Benue-born scholar Peter Akor wins GCU Three Minute Thesis competition in Scotland

Benue State-born researcher, Peter Akor, has added another international achievement to his growing profile after emerging winner of the Judges’ Choice Award at Glasgow Caledonian University’s (GCU) 2026 Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) Competition in Scotland.

Akor, who hails from Owukpa in Ogbadibo Local Government Area of Benue State, clinched the award with his presentation titled The Minutes That Matter: Transforming Epileptic Seizure Care from Reaction to Prediction.

The presentation explored how emerging technologies, particularly machine learning and artificial intelligence, can be used to predict epileptic seizures before they occur, potentially improving patient safety, treatment outcomes and quality of life for people living with epilepsy.

The annual competition challenges postgraduate researchers to explain complex research projects to a non-specialist audience in just three minutes using a single presentation slide.

Akor’s victory comes barely three months after he gained international recognition in the United Kingdom for contributing to the development of an artificial intelligence-powered epilepsy prediction technology that secured £250,000 in competitive government funding.

The groundbreaking project, which combines machine learning, artificial intelligence and healthcare innovation, is designed to help predict seizures before they happen, offering new hope for millions of epilepsy patients worldwide.

At the GCU competition, Akor impressed judges with his ability to communicate complex scientific concepts in a simple and engaging manner, earning him the Judges’ Choice Award at the university’s annual final held on the Glasgow campus and livestreamed online.

The People’s Choice Award was won by Kimia Rezaei Fard of the School of Health and Life Sciences for her presentation, The Mystery of the Unstable Ankle, which examined the causes of persistent ankle instability and recurrent injuries following sprains.

Hosted by the Research and Knowledge Exchange Services (RKES) team, the competition featured finalists from various academic disciplines across the university.

Other finalists included Amy Close of the Glasgow School for Business and Society, Abisola Ijaodola of the School of Science and Engineering, and Niloofar Sedighi of the School of Health and Life Sciences.

As winner of the Judges’ Choice Award, Akor received a £100 prize, the 3MT trophy and the opportunity to represent Glasgow Caledonian University at the national UK Three Minute Thesis competition organised by Vitae.