Nadège Nziza, a finalist on “My Thesis in 180 Seconds”
A resident of Montpellier by choice, Nadège Nziza is a Ph.D. studentUM pathophysiology atUM . Meet this young woman, who is as passionate as she is fascinating—a national finalist inthe2018“My Thesis in 180 Seconds” competition.
“The goal of my thesis is as simple as a game of Cluedo: I have to figure out which cell destroys which joint—and with what weapon!” explains Nadège NZIZA in a cheerful tone. Comparing her very serious thesis on juvenile arthritis to a board game—that took some nerve. It was a bold move that won over the national jury ofthe2018“My Thesis in 180 Seconds” competition—which met on April 6 in Paris for the semifinals—and earned this bubbly young woman a spot in the finals of the prestigious thesis presentation tournament on Wednesday, June 13. The tournament is open to doctoral students from 20 French-speaking countries.
From Lulumbashi (DRC) to the doctoral program in Montpellier
“I’ve been fascinated by how the human body works ever since I was very young. That’s exactly what led me first to study animal biology, and then molecular and cellular biochemistry,” explains Nadège NZIZA.A Rwandan native born in Lubumbashi, Congo, the young woman—who had barely come of age at thetime—arrived in Europe in 2009, settling in Namur to continue her studies.“The culture shock was immense. At the time, I’d lost all my bearings!”recalls the 26-year-old, visibly moved. After earning a bachelor’s degree and then a master’s degree, both with honors, Nadège NZIZA arrived in Montpellier as an intern under the supervision of Edouard Tuaillon, an associate professor at the University of Montpellier. “Those three months of work on the hepatitis C virus allowed me to fully pursue my passion for immunology,” explains Nadège, who, as soon as the following summer break began, flew to Kigali, Rwanda, to complete a practical internship in the field at a research center. For two months, the young woman devoted herself body and soul to improving the diagnosis of hepatitis B and C and—above all—malaria, the leading cause of death in her home country.“It was at that very moment that I realized my need to work as closely as possible with patients and my attraction to clinical work, far removed from basic research,”explains Nadège NZIZA, who, in the wake of this experience, enrolled intheUMdoctoral program.
Juvenile Arthritis
Two years later, Nadège is finalizing her research project on juvenile arthritis—an autoimmune disease that causes growth delays and malformations—atUnit 1183-INSERM (Stem Cells, Cellular Plasticity, Regenerative Medicine, and Immunotherapies).“My goal today is to improve diagnostic techniques for joint inflammation in young patients. This will enable us to offer them the treatment best suited to their condition in the future,” she explains.
As for tomorrow, Nadège NZIZA already has plenty of plans in mind: to spend one or two years doing a “postdoc” in the United States or, why not, in Canada, before returning permanently to her home country to continue working in immunology:“Rwanda has all the necessary infrastructure to conduct clinical trials and develop large-scale research projects. The only things missing are state-of-the-art equipment and researchers and practitioners specialized in the field,” explains the young woman, who, through the development of Franco-Rwandan research programs, is already dreaming of eradicating malaria in the not-too-distant future. Malaria is a disease that requires significant treatment, and its spread in Rwanda still seems to be out of control, largely due to local climatic conditions.
My Thesis in 180 Seconds (MT180)
Organized annually by the CNRS in partnership with university presidents, “My Thesis in 180 Seconds”invites doctoral students to present their research topic—in French and in simple terms—to a diverse, non-specialist audience. Each doctoral student must deliver, in three minutes, a clear, concise, and compelling presentation on their research project. All this with the help of just one slide! This competition is inspired by the Three Minute Thesis (3MT®), developed at the University of Queensland in Australia. The concept was adopted in Quebec in 2012 by the Association francophone pour le savoir (Acfas), which sought to expand it to 20 French-speaking countries.