The inaugural Research in Verse Prize Competition, organised by Dr Jo Ashbourn, Senior Tutor (Academic Affairs & Programmes), took place on Friday 11 June, by Zoom to an online audience of nearly 40 people.
Six students presented their research in rhyming verse and the audience was treated to insights across subject areas ranging from History and Literature to topics in the Medical Sciences. The list of speakers with their talk titles was as follow:
Mirae Harford (DPhil Clinical Neurosciences) - I See You (ICU)
Gulnar Abdullayeva (DPhil Oncology) - Light in Cancer
Marianne van der Vaart (DPhil Paediatrics) - Babies Born Yesterday
Devi Nadjaja (MSc Clinical Embryology) - Nothing More
Flora Blissett (MSc History of Science, Medicine and Technology) - Dream Not of Other Worlds
At the end of the talks, the audience participated in a live online poll to select the rhyming verses they had enjoyed most with the winner of the Competition being Devi Nadjaja who garnered 33% of the audience vote.
The event was a dynamic showcase of students' creativity in using rhyming verse coupled in some cases with humour on their research areas and achievements. The vote of thanks was given by Emeritus Fellow and resident poet, Dr Kate Venables who expressed the hope that this might become an annual event.
