Outreach
MT180, science and academic communication alongside my PhD.
MT180 — Ma thèse en 180 secondes
In 2026 I took part in MT180 (Ma thèse en 180 secondes), the French edition of the international “three-minute thesis” competition, presenting my PhD research to a general, non-specialist audience. I made it all the way from the local round at IP Paris to the Île-de-France regional final, and then to the national final in France.
Local final — IP Paris
My presentation starts at minute 37.
🏆 Jury's 1st Prize 🏆 Audience Award
Regional final — Île-de-France
🏆 Audience Award
National final
Press
I was interviewed for École Polytechnique’s news site about my PhD research and my run in MT180. The article, “Margherita Castellano, des bulles et des maths”, covers how surfactant molecules — like the ones in soap — affect surface tension and let bubbles form and stay stable, and how I study these fluid interactions through mathematical models based on differential equations (the same Cahn-Hilliard-Navier-Stokes system I work on for my research).
Further coverage of the competition:
- “Les doctorantes de l’X brillent au concours MT180”, École Polytechnique
- “Margherita Castellano représentera IP Paris lors de la finale nationale du concours MT180”, IP Paris
- “MT180 2026 : le jury et le public ont désigné les gagnants de la finale IP Paris”, IP Paris
Academic communication
PhD seminar organization
I co-organize the PhD seminar series at CMAP, École Polytechnique, coordinating speakers and giving PhD students across the lab a regular venue to present their work to one another.
Conference participation
I regularly present my work at national and international conferences — see the talks page for the full list of presentations, posters, and conferences attended.
International Scientific Advisory Board (ISAB)
I was invited to represent École Polytechnique's PhD students and pitch my research to the members of IP Paris's International Scientific Advisory Board during their visit to Palaiseau. Read more about the ISAB meeting.