Seven graduate students from the UCSB College of Engineering (COE) took the stage in the Engineering Science Building on February 25, putting months of preparation to the test by delivering compelling three-minute research talks during Round 3 of the thirteenth annual Grad Slam competition. The students addressed diverse real-world challenges, from optimizing industrial systems and advancing medical treatments to enhancing teamwork dynamics and improving internet equity.

Fourth-year materials PhD student Lisa Månsson was awarded first place for her talk, in which she discussed research that could lead to important advances in treating glioblastoma. Computer science PhD student and National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow Haarika Manda secured the runner-up spot with her presentation on internet equity, a topic that allows her to utilize her knowledge of machine learning models in computer networks.

“It was an honor to win,” Månsson said, “especially seeing other students pitch really well.” Her talk was focused on glioblastoma, the most aggressive form of brain cancer. Most patients diagnosed with it survive less than twelve months, because its difficult to treat, the result of a shielding mechanism that causes protein buildup around the glioblastoma cells, reducing the effectiveness of drugs and radiotherapy. 

Månsson’s research relates to what is called the integrated stress response (ISR), a cellular signaling network that has been correlated with cancer and allows cells to adapt and respond to various stressors. “In our lab, we have developed a platform to precisely trigger cellular stress by targeting a protein in the ISR pathway,” she explained. “Recent findings show that inducing high levels of stress in glioblastoma cells inhibits their spread and reduces the buildup of proteins involved in the shielding mechanism.” The novel approach, she said, could lead to better strategies for combating the disease and much-improved patient outcomes.

Månsson noted that UCSB’s collaborative academic environment, which has allowed her to have two expert academic advisors — Angela Pitenis, an associate professor in the Materials Department, and Max Wilson, an assistant professor in the Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology Department — has been important to her as a researcher. She said, too, that being part of the BioPolymers, Automated Cellular Infrastructure, Flow, and Integrated Chemistry Materials Innovation Platform (BioPACIFIC MIP), a collaboration between UCSB and UCLA that offers access to advanced instruments, expert support, networking opportunities, and professional dev

Because effective communication is vital in both academia and industry, Grad Slam, which began in 2013, is aimed at equipping students with the skills to present their research clearly and succinctly to diverse audiences. A format change introduced this year, limiting students to a single non-animated slide instead of a full slide deck, added an extra challenge. It worked for Månsson, who said, “I learned that, with thoughtful preparation, even the most complex ideas can be communicated simply.”

Månsson will next compete in the UCSB Grad Slam Final on April 3. If she wins there, she will advance to the UC systemwide Grad Slam on April 29.