Two KI researchers in the final of the Researchers' Grand Prix

Lea Stark, researcher at the Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, qualified through a digital competition while Erik Andersson made his four-minute presentation in front of an audience in the Stockholm competition during Forskarfredag, a competition he won. 

How does it feel?

“It feels so much fun, childish fun actually! I wondered why this feels so much fun, but I think it's like this: Never before have I had to think through what it is I'm going to say and why in this way. I have never spent so much time preparing a presentation. But it is of course an important part of science, what to present and why. I was unusually nervous beforehand too,” says Erik Andersson, researcher at the Department of Clinical Neuroscience.

Why did your presentation win?

“What I heard from the jury was that they like a simple story, and that I explained difficult things in a simple way, to make people understand what a randomised controlled trial is, for example. I think I got good audience contact, it felt important to really talk to people. And four minutes is really nothing, so I put so much effort into the presentation. I started by making a story, then I worked hard on my slides that contained no text at all. I also tested on many people, rewrote and adjusted. It's a bit like when you were working with sandpaper in school, I've carved, carved and carved some more.”

How will you prepare for the final in November?

“Haha! I'm agonising over it a bit. There is one aspect of the presentation that could be better, so I'm thinking about tweaking it in that direction. But at the same time, I'm very happy with the presentation, so the feeling is a bit ‘laid back’. It could be dangerous to think again. Maybe,” concludes Erik Andersson.