PhD researcher Sichen Meng has won the QUT 2026 Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition with her presentation "More Likes, Fewer Sales: Helping Small Sellers Turn Attention into Purchases", which found more attention did not equal more sales.
Sichen, who is completing her research through a CSIRO Industry PhD Program Scholarship with the QUT School of Advertising, Marketing & PR, has been investigating whether stronger emotional expression by online sellers and influencer marketers helps them sell more products.
"In this digital age, sellers want to embrace technology, but they don't know how to make it work. Many are turning to live streaming, which is already huge in China and growing rapidly in the United States," Sichen said.
"Live streaming gives small sellers something traditional online shopping cannot – direct human connection.
"However, I found emotion can win attention but lose the sale. When sellers become too emotional, we get distracted and pay less attention to the product.
"Likes may feel good, but sales are what keep businesses alive."
Sichen developed an AI model to analyse more than 1300 livestream selling sessions and millions of video frames tracking sellers' facial expressions and emotional changes over time.
She found that for small businesses, farmers, and online sellers using livestream platforms, emotional stability may be more effective for converting viewers into customers.
"The AI approach I have developed could also help us understand the digital relationships in other fields; from how doctors build better relationships with patients through telehealth, to how teachers engage their students more effectively online," she said.
Sichen was one of five QUT PhD researchers who demonstrated the art of bringing complex ideas to life for a broader audience in this year's 3MT competition, with other projects covering areas as wide-ranging as the future of sustainable cities, how hospitals prioritise patients, robotic surgery, and the design of a plant-based diet for chronic kidney disease.
Judging Panel Chair Associate Professor Michelle Riedlinger said the competition challenged higher degree research students to present their research in just three minutes, using only a single slide, to communicate their work to a non-specialist audience.
She and the other judges – Dr Ben Callaghan (R&D Manager, Australian Banana Growers' Council) and Christine Gustafson (Senior Manager, Student Recruitment, QUT) – were impressed with Sichen's enthusiasm, strong presentation and her ability to reveal clear outcomes for improving human connection in the digital world.
"With people less trusting about what they see in the media and on other platforms, it's increasingly crucial researchers have the ability to engage with the general public more about their research and why it's important and should be funded," Dr Riedlinger said.
"The 2026 3MT finalists are all conducting significant research and it was a great test for them to be able to sell that under pressure."
The Runner-Up Award was presented to Jack Powers (School of Mathematical Science) for Who Decides Who Waits? Evolving New Rules to Prioritise Patients. His presentation demonstrated how AI-driven evolutionary algorithms can help hospitals develop fairer and more effective ways to prioritise patients on elective surgery waiting lists.
The People's Choice Award went to Maham Akhlaq (School of Mechanical, Medical and Process Engineering) for Turning Windows into Power: The Future of Sustainable Cities, outlining her research exploring how transparent solar cells can turn ordinary windows into renewable energy generators, helping create more sustainable and energy-efficient cities.
The other two finalists were:
- James Dwyer, (School of Design) - Getting Hands-On: Co-Designing Robots with Surgeons
- Jujube Yuen, (School of Exercise and Nutrition Science) - From Prescription to Partnership: Co-designing a Plant-Based Diet for Chronic Kidney Disease
The QUT 3MT competition, which is supported by Silver Sponsor UniSuper, celebrates the next generation of researchers who are translating knowledge into solutions for real-world challenges.
Main image: 2026 QUT Three Minute Thesis competitors - (left-right) Maham Akhlaq (People's Choice Award), Jack Powers (Runner-Up Award), Sichen Meng (Winner), Jujube Yuen, and James Dwyer. Photo: Tony Phillips.
