Revealing the hidden hazards of a common chemical

What if a common industrial chemical used to make toys, clothing and car parts turned out to be highly toxic for workers handling it?

Occupational and Public Health MSc student Nameera Shaikh won the TMU Three-Minute Thesis (3MT®) Competition for her eye-opening research presentation on the dangers of acrylonitrile, a chemical often used in consumer plastics, fibres and rubbers. 

In 2024, the World Health Organization (WHO) reclassified acrylonitrile as a Group-1 carcinogen. Shaikh’s research focuses on protecting workers who are at higher risk of cancer from prolonged exposure to acrylonitrile. 

Held for the first time at the Student Learning Centre (SLC), the annual TMU 3MT® Competition challenges grad students to present their research impact in three minutes in an engaging and accessible way, using only one slide.

Shaikh was at a loss for words when she was announced the TMU 3MT® winner by judges Dr. Natalie Alvarez, dean of The Creative School; Dr. Cory Searcy, assistant vice-president, international, TMU Global; and Nicola Luksic, CBC senior producer. Afterwards, she expressed gratitude to her supervisors Dr. Tracy Kirkham and Dr. Chun-Yip Hon, the Occupational Cancer Research Centre staff and the “TMU family” for helping her prepare for the 3MT®. She also thanked her family for their constant support throughout her journey.

“The TMU community is very close-knit and has supported me in many ways, as an international student trying to settle into a new place,” said Shaikh, a graduate student from India whose first language is not English. 

Shaikh’s $1,000 prize will help fund her participation in the IARC@60 International Scientific Conference: Cancer Research into Action, a major cancer prevention conference hosted by the WHO’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) in Lyon, France.

She thanked Leslie Music, YSGPS student engagement officer, for being “a very strong support for me since day one,” as well as the TMU 3MT® practice panel members.

Shaikh also received a Participants’ Choice Award, along with Chemical Engineering PhD student Laura Teran Simancas for her presentation “Using Sunlight to Make Reliable, Safe Drinking Water.”

Psychology PhD student Daryll Wilson was named runner-up for his presentation “The Pedagogy Project: Using Lecture Breaks for Learning.” 

Shaikh will represent TMU at the Ontario 3MT® Competition at Brock University on May 6, 2026.