Ed Egelman, PhD, one of the keynote speakers at the symposium.
The Department of Molecular Physiology and Biological Physics (MPBP) at the University of Virginia School of Medicine hosted its first postdoc symposium on July 19, 2024. The event was a resounding success, bringing together postdoctoral fellows, graduate students, faculty and leading experts to share groundbreaking research and foster collaboration.
This year’s symposium featured a series of insightful presentations and discussions, showcasing the cutting-edge work being conducted by our postdoctoral community. The event provided a platform for fellows to present their research, exchange ideas and receive valuable feedback from their peers and faculty members.
The symposium opened with remarks from Jeff Martens, PhD, the School of Medicine’s senior associate dean for research, and Ahmad Jomaa, PhD, the faculty advisor for MPBP Postdoc Association. Welcome remarks were followed by keynote addresses from three distinguished speakers: Fowzan Alkuraya, MD, professor of human genetics at Alfaisal University and the chairman of the Department of Translational Genomics at King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, Saudi Arabia, who captivated the audience with his talk on the pursuit of a more perfect clinical genome; Michael Funk, senior Editor from Science, who provided valuable insights into publishing in Science; and Ed Egelman, PhD, the Harrison Distinguished Professor from the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics at UVA, who discussed using Cryo-EM to understand the evolution. Their engagement with attendees was particularly inspiring, providing invaluable insights and sparking meaningful conversations.
In addition to the keynote addresses, the symposium included a variety of sessions focused on diverse research areas, including protein quality control, the biophysical mechanism of bacteria polysaccharide synthesis, mRNA alternative splicing, endothelial biology, and regulatory mechanisms of protein synthesis. Poster presentations allowed postdocs to display their work and discuss their findings in a more informal setting, promoting networking and collaboration. Two postdoctoral trainees were awarded with the first Lukas Tamm Postdoctoral Research Award, Luke Dunaway, PhD, from the Isakson lab, and Leo Liangguang, PhD, from the Qi lab.
The closing remarks were delivered by the Department of Molecular Physiology and Biological Physics Chair Ling Qi, PhD, and by the MPBP Postdoc Association president and lead organizer of the symposium, Helen Wang, PhD.
Dr. Wang, who is also a senior fellow in the department, expressed enthusiasm about the event’s success stating, “We are thrilled with the turnout and the high level of engagement from our postdoctoral fellows and faculty. The symposium provided an excellent opportunity for our community to come together, share knowledge, and inspire one another.”
The Department of Molecular Physiology and Biological Physics remains committed to supporting the professional development of its postdoctoral fellows and advancing innovative research. The success of this year’s postdoc symposium underscores the importance of such events in fostering a vibrant and collaborative research environment.
More information about the MPBP postdoctoral programs.
Filed Under: Research