Interview with Jo Baker, 3MT Winner

Jo Baker, a Newcastle University PhD researcher, has won the Three Minute Thesis (3MT) Judges' Choice award for her presentation “Elsa, the tiger and the Speech Sound Disorder’.

Her talk, “Elsa, the tiger and Speech Sound Disorder’, didn’t just win over the judges in the Newcastle heat; it earned her the spotlight at the North-East regional competition, and then a place in the UK finals.

For Jo, it wasn’t about winning a coveted accolade, it was about bringing attention to a topic that means everything to her – helping children with speech sound disorders be understood.

We sat down with Jo to find out how she turned her PhD thesis into a memorable three-minute story, and how you can do the same!

Researchers Lucy Robinson (above, left), Jo Baker (above, middle) and Houda Haidar (above, right), at the regional competition. 

Thank you for taking the time to do an interview with us! How did you feel when you were announced as the Judges' Choice winner?

I felt absolutely buzzing. The 3MT competition takes place over quite a long period of time, with the institutional heats starting in May and then UK & Ireland final in October. To get to that final stage and then to win the Judges' Choice award…it was a really special moment for me and one that I will remember for a long time.

Can you tell us more about your thesis topic and why it’s important to you?

As a Speech and Language Therapist, I know how life-changing early intervention can be for children with speech and language difficulties. I am passionate about evidence-based practice and ensuring these children receive effective and timely support.

My thesis aims to better understand the effects of a commonly delivered approach called phonological awareness intervention on children’s speech difficulties. Children with Speech Sound Disorder have difficulty producing and using speech sounds when they talk. They have difficulty making themselves understood, and their speech can sometimes be unintelligible.

These difficulties can have long-term impacts on their language development, literacy skills, and social relationships. Strengthening children’s phonological awareness – their awareness and understanding of the sounds and parts of words – is vital for language development and literacy, and it helps remediate speech difficulties. However, interventions are never one size fits all and some children’s speech difficulties do not resolve after phonological awareness intervention.

I hope to provide evidence to help explain why this is. This will inform clinical decision-making so that we can support these children the very best we can.

What inspired you to enter the Three Minute Thesis competition?

Last year my PhD funders NINE DTP put on a workshop about storytelling and presenting research in an accessible way. They showed us previous 3MT speeches and I was inspired by the creative means which they used to explain their research. I wanted to challenge myself and try this out for myself.

How did you prepare for the competition, and did your approach change as you advanced through the stages?

One of the hardest parts was putting pen to paper. I went through so many drafts, gaining feedback from other PGRs and my supervisors.

Paragraphs were scrapped, sentences were reordered, and the thesaurus became my best friend. Eventually, I had a speech that told a story I was happy with, but writing was only the first step. I practised speaking it aloud an embarrassing amount - by the end, I was probably saying it in my sleep!

My hand gestures and intonation changed as I worked out what was effective and became more confident in what I was saying.

What were the biggest challenges you faced during the competition, and how did you overcome them?

My biggest challenge was keeping to time. Sticking to three minutes is difficult and I got nervous that I would forget parts or speak too quickly that it would be too short. It was like the tale of the three Bears, not too long or not too short, I wanted my speech to be just right. I don’t really have any hidden talents in this; I just practised this speech as much as I could so that I was really confident in what I was saying. I practised delivering it standing up in front of a screen too so that this wouldn’t be as intimidating on the day.

Researchers are only allowed to use one slide when presenting their work. The image above is of Jo's slide. 

How has participating in the competition influenced the way you communicate your research to a wider audience?

It has encouraged me to work out the key message of a presentation so that I can make sure it comes across. I’ve learned to highlight the relevance of my work—why it should matter to people—by thinking about real-world impacts. This experience has also taught me to adapt my language, avoid jargon, and use relatable examples. I feel that doing so has made my research more accessible and impactful for people who have never heard of Speech Sound Disorder before.

Did you receive any specific coaching or mentorship that helped you along the way?

My presentation would not have been the same without the support I received along the way. My friends were absolute stars, listening to my speech countless times and giving me encouragement and feedback. I feel lucky to have such great supervisors, Helen, Cristina and Steph, who are always so motivating! The coaching set up by Newcastle University after the 3MT heats also boosted my confidence. I am so grateful for everyone’s support.

What advice would you give to future PhD students thinking about entering the competition?

Try to tell a story – you don’t need to say everything about your PhD, write out your key points and stick to them. I’d recommend watching other people’s 3MT for inspiration, there are lots on YouTube on so many different research areas. Once you have a speech, practice it as much as you can and test it out with people you know. You will build up your confidence that way. And then just go for it – challenge yourself and see what happens. It is a great opportunity to meet other PhD students and see what brilliant research is ongoing across the university. You will be arming yourself with a three-minute elevator pitch, and you won't have to worry the next time your grandma asks you what your PhD is about!

How do you plan to build on this experience in your future academic or professional journey?

I’ve become really interested in making research accessible and interesting to lay people. Something I loved about 3MT was how engaging and accessible everyone made their work, and this has become important to me when moving forward. I’ll continue using the skills I’ve developed to make my findings accessible and engaging for a wider audience. I want my work to drive real change so I will keep trying to bridge the gap between research and practice so that we can make it easier for people to understand and benefit from findings.

What’s next for you in terms of your research and career?

I am writing my thesis with a goal of submitting in January. I’ve been at Newcastle University since 2016 when I started a BSc in Speech and Language Sciences and met my later PhD supervisors Helen, Cristina and Steph. Finishing my PhD will be bittersweet, but I am excited for the next chapter – a chapter that is not in my thesis! I plan to take a break and go travelling after I submit for several months, but after that, I hope to carry out further research in the world of Speech and Language Therapy.

You can watch Jo's winning 3MT presentation on YouTube. 

The Three Minute Thesis was developed by the University of Queensland in 2008. Since it's inaugural event, the popularity of the competition has reached the international level, with over 900 universities holding events across 85 countries. 

Presentations cover a diverse range of research topics across the arts, humanities, social sciences, engineering and medical disciplines. The main caveat is that the explanation should be easily understood by a non-specialist, while only using one slide.

For researchers, there are lots of benefits for taking part in 3MT. From testing your skills, getting experience for your CV/portfolio, to getting some silverware to decorate your office - the key thing is learning to communicate your research to a wide audience. 

If you're a doctoral student interested in taking part in 3MT 2025, check out the Competitions and Opportunities page on the Newcastle University website or contact hass.pgtraining@ncl.ac.uk.