Science in a Nutshell: Marie-Sarah Didier Wins the Gong Show Award

The Gong Show Award is part of the cross-faculty programme UNITE (UniDistance Networking for Interdisciplinary Thematic Exchange for Early-career Researchers), an initiative of the Graduate Campus at UniDistance Suisse. The Graduate Campus supports doctoral researchers throughout their PhD journey by offering complementary training opportunities, workshops, and numerous occasions for academic exchange and networking. As part of the “Gong Show”, early-career researchers present their research projects to an interdisciplinary audience in no more than one minute. The aim is to communicate scientific topics in a concise, accessible, and engaging way.

The Gong Show not only increases the visibility of early-career researchers’ work but also helps them develop valuable science communication skills. The best presentations of the semester are recognised with the Gong Show Award.

With her presentation entitled “Against the Clock: How Circadian Rhythms May Connect Obesity and Brain Function”, Marie-Sarah Didier impressed both the jury and the audience, earning this year’s award. She is particularly pleased to receive this recognition: “The challenge of presenting my research project in just one minute was both demanding and rewarding. I am delighted to receive this award and to have the opportunity to bring my research closer to such an interested and diverse audience.”

UNITE is coordinated by the Vice-Rectorate for Research and regularly brings together early-career researchers from all faculties of UniDistance Suisse. In addition to academic presentations, the programme places a strong emphasis on interdisciplinary exchange and networking among young researchers.

“The ability to communicate complex research in a clear and concise way is becoming increasingly important for researchers,” says Ahmad Zein Assi, Head of the Research Support Office at UniDistance Suisse and coordinator of the Gong Show within the UNITE programme. “Marie-Sarah Didier demonstrated this impressively with her pitch. Through the Gong Show, we provide a platform that fosters exactly these skills while also strengthening interdisciplinary exchange.”