Meet our 2021-22 3MT Finalists: Njeshi Charity Nya

Njeshi Charity Nya, an Iowa State graduate student in toxicology, will participate in the final round of the Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition on Oct. 28. Learn more about her below, and watch her presentation, "Drug Development for the Treatment of Onchocerciasis (River Blindness)," on Thursday at 6 p.m.

Njeshi Charity Nya

Q: What brought you to Iowa State?

A: I came to Iowa State because of its good reputation for research and education, and the friendly environment it offers to international students.

Q: Describe your research in three sentences or less.

A: There is developing resistance to current drugs for the treatment of nematode parasitic infections. My research focuses on developing new drug combinations for these infections, particularly, onchocerciasis, lymphatic filariasis and loiasis.

Q: What do you hope to gain from Three Minute Thesis? 

A: I find it hard to explain my research to my friends and family in a way that they can understand without using scientific words. I hope the 3MT will help me learn how to communicate my science more effectively.

Q: Share a fun fact about yourself.

A: I love singing and dancing.

Founded at the University of Queensland, Three Minute Thesis (3MT) challenges graduate students to present their research to a non-specialist audience in three minutes or less. Iowa State's eight finalists will compete in our final competition on Oct. 28 at 6 p.m. You can watch a livestream of the event on the Graduate College's Facebook page.