Announcing the 2025 GRADflix winners
Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs is excited to announce the 2025 GRADflix showcase winners!
GRADflix is a research communication competition inviting graduate students from across campus to create a 60-second video showcasing their research. These videos highlight the students’ ability to combine research and creativity while enhancing their communication and creative skills, expanding their networks, and gaining visibility for their research.
"It was both an immense pleasure and a huge challenge to judge this year’s GRADflix videos. All of the finalists did an excellent job communicating their research and its impact using video, so it was difficult to decide which ones would emerge as the winners! All 20 of the videos are a testament to the important and valuable work our graduate students do here at Waterloo and to their creativity and communication skills," says Angela Rooke, GRADflix judge.
At the GRADflix showcase on February 4, the 20 finalists had their videos premiered to an audience of other graduate students, staff, faculty, friends, family, and community members. Alongside the video premieres, awards were announced for the first, second, third, and fourth-place winners, along with the first-ever Finalist's Choice award, where finalists voted for their favourite video created by a peer.
2025 GRADflix winners
Ananya Muralidharan, Chemical Engineering
First place winner
Ananya's research focuses on the cathode side of lithium-ion batteries and the ways in which we can modify the chemical composition of electrodes to improve battery performance.
GRADflix video: Charged for the Future - The Quest for Longer-Lasting Lithium Ion Batteries
Alessandro Adorante, Kinesiology and Health Sciences
Second place & Finalist's choice winner
Alessandro's research focuses on sensorimotor integration and neuroplasticity and uses electrophysiological markers to study how the auditory system processes sound levels and perceived loudness in everyday contexts.
GRADflix video: HEAR ME OUT
Christopher Pollack, Applied Mathematics
Third place winner
Christopher's research focuses on theoretical physics and solving problems in the field of quantum gravity using symmetry-based approaches.
GRADflix video: Symmetries: The Universal Foundation of Physics
Madi Donohoe, Chemistry
Fourth place winner
Madi's research focuses on advancing low-temperature thermoelectric materials for use in thermoelectric generators.
GRADflix video: Optimizing Low-Temperature Thermoelectric Materials for Enhanced Generator Applications
A heartfelt thank-you to the GRADflix judges for their time and effort in reviewing all video submissions and choosing this year's winners.
- Tania Del Matto, Director, GreenHouse
- Angela Rooke, Manager of Academic Success and Retention, Student Success Office
- Pamela Smyth, Media Relations Manager, University Relations
- Siyavash Izadi, PhD student and 2024 GRADflix winner
All of the 2025 GRADflix finalists' videos can be found on YouTube.