S. Chui Sang Lee
PhD student
National University of Ireland, Galway
The first thing I try to establish is “who
am I presenting to?” and “what is the
message I want to get across?” so I can
tailor my slides appropriately. My priority
is to ensure that information is clearly
received by the audience.
CONGRATULATIONS!
Your abstract has been accepted; you’ll now have to put together a presentation for the Annual Conference. To help
you prepare, here’s some advice from the judges and finalists of the 2015 Sir Howard Dalton Young Microbiologist
of the Year competition, which recognises the best early career science communicators in our membership.
THE FINALISTS
Joe Kirk
PhD student
University of Sheffield
I had given a number of talks before
my presentation but was still quite
nervous. I find that the time leading up
to giving a talk is the most stressful as
you tend to overthink things, but when
you actually stand up and start talking
it becomes a lot easier.
How to…
give an oral presentation
ChiKeungLee
JoeKirk
Dr Dave Whitworth
Senior Lecturer in Biochemistry
Aberystwyth University
Young Microbiologist of the Year Head Judge
The plot is paramount. Set the scene clearly, but don’t
dally – the audience wants to know about your part in
the story.
Dr Donna MacCallum
Senior Lecturer in Microbiology
University of Aberdeen
Young Microbiologist of the Year Judge
Remember that you know more about the project or
research than anyone else in the room; no one is trying
to catch you out with their questions, they are merely
interested and want to know more about your work. Make
eye contact, speak clearly and show your enthusiasm!
THE JUDGES TOP TIPS
1	 Slides should be clear, with text kept
to a minimum.
2	 Use slide titles to pose a question or to
provide the key message.
3	 Assume everyone listening is a first
year PhD student rather than a senior
professor.
4	 Find out what is provided on the day and
try to practise in a similar space to the
one you’ll be presenting in.
5	 Practise as much as possible, and try
to anticipate the questions the audience
may have.
To find out more about our presentation requirements, see
www.microbiologysociety.org/conferences
You can find out more about the Society and the benefits of
becoming a member at www.microbiologysociety.org/membership
@MicrobioSoc
MicrobiologySociety
ProfessorFrank
Odds