The University of Queensland's (UQ) Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (AIBN) researcher Amanda Pearce is set to compete in the finals of the Three Minute Thesis competition next month.

Miss Pearce, formerly of Dalby, won UQ's Combined Institute Final of the competition hosted by UQ's Diamantina Institute for Cancer, Immunology and Metabolic Medicine on August 17.

She will represent AIBN in the UQ final on September 18.

The Three Minute Thesis competition challenges students to strip away the jargon and explain their research in a compelling way to a general audience within three minutes.

Miss Pearce was also named the People's Choice, with an explanation of her research in polymer chemistry.

When I explain my research, I want to broaden people's horizons and help find out about research, Miss Pearce said.

It is easy to underestimate Australia's research; people should know that cutting-edge research is conducted in this country.

Miss Pearce of Chapel Hill said her PhD research project involved developing a polymer system that could be used for diagnosing and treating prostate cancer.

Using hyperbranched polymers allows me to do three things: detect prostate cancer cells, introduce an imaging agent that will show up tumours in MRI scans and deliver chemotherapy medicines to kill tumours without targeting healthy cells, she said.

Even members of Miss Pearce's family found it difficult to understand her research project and were surprised that it involved opportunities for collaboration and international travel.

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Bioengineering student takes out three-minute challenge