Letter from Dr. Michael Murphy

A message from the Department Head

On behalf of the Department of Microbiology and Immunology welcome to our annual Undergraduate Research Symposium. We welcome students attending UBC and at other institutions to share their research experiences in all aspects of microbiology and immunology. As in past years, the presentations will demonstrate the high-quality science performed by talented students. All students benefit from the practice of communicating their work and appreciating the efforts of their colleagues in science. For some, these early formative research experiences will be early steps to long productive careers in science.

Notably, this symposium is student led and organized. Thank you to the students who contributed to success of this year’s symposium and to the staff and faculty for their guidance and support.  Student engagement in the symposium is evidence of their desire to learn and to communicate their discoveries with each other and the larger scientific community.  I am inspired by the effort to build a community of early career researchers.  I look forward to meeting you and learning about your research projects whether through a course-based research experience or work in a research lab.

Michael Murphy, PhD
Professor and Head
Department of Microbiology & Immunology
University of British Columbia