Check out the winning photos from Concordia's 2024 Science Captured contest

This year, four graduate students received Concordia’s $250 Science Captured Prize.

The competition challenges grad students and postdocs to showcase their research through a vibrant image. This year’s winning entries depict a range of fascinating subjects, from tiny molecules found in batteries to polar bear carcasses,

Matthew Regan is an MA student in biology. His photo (depicted below) shows the carcass of a polar bear shot by a local man outside of Inukjuak, Quebec. The shore in the background was created when the Innavik hydroelectric dam was completed in 2023 and flooded an area of tundra upriver from the dam.  

“Our research examines the impact of the dam's construction on microbial community dynamics, with emphasis on diversity, activity and mercury methylation,” Regan shares. 

Here are the other winning photos for 2024

“Harmony in a Ball Pit: A Molecular Ballet”
By Ameer Nizami
PhD, Chemical Engineering

The image (very top of story) represents a lithium–sulfur battery cathode. To identify the ideal coating material, Ameer Nizami screened different candidates using computational modelling. The lithium sulfide adsorbate molecules, shown in purple and yellow, dance as energy is released and stored during the charging and discharging processes. 

“My theoretical and experimental research focuses on enhancing this interaction, which can lead to improved charging rates and increased battery capacity,” Nizami says. 

“Mosaic Planting, Montreal West”
By Allison Peacock
PhD, Humanities

This image shows the head gardener for Montreal West, Bruce Thicke, planting a lettered mosaic in front of the municipality’s Town Hall. 

“My research highlights the techniques, skills and processes of gardeners in Montreal whose often-overlooked labour is vital for maintaining the presence of plants in the city,” Peacock notes. 

“Order From Chaos”
By Farhan Rahman Chowdhury
PhD, Biology

A bunch of culture tubes very hastily put into a beaker for sterilization somehow found a way to be neatly ordered. Chowdhury is investigating novel strategies to fight against antibiotic resistance.

“Oddly, the tubes give me hope. Maybe, all the pieces of the puzzle that is my research (and life) will also fall into place,” Chowdhury ponders. 

Learn more about Concordia’s School of Graduate Studies.