Imperial Materials students excel at IOM3 Young Persons’ Lecture Competition

Imperial’s Department of Materials accounted for five of the six finalists at the IOM3 Young Persons’ Lecture Competition, with outstanding lectures spanning superconductivity to targeted cancer therapies.

The annual competition, organised by the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining (IOM3), invites students and early-career researchers aged 18–28 to deliver a 12–15 minute lecture on a materials-related topic. Winners progress from local heats to regional and national finals. 

Hosted by the London Materials Society (LMS) at City St George’s, University of London in March, the London heat of the IOM3 Young Persons’ Lecture Competition brought together six finalists selected from 13 applicants, five of whom were Imperial's Department of Materials students across undergraduate and postgraduate study.

Presentations span future technologies and healthcare solutions

Dwayne Nobleza was awarded first place, followed by Sofia Patri in second and Karim Bakkar in third, in what judges described as a particularly strong field of presentations. The remaining finalists were Wendy Wang and Poom Trisirimingkol. 

It’s such a fascinating field of condensed matter physics which underpins a wide range of uses that we see today such as maglev trains, quantum computing and particle accelerators. Dwayne Nobleza Undergraduate student, Department of Materials, Imperial College London

Dwayne’s lecture, titled “Superconductivity: The Phenomenon That Could Change Humanity”, focused on a subject he has pursued since first encountering it at the age of 16.

He said: “It’s such a fascinating field of condensed matter physics which underpins a wide range of uses that we see today such as maglev trains, quantum computing and particle accelerators.” He also highlighted the wider impact of the field, adding: “The discovery of a room temperature superconductor would be revolutionary for society.” The judges noted his enthusiasm and clarity in communicating a complex topic as key strengths in his presentation.

Following his success at the London heat, Dwayne progressed to the South East regional final in Cambridge on 25 March, where he achieved second place. He was also the youngest participant in the competition.

Sofia Patri, who placed second, presented work on temperature-responsive nanogels, explaining how these systems can release drugs in response to heat, “demonstrating heat-triggered delivery within a tumor microenvironment” and offering new approaches to targeted cancer treatment.

Poom Trisirimingkol, one of the finalists, presented on nanoparticle drug delivery systems for cancer-targeted therapy, outlining how engineered nanoparticles can enable more precise drug delivery while reducing the side effects associated with conventional chemotherapy.

Supporting future materials communicators

The London heat was organised by the London Materials Society (LMS), whose committee includes members from the Department of Materials: Dr Francesca Tallia, Research Associate and IOM3 representative; Dr Oriol Gavalda Diaz, Lecturer in Ceramics and Imperial representative and Treasurer; and Oscar Langdon, PhD student and Vice-Chair.

The LMS emphasised the importance of creating a supportive environment for early-career researchers to present their work, reflecting the competition’s aim to foster confident and effective scientific communication.

The Department of Materials has built a strong track record in the competition in recent years, with students consistently performing at a high level. In 2024, PhD student Emma Bryan won both the London heat and the regional final before placing third nationally.

This year’s results continue that record, highlighting the strength of research across the department and the confidence with which students present complex ideas.