Nigerian researcher Peter Akor makes history with double win At UK’s Vitae 3MT Final

A postgraduate researcher at Glasgow Caledonian University (GCU), Peter Akor, has made history after winning both the Judges’ Choice Award and the People’s Choice Award at the 2026 Vitae Three Minute Thesis (3MT) Competition.

Akor, from GCU’s School of Science and Engineering, emerged as the overall winner of the national competition after competing against five other postgraduate researchers from universities across the UK.

The six-person national final placed the Nigerian researcher alongside finalists representing some of the UK’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. Akor ultimately secured both the Judges’ Choice and People’s Choice awards ahead of the field.

His success marks the first time Glasgow Caledonian University has won the national 3MT final, while Akor also becomes 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, according to the researcher.

Vitae announced the results following 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 had secured his place in the national final after winning the Judges’ Choice Award at GCU’s annual 3MT final in June.

His winning research presentation was titled “The Minutes That Matter: Transforming Epileptic Seizure Care from Reaction to Prediction.”

The research explores how technology and data could be used to predict epileptic seizures before they occur, with the potential to improve safety, treatment and quality of life for people living with epilepsy.

Akor began his academic journey in Nigeria at Joseph Sarwuan Tarka University, Makurdi (JOSTUM), where he graduated with First Class Honours in Electrical/Electronics Engineering in 2012 and emerged as the Best Graduating Student in the College of Engineering.

He subsequently joined the university as a Graduate Assistant and progressed to Lecturer, spending 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 one presentation slide and just three minutes. The 2026 national final featured six researchers from universities across the UK.

As part of his Judges’ Choice prize, Akor will receive a £1,000 grant sponsored by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), mentorship from The Brilliant Club and an engraved trophy.

He also received a £250 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, and Akor said he hopes to use the funding to organise two public engagement events — one in the UK and another in Nigeria, subject to approval.

According to Akor, the proposed events will bring together researchers, medical professionals, AI enthusiasts, patients and carers to raise awareness of how artificial intelligence and research can help people living with neurological disorders manage their daily lives more effectively.

The planned events would also showcase practical applications of AI and research in healthcare while creating opportunities for interaction between researchers, healthcare professionals, patients and the wider public.

Akor’s achievement follows his earlier success at GCU, where his presentation on seizure prediction earned him the university’s Judges’ Choice Award and a place in the national competition.