Nigerian Researcher Peter Akor Wins 2 Awards at 2026 UK Vitae 3MT Competition
- Peter Akor of Glasgow Caledonian University beat finalists from Oxford, King's College London and four other top UK universities at the 2026 Vitae 3MT national final
- Akor's winning presentation focused on using technology and data to predict epileptic seizures before they occur
- The Nigerian researcher from Benue State spent about nine years as a lecturer in Nigeria before moving to the UK for his PhD
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A Nigerian PhD researcher has made history at one of the UK's most competitive postgraduate communication events, winning both major prizes at the 2026 Vitae Three Minute Thesis (3MT) national final.
Peter Akor, a postgraduate researcher in the School of Science and Engineering at Glasgow Caledonian University (GCU), claimed both the Judges' Choice Award and the People's Choice Award at the competition, defeating finalists from the University of Oxford, King's College London, the University of Surrey, the University of Reading and the University of Westminster.
Source: UGC
The win is a double landmark: GCU has never before won the national 3MT final, and Akor is only the second researcher in the history of the Vitae competition to take both awards in the same year, according to the researcher himself.
Akor's Winning Research
His presentation, titled "The Minutes That Matter: Transforming Epileptic Seizure Care from Reaction to Prediction," argued for using technology and data to anticipate epileptic seizures before they happen, with the potential to improve patient safety, treatment outcomes and quality of life.
The 3MT competition challenges postgraduate researchers to explain their work to a general audience using a single presentation slide and no more than three minutes. Akor had secured his spot in the national final after winning the Judges' Choice Award at GCU's own internal 3MT final in June.
The Judges' Choice prize carries a £1,000 grant sponsored by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), mentorship from The Brilliant Club and an engraved trophy. The People's Choice Award, decided by public vote, brought an additional £250 UKRI-sponsored grant, mentorship and a second trophy. Both grants are earmarked for public engagement or professional development activities.
Akor said he hopes to use the combined funding to hold two public engagement events, one in the UK and another in Nigeria, subject to approval. The planned events would bring together researchers, medical professionals, AI specialists, patients and carers to explore how artificial intelligence can help people living with neurological disorders.
Source: UGC
From Benue state to Glasgow
Akor is a native of Owukpa in Benue state. He began his academic career at Joseph Sarwuan Tarka University, Makurdi, where he graduated with First Class Honours in Electrical/Electronics Engineering in 2012 and was named Best Graduating Student in the College of Engineering. He then joined the institution as a Graduate Assistant and rose to the rank of Lecturer, spending roughly nine years in Nigerian academia before relocating to the UK to pursue his PhD at GCU.
Rachel Bernasconi of the University of Surrey received the Editor's Choice Award, selected by The Conversation UK, at the same national final.
Source: Legit.ng
