Graduate students revel in the spotlight at London Health Research Day
More than 380 graduate students presented their research to more than 350 guests and judges at London Health Research Day on March 18. The 2014 event was the largest and most successful to date with nearly 700 people attending lunch, 355 poster presentations, 32 platform presentations and four workshops. Check out the photo gallery from the day.
By the end of the day, 20 students from eight poster presentation categories and four oral platform rooms were recognized for their research and presentations. The award recipients received a cash award.
The event was highlighted by the addition of four panel presentations and workshops featuring industry and academic presenters. The workshops included Bridging the Industry-Academic Gap, Pathways to Commercialization, Career Options Outside Academia, and London Health Research on the Global Stage. Each workshop featured a panel of industry experts offering insight and answering questions on their specific topic.
Bogumil Karas, staff scientist, Synthetic Biology and Bio-energy team, J. Craig Venter Institute, was a member of the panel in the Bridging the Industry-Academic Gap workshop. He believes hands-on experience is key for young trainees preparing themselves for a career in industry. “During both undergraduate and graduate studies, trainees should get as much hands-on experience as possible. Also, most of today’s biotechnology jobs will require analysis of large data sets, so experience in bioinformatics training is key,” Karas said.
Attendees also had the opportunity to hear Dr. Margaret McCarthy, professor and chair, Pharmacology & Experimental Therapeutics, University of Maryland School of Medicine during the Lucille and Norton Wolf Health Research Lecture Series. Dr. McCarthy, a highly regarded scientist widely recognized as a leader in the field of neuroscience, focuses her research on the influence of steroid hormones on the developing brain. She presented her talk entitled, "Surprising Origins of Sex Differences in the Brain", which left the audience captivated.
The day was capped off by a casual wine and cheese award reception where students and trainees once again revelled in the spotlight.
