Peter Akor, a postgraduate researcher at Glasgow Caledonian University (GCU), has emerged as the overall winner of the 2026 Vitae Three Minute Thesis (3MT) national competition in the United Kingdom.
Peter Akor, from GCU’s School of Science and Engineering, won both the Judges’ Choice Award and the People’s Choice Award after defeating five other postgraduate researchers representing universities across the UK.
The six-person national final featured researchers from some of the country’s leading universities, including the University of Oxford, King’s College London, the University of Surrey, the University of Reading and the University of Westminster.
According to Akor, his double victory marked the first time GCU had won the national 3MT final and made him 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.
Vitae announced the results after the national final, with Akor receiving the Judges’ Choice Award and the People’s Choice Award, which was determined through a public vote.
Rachel Bernasconi of the University of Surrey won the Editor’s Choice Award, selected by The Conversation UK.
Akor, a native of Owukpa in Benue State, secured his place in the national final after winning the Judges’ Choice Award at GCU’s annual 3MT final in June.
His winning presentation, titled “The Minutes That Matter: Transforming Epileptic Seizure Care from Reaction to Prediction,” focuses on the use of technology and data to predict epileptic seizures before they occur.
The research could potentially improve safety, treatment and quality of life for people living with epilepsy.
Peter Akor began his academic career in Nigeria at Joseph Sarwuan Tarka University, Makurdi (JOSTUM), where he graduated with First Class Honours in Electrical/Electronics Engineering in 2012.
He also emerged as the Best Graduating Student in the College of Engineering before joining the university as a Graduate Assistant and later rising to the rank of Lecturer.
Akor spent about nine years in academia before moving to the UK to undertake his PhD at Glasgow Caledonian University.
The Vitae 3MT competition challenges postgraduate researchers to communicate the significance of their research to a non-specialist audience using a single presentation slide and no more than three minutes.
The 2026 national final featured six researchers from universities across the UK.
As the Judges’ Choice winner, Akor will receive a £1,000 cash grant sponsored by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), mentorship from The Brilliant Club and an engraved trophy.
He also received a £250 cash 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 said he hoped to use the funding to organise two public engagement events, one in the UK and another in Nigeria, subject to approval.
According to him, the proposed events will bring together researchers, medical professionals, artificial intelligence enthusiasts, patients and careers to raise awareness of how AI and research can help people living with neurological disorders manage their daily lives more effectively.
The events are also expected to showcase practical applications of AI and research in healthcare while creating opportunities for interaction among researchers, healthcare professionals, patients and the wider public.
Akor’s latest achievement follows his earlier success at GCU, where his research presentation on seizure prediction earned him the university’s Judges’ Choice Award and secured his place in the national competition.
