Vet Med's Lea Poellmann Wins Texas A&M’s 2025 Three Minute Thesis Competition

Poellman’s presentation on research to help save dogs from a freshwater parasite takes top honors in the annual research presentation competition. 

Sharing a story that tugged at the heartstrings and sparked research that will save the lives of pets, Lea Poellmann delivered the top presentation in Texas A&M University Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) final. Poellmann’s “Mapping the Hidden Threat to Man’s Best Friend: Heterobilharzia americana in the Southwest,” bested nine other finalists and a record pool of 85 preliminary competitors to earn both the overall title and tops in the doctoral division.

Biomedical engineering's Thalma Orado placed second in the doctoral division for her presentation "Green Means Go! A Color-Changing Smart Material for Dressing Chronic Wounds.” The People's Choice award went to Paria Dehghanian from the College of Dentistry's departments of orthodontics and biomedical sciences for “When Tendons Become Bone: Building the Joint that Shapes Every Word and Bite.” Dehghanian's award was a first in the 3MT competition for the College of Dentistry.

Prajina Neupane from soil and crop sciences won in the master's division with her presentation, "Chicken Manure Incorporation and Biochar Co-Application Mitigate Nitrous Oxide Emissions.” Rangeland, wildlife and fisheries management's Abigail Dwelle placed second with "From Helicopters to Habitat: Mapping Javelina across Southern Texas.” Mechanical engineering's Valentina Torres Nieto was the People's Choice winner for “Designing Composite Materials for a Sustainable Future.

 

• Karla Castillo, news anchor and executive producer for KBTX
• Kristen Gunn, assistant vice president for creative and storytelling in Texas A&M’s Division of Marketing and Communications
• Julie Kopycinski, chief government relations officer for Texas A&M
• David Staack, deputy vice chancellor for research at the Texas A&M System
• Patrick Williams, vice president for development at the Texas A&M Foundation
• Zahra Ghiasi, chemical engineering doctoral student and 2024 Texas A&M 3MT winner

A Historic Win for Vet Med
Poellmann’s win marks a historic first overall win for the College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences in 13 years Texas A&M has held a competition. Her presentation shared how the loss of a Labrador retriever named Drake inspired her team to investigate the spread of a freshwater parasite in the Southwestern United States that can cause serious illness in dogs. The research initiative, known as The Drake Project, found that the parasite is far more prevalent than was previously estimated and aims to protect pets by mapping and understanding this hidden threat.

“I am genuinely thrilled!” Poellmann said after her win. “The competition was a lot of fun and really meaningful, as it gave me the chance to share a project that matters so much to me.” She praised her fellow competitors. “Watching my fellow presenters break down complex, ground-breaking science was something I genuinely admired. It reflects how strongly Texas A&M supports its graduate students and how much innovation comes out of the research environment we have here, which is exactly what makes it such an inspiring place to be.”

Poellmann credits her mentor, Dr. Kathleen Aicher, for encouraging her to compete. “Dr. Aicher encouraged me to try 3MT,” she said. “Competing showed me how much we can discover about ourselves when we step into something new, which is why I would encourage anyone who is considering 3MT to simply try it. You grow from it no matter the outcome.”

Dr. Aicher credited Poellmann’s deeply personal commitment to her research for her ability to talk so passionately about it. “Her research constantly places her in contact with the families and veterinarians of dogs affected by this parasite, which provides a constant reminder of ‘why’ she is doing this work,” Aicher said. “She has both celebrated the successes and mourned the losses of many of these beloved dogs. It’s effortless for her to communicate her research to those around her, as it comes directly from her heart. She is working to save the lives of dogs, and her research will absolutely accomplish that.”

Dr. Bonnie Rush, Dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, emphasized the significance of Poellmann’s achievement. “We are so proud of Lea’s exceptional work,” Rush said. “Congratulations to her and Dr. Aicher. The vision and scholarship of the Gastrointestinal Laboratory provided the infrastructure and support for her success. Pairing our competition with community outreach was a great way to show off A&M’s impact to our stakeholders.”

Looking ahead, Poellmann is eager to compete in the regional 3MT competition in February at the Conference of Southern Graduate Schools' Annual Meeting, this year to be held in Baton Rouge, LA. “I love this university and so it is an absolute honor to represent Texas A&M and the College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences,” she said. “The research focuses on a real and widespread risk for dogs in the United States, so it is a topic many people immediately connect with. The story of how our research initiative originated is something I experienced firsthand, so the emotions I try to convey are genuine. I think that authenticity is what resonates with people.”

Associate Provost and Grad School Dean Dr. Fuhui Tong congratulated this year’s finalists and noted the competition’s role in fostering research communication skills. “From the winning presentation to others on using beneficial bacteria to protect infrastructure, developing smart bandages that signal infection, and building better makerspace networks to train future engineers, tonight’s finalists showcased the extraordinary research happening at Texas A&M,” Tong said. “We are proud of their achievements and inspired by their commitment to making a positive impact, as well as by their investment in learning to communicate their work effectively.”

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_{Media Contact: Rob Dixon (rdixon@tamu.edu)}