CHEE Grad Student Wins UA's Grad Slam Competition

Marwan Abduljawad, who earned his PhD in chemical engineering in spring 2021, took first place in the University of Arizona's 2021 Grad Slam competition for his presentation about MRI contrast agents.

Abduljawad studied in the Biomolecule Bioengineering Nanotechnology Laboratory under Roberto Guzman. In Grad Slam, participants compete to show off their science communications skills by giving three-minute presentations about their research, using accessible language aimed at the general public.

In his video, he explains how clinicians inject patients with contrast agents, which make tumors or other areas of interest, such as blood clots, show up brightly in MRI scans. However, gadolinium, one of the most common types of contrast agents, may stay in the body for months or years at a time, and can be especially harmful to patients with kidney failure. He also spoke about how his mom's cancer journey was a source of inspiration for his research.

“As a PhD student who is working with metal nanoparticles, I knew I could make a difference I could help my mom and millions of cancer patients worldwide so they can receive better diagnostics,” he said.