Peter Akor, a Nigerian PhD researcher at Glasgow Caledonian University (GCU), has won both major prizes at the 2026 Vitae Three Minute Thesis (3MT) national final, making history as the first GCU winner and only the second researcher ever to claim both awards in the same year.
Akor claimed the Judges' Choice Award and the People's Choice Award, defeating finalists from the University of Oxford, King's College London, the University of Surrey, the University of Reading, and the University of Westminster. The competition challenges postgraduate researchers to explain their work to a general audience using a single slide and no more than three minutes.
Research on Predicting Epileptic Seizures
Akor's winning presentation, titled "The Minutes That Matter: Transforming Epileptic Seizure Care from Reaction to Prediction," focused on using technology and data to anticipate epileptic seizures before they occur. The research aims to improve patient safety, treatment outcomes, and quality of life for people living with epilepsy.
According to Akor, this is a double landmark: GCU has never before won the national 3MT final, and he is only the second researcher in the history of the Vitae competition to take both awards in the same year. He had qualified for the national final by winning the Judges' Choice Award at GCU's internal 3MT final in June.
Prizes and Plans for Public Engagement
The Judges' Choice prize includes a £1,000 grant sponsored by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), mentorship from The Brilliant Club, and an engraved trophy. The People's Choice Award, decided by public vote, brought an additional £250 UKRI-sponsored grant, mentorship, and a second trophy. Both grants are designated for public engagement or professional development activities.
Akor said he hopes to use the combined funding to hold two public engagement events, one in the UK and another in Nigeria, subject to approval. The planned events would bring together researchers, medical professionals, AI specialists, patients, and carers to explore how artificial intelligence can help people living with neurological disorders.
From Benue State to Glasgow
Akor is a native of Owukpa in Benue State, Nigeria. He began his academic career at Joseph Sarwuan Tarka University, Makurdi, where he graduated with First Class Honours in Electrical/Electronics Engineering in 2012 and was named Best Graduating Student in the College of Engineering. He then joined the institution as a Graduate Assistant and rose to the rank of Lecturer, spending roughly nine years in Nigerian academia before relocating to the UK to pursue his PhD at GCU.
At the same national final, Rachel Bernasconi of the University of Surrey received the Editor's Choice Award, selected by The Conversation UK. Akor's achievement highlights the growing impact of Nigerian researchers on the global stage, and his planned events in Nigeria could bring AI-driven epilepsy care discussions to local communities.
