From August 18 to 22, 2025, the CanNRT Annual Summer School brought 36 Fellows and 36 faculty together in Montreal, Quebec. Over the week, they engaged in a co-designed program spanning genetics, neuroimaging, biomarkers, clinical trials, open science, policy translation, and more.
Building bridges through effective science communication
The week began with a 3-Minute Thesis (3MT) workshop led by CanNRT alum and committee member Gabriel Blanco Gomez. Fellows practiced distilling complex ideas into plain, accurate language — a skill Gabriel sees as essential:
“Scientists pitch ideas all the time in grants and at conferences,” he said. “But we often forget the public. A three-minute pitch builds a bridge between science and society. It helps trainees feel comfortable and confident explaining what they do to the people we serve.”
For many Fellows, the exercise was about more than words. It created a sense of belonging. Ivana Okaro, a Neuroscience Fellow at McGill, reflected:
“There’s a tendency in academia to get isolated. Saying yes to 3MT felt like one of the safest places I’ll have to practice.”
From practice to performance
The following evening, Fellows put their training to the test at Pitch Fest, a peer-led showcase where each had three minutes to present the heart of their research. The format encouraged clarity and creativity, but what lingered was the confidence and community it sparked.
Ebrahim Mahmoudi Kojidi, a PhD Fellow at McGill’s School of Physical and Occupational Therapy, contrasted this year’s experience with last year’s hesitation: “I felt too shy to connect before. This year, I pushed myself to engage, used tips from the 3MT workshop to refine my message, and found new windows of opportunity.”
His advice to future Fellows is simple: “Engage as much as you can. As you try, you grow.”
For Patricia Miguel, a postdoctoral Fellow in Psychiatry, the exercise shifted her perspective: “You start asking not only what technique you used, but what will be the impact of your research for the community?” That reframing carried into conversations with peers and mentors in clinical trials, opening the potential for collaborations beyond her lab.
Gabriel saw the same pattern unfold across the room: concise, memorable hooks leading into solid science, in a safe space where Fellows could experiment with new ways of sharing why their work matters.
Later in the week, a Media Basics session gave Fellows tools to carry their messages further: interviews, audience awareness, and on-camera confidence.
“A three-minute pitch builds a bridge between science and society,” says Gabriel Blanco Gomez, CanNRT alum and workshop lead. Learn more about this year’s Summer School through our Pitch Fest highlight video (Production: Noah Leon, 2025).
Summer School’s impact
Pitch Fest shows the larger impact of Summer School plays in supporting the next generation of leaders. Fellows sharpened their scientific understanding while also learning how to carry their ideas into clinics, classrooms, policy spaces, and community forums.
The week also deepened connections. Fellows spoke about new collaborators and mentors they wouldn’t have met otherwise, and many are eager to engage as committee members or stay involved as alumni, underscoring the lasting value of the network.
Looking ahead
The CanNRT Annual Summer School returns to Montréal from August 17 to 21, 2026. It will continue to build a learning community where Fellows strengthen their science and their voices — carrying both into the world with clarity and care.