University Challenge contestant’s ‘sphincter preservation’ course subject sends Twitter into a frenzy

Queen Mary in London quickly jumps to the student's defence, urging the public to see the serious side of her research

Kate Lynes (far left) found her subject choice trending on Twitter within minutes of the revelation (BBC)

A University Challenge contestant has given possibly the ‘best introduction ever’ after sending Twitter into a spin this week when she revealed she was studying for an MD in sphincter preservation.

Kate Lynes from Queen Mary University of London had users flooding the social media site within minutes of her admission on the quiz show as they poked fun at the student’s choice of subject, causing #SphincterPreservation to trend.

And the tweets just kept coming:

Her university, though, quickly jumped to her defence, urging the public to ‘stop giggling’ and, instead, see the serious side to the research Ms Lynes is currently undertaking:

One user paved the way for praise as she commended women like Ms Lynes for pursuing niche subjects, while another expressed his thoughts on the future use of the student’s MD :

The student, however, saw the light-hearted side to the whole situation. According to the Evening Standard online, Ms Lynes described in a statement how she was amused by parts of the public’s reaction, but was also overwhelmed and surprised to see there was little knowledge on the topic.

She told the site: “On a positive note, I am glad I took part and that this important subject is getting more coverage.”

This isn’t the first time a University Challenge contestant has made headlines. Last month, history student at King’s College, Cambridge, Kamil Shah sent Twitter users into a frenzy after appearing on the quiz show wearing a leather vest and gold chain.

However, his unusual outfit failed to contribute to the success of his fellow teammates as they lost in a crushing 60 to 195 defeat to rivals Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge