earlier success at GCU, where his presentation on seizure prediction earned him the university's Judges' Choice Award and a place in the national competition. His success demonstrates the impact of his research and his ability to communicate complex ideas to a non-specialist audience.
Key points
- Peter Akor is the first Glasgow Caledonian University researcher to win the national 3MT final.
- Akor's research focuses on predicting epileptic seizures using technology and data.
- Akor won both the Judges' Choice Award and the People's Choice Award at the 2026 Vitae 3MT final.
