WUT PhD student awarded in the international finals of the FameLab competition

FameLab contestants are to deliver a three-minute presentation on their research or a scientific topic. Presentations are evaluated in terms of content, clarity of message, and the contestant’s charisma (the so-called 3C principle – content, clarity, charisma).

Natalia Izdebska, the winner of the Polish FameLab stage, represented Poland in the competition final. The contestant, who is a PhD student at WUT, delivered a presentation on the topic “Better Batteries – Built from LEGO Bricks?”. In her presentation, she demonstrated that magnesium batteries, which are the focus of her research, could be cheaper, safer, and more efficient than the widely used and known lithium-based batteries, relying on an element that is expensive and less abundant.

Tammy Lee from Australia won the competition, while the two runners-up were Spatika Jayaram from Great Britain and Saein Lee from Switzerland. Our PhD student received the audience award (Audience Winner). 

“I am proud to have represented Poland in a competition with such a wide reach and a 20-year tradition,” says Natalia Izdebska. “It allowed me to present my research on an international level and to connect with young researchers from around the world. I am glad that I could showcase my research at the Warsaw University of Technology in such a prestigious research centre as CERN. I intend to continue promoting science both in Poland and globally, and I would like to thank everyone who supported me with their votes!”

FameLab was established in 2005 in Great Britain by the organisers of the Cheltenham Festivals. In Poland, the finals were held between 2012 and 2019 and again in 2021, organised by the British Council and Copernicus Science Centre. Then, the competition went on a break. In 2024, it returned in a new format, hosted by the University of Silesia.

Today, FameLab editions are organised in 30 countries all over the world.

Laureates of the FameLab 2025 competition. From the left: Natalia Izdebska, Saein Lee, Tammy Lee, Spatika Jayaram, photo credit: Still Moving Media