Graduate students spend years learning the language of their scientific field. Brianna Davis (MS ’27, MMBIO) had just three minutes to translate hers.
Davis presented her research on CAR T-cell therapy at the Three Minute Thesis Competition, winning first place in the college-level round and third at the university level. Her ability to deliver complex scientific research in a simple, concise manner earned her $4000, but Davis says talking about the science she loves is a reward in itself.
“The nice thing about this competition is that graduate students present their research to people who are not in their field,” Davis says. “Sometimes it’s easier to talk to non-scientists instead of scientists about my research. It’s an important skill.”
Davis presented research on enhanced methods for CAR T-cell therapy to improve efficacy and reduce relapse rates. CAR T-cell therapy is a cancer treatment in which white blood cells called T-cells are extracted and reprogrammed to recognize the cancer in your body before being put back in your system.
The reprogrammed cell, now called a CAR T-cell, targets and kills the cancer cells—but it’s not always that simple.
“Sometimes, the cancer is too aggressive,” Davis explains, “and it tires or exhausts the T-cells. We're working on identifying the causes of exhaustion and finding ways to prevent CAR T-cells from getting exhausted.”
Divine Intervention Throughout Her Journey
Davis presented her three-minute thesis research on the same day her father was visiting campus as a guest lecturer for a microbiology and molecular biology seminar, just one of many meaningful coincidences for her.
Once Davis was accepted to BYU, she found a connection to two professors she now works with, Dr. Kim O’Neill and Dr. Scott Weber. It turns out that O’Neill taught her parents when they were BYU students, and Weber used to be in their ward years ago, when her parents were living in St. Louis, Missouri.
The coincidences don’t stop there. Davis has been researching CAR T-cell therapy since August 2025. In January, she learned her cousin was diagnosed with B-cell lymphoma—one of the cancers she is actively treating in her research. “I'm working on a project that impacts my family,” Davis says, “with my professors who are interconnected with my family. Obviously, God knew this is where I needed to be.”
This series of events is more than just convenient for Davis. Rather, these happenings have felt heaven-sent. She has felt God’s guidance through the uncertainty of the pandemic, the fear of starting a new path, and the joy of discovering her passion in life. Because of these experiences, Davis testifies that, “The Lord wants us to succeed, but He knows that it's not always going to happen on the first try. We're here to learn and to walk by faith. You have to keep trying and keep moving forward.”
We're here to learn and to walk by faith. You have to keep trying and keep moving forward.
Davis is looking forward with an eye of faith and preparing herself for wherever the Lord takes her in her career. She would love to continue her biomedical research and potentially teach microbiology or immunology. Whether she has three minutes or a lifetime to share what she's learned, Davis knows the Lord will continue to assist her through all her endeavors.