Come join us for a fun night of Trivia co-hosted by UBC PDA, GrasPods and SFU PDA!
When: 6pm on Thursday, June 10
Where: Join from the comfort of your own home
There will be prizes!
Kids/pets/partners/friends are all welcome!
Register here!
Come join us for a fun night of Trivia co-hosted by UBC PDA, GrasPods and SFU PDA!
When: 6pm on Thursday, June 10
Where: Join from the comfort of your own home
There will be prizes!
Kids/pets/partners/friends are all welcome!
Register here!
Postdoc Seminar by Dr. Karolin Heinze on May 26th at 12:00 pm
Join us on Wednesday, May 26th at 12:00pm for a presentation by Dr. Karolin Heinze
Understanding the regulatory landscape across different ovarian cancers
Abstract: Despite modern medical efforts ovarian cancer is still the most lethal malignancy of the female reproductive system. To improve the situation, I want to identify the regulatory landscape in different types of ovarian cancer, determine gene expression in different tumor areas (the tumor itself and adjacent “normal” reactive tissues) and the interactions within the surrounding microenvironment. For new therapy strategies to be effective and life prolonging with minimal side effects, we have to understand what and how these cells were broken before we can try to fix them.
Meet the Speaker: Karolin received her doctoral degree in molecular biomedicine from Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Germany. After spending years in ‘mainstream’ ovarian cancer research, she wanted to focus on rarer, less studied ovarian cancers, where she felt her efforts would be more helpful. Karolin holds a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry and a Master of Science in Molecular Medicine. Her current research focuses on the transcriptional and epigenomic profiles and immune microenvironment of ovarian cancers.
Postdoc Seminar by Dr. Angela Rout on May 6th at 12:00pm
Register here to attend and receive the Zoom link.
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Postdoc Seminar by Dr. Surya Dhulipala on April 13th at 12:00pm
Register here to attend and receive the Zoom link.
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Our first postdoctoral speaker is Dr. Moritz Koch:
Postdoc Seminar by Dr. Moritz Kock on March 22nd at 12:00pm
The new Postdoc Seminar Series is starting soon! Join us on Monday, March 22nd at 12:00pm. Register here to attend and receive the Zoom link.
Dr. Moritz Koch will be presenting his work on:
How plastic-bacteria can fight climate change
Abstract: Climate change and the pollution of our oceans are two of today’s biggest environmental threats. To overcome both, we have developed microalgae for the production of sustainable bioplastics. Using metabolic engineering techniques, we were able to drastically increase the amount of bioplastic which is produced by the organisms. Our studies might help us to transform our industries completely – away from fossil fuels, towards renewable resources.
Meet the Speaker: Moritz is a postdoctoral fellow from Germany working in the Department of Microbiology & Immunology. He did his PhD at the University of Tübingen, Germany, and KTH Stockholm, Sweden. In 2020 he received an award for the best PhD thesis in Microbiology. His topics of interest are sustainability (in general), bioeconomy, biotechnology and (bio)ethics.
Join us for his seminar and learn more about Moritz and his research!!
Monday, March 22nd at 12:00pm online. Register to attend and receive the Zoom link: bit.ly/PostdocSeminar
We are excited to announce the call for nominations for candidates to be part of the UBC Postdoctoral Association’s 2021-2022 Executive Team! Do you want to join the PDA either as an elected officer or executive member? Our Annual General Meeting is on March 10th at 5pm.
Please register here and we will send you the zoom link closer to the date!
At our Annual General Meeting, we will be looking at the year 2020-2021 in review and the PDA will talk about its operations in this truly challenging pandemic year. There will be the opportunity for attendees to learn more about the PDA and to network with other postdocs. Most importantly, the Elections for the PDA Officer Positions will be held at the AGM.
Indicate your intent to run by Sunday March 7th!
The PDA is run by Elected Volunteer Officers (the President and 6 Vice-Presidents). All 7 positions will be elected for the 2021-2022 year at our Annual General Meeting, held virtually on Wednesday, March 10th at 5 pm. A list of open positions and a description of their roles can be found below.
To indicate your interest in running for an officer position, please first fill out the registration form (to receive the zoom link). Then download a copy of the nomination form, which can be found here, and e-mail us (ubc.postdoc@gmail.com) your nomination form, as well as a recent headshot and a short (100-200 word) statement of why you are interested in running for the position and what your goals for that position are. Please finish your registration and send in all your documents by March 7th. (For technical reasons, please download a copy of the registration form and e-mail it to us rather than filling it out immediately after opening).
Don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions. The description of the different officer roles can be found below.
All UBC postdocs and research associates are encouraged to attend the AGM on March 10th for the elections.
Do you want to join the PDA, but you are not committed to becoming an elected officer? No problem! We are always looking for new members for our executive team to help us organize our events and bring in new ideas! Just get in touch with us via e-mail.
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All Officer positions are open for election. Interested PDA members are also welcome to join the PDA executive as non-elected Committee Members at this (or any other) time. See below for more info on the available positions:
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The UBC PDA President shall:
Act as the public face of the PDA to:
Be responsible for meetings of the PDA Executive members to:
Be responsible for the execution of decisions by the PDA Executives
Lead the Annual General Meeting and PDA Elections
Work together with the VP-Communications to:
Work together with the VP-External to:
Work together with the VP-Social to create a calendar of social events and ensure a broad outreach.
Work together with the VP-Operations to:
Work together with the VP-Finance to:
Work together with the VP-External and all elected and non-elected PDA executive members to ensure that the PDA’s advocacy agenda is driven forward and communicated to the appropriate representatives of the UBC administration. The advocacy/ outreach includes (but is not limited to) an Equity, Diversity & Inclusion agenda, as well as a discussion about working conditions for postdocs and concerns that postdocs face
**President and/or VP-External may have the opportunity to attend the annual CAPA/CAPS Meeting or the CSPC meeting. Currently, the President is the postdoctoral representative on a UBC wide EDI committee that is running till 2022.
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The UBC PDA VP-Operations shall:
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The UBC PDA VP-External shall:
**President and/or VP-External may have the opportunity to attend the annual CAPA/CAPS Meeting or the CSPC meeting.
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The UBC PDA VP-Communications shall:
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The UBC PDA VP-Social shall:
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The UBC PDA VP-Finance shall:
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The UBC PDA VP-Equity, Diversity and Inclusion shall:
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All elected officers are expected to attend the majority of monthly PDA executive meetings, as well as a monthly meeting with the Postdoctoral Fellows Office (PDFO) to report about the PDA’s operations and discuss issues relevant to the PDA and postdoc community at UBC. Also, elected officers are expected to help organize the PDA’s events (3-Minute Postdoc Slam, Postdoctoral Research Day, seminars in general).
Be sure to submit your intend to run by Sunday, March 7th. Don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any questions!
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Executive Committee Members:
These are volunteer, non-elected positions which are open to all postdocs and Research Associates affiliated with UBC. The Executive committee members assist in the planning, organization and execution of various PDA events and help the PDA advocate on behalf of postdocs at UBC, and may also aid in aspects of the PDFO orientation as needed. They serve as valued helpers and members of the team. We are always looking for new non-elected executive members and would be happy to welcome you to our team. Do you want to join the executive team? Just write us an e-mail!
Join us for a fun virtual paint-along with Bob Ross! Show, or discover, your painting skills and connect with other postdocs! There will also be a bingo with awesome prizes!!
When – Thursday, February 4 at 6:30 pm
Where – At home, via zoom
Don’t have any paint supplies? Don’t worry, we will provide them! Please indicate below if you like to pick them up at the available locations or prefer delivery (for delivery, please provide an address). If you live outside the lower mainland and need paint supplies, please get in touch with us at ubc.postdoc@gmail.com before registering.
Partner, kids, roommates, pets… are all welcome! Please let us know how many people are participating, so we can deliver paint supplies for everyone. We will provide a smaller canvas for younger children.
We will e-mail a zoom link to all participants who have successfully signed up closer to the date. Register fast as spots are limited!
We know the holidays may look differently this year and many of us may not be travelling to visit loved ones. With this in mind, we have organized several socials throughout the holiday season to help keep the postdoctoral community together during this time. Join us for Winter Trivia Night on December 17th, a Virtual Holiday Happy Hour for cocktails and cookies on December 23rd and Virtual Holiday Board Games on December 25th.
Winter Trivia
Join us for our SFU/UBC PDA Winter Trivia Night on Zoom.
When: 6pm on Thursday, Dec 17
Where: Join from the comfort of your own home
“Bring” you own snacks/drinks and we will provide an entertaining Winter-themed Trivia night to get you into the holiday spirit! We will try to make teams with diverse backgrounds for a fun, social night.
There will be prizes for the winning team and runner-up!
This is an inclusive event, so friends/roommates/partners/pets/kids/… are welcome!
Cocktail and Cookie Holiday Happy Hour
Join us for our UBC/SFU PDA Cocktail and Cookie Holiday Happy Hour and get into the holiday spirit!
When: Wednesday Dec 23, 6-9 pm
Where: At home, via zoom
Let’s cozy up with some nice, warm drinks and sweets, and get together virtually this holiday season – in which we all could use some joy!
We will send a link with recipes for drinks (non alcoholic and alcoholic options) and cookies in advance of the event for whomever likes to get busy in the kitchen, either before or during the happy hour(s)!
This is an inclusive event, so feel free to bring your festive friends, partners and pets!
Holiday Board Games
Let’s get together virtually for online board games! Not able to go home for the holidays or celebrate with friends? Join us for fun virtual games and make some new friends!
When: Friday Dec 25, 1:30-3:30pm
Where: At home, via zoom
This is an inclusive event, everyone is welcome!
Virtual Postdoc Research Day on Monday, January 18th, 2021
We are excited to announce that our biggest event of the year is coming up! Please join us for Postdoc Research Day, an all-day event featuring:
When: Monday, January 18th, 2021 at 9:30am – 6:00pm
Where: online via Zoom (those that register will receive the Zoom meeting link and information prior to the event)
This is a free event! Register Here!
Research Talks
Everyone is welcome! Join us for an exciting interdisciplinary event hearing about the amazing work by postdocs across the UBC Vancouver and Okanagan campuses.
Registration is necessary to attend and present. Click here to register!
Keynote Lecture
We are excited to introduce Dr. Connie and Allen Eaves as our Keynote Speakers. They will be sharing their career paths and experiences in academia and industry, respectively.
Connie Eaves
Dr. Connie Eaves, PhD FRS(C) Corresp FRS(Edinburgh), is a Professor of Medical Genetics at UBC and Distinguished Scientist at the BC Cancer Research Institute. Her research over several decades, with more than 500 published papers, has advanced our understanding of stem cell biology and cancer development in blood and mammary cells, with important implications for improving cancer treatment. She has received numerous national and international awards and honours, not only for her scientific contributions but also for her role as a national leader, dedicated mentor and valued collaborator in the pursuit of new understanding of cell regulation that will stand the test of time and enable the more effective diagnosis and management of human disease.
Allen Eaves
Dr. Allen Eaves, OBC MD PhD FRCPC, was the founding Director of the Terry Fox Laboratory and Head of Clinical Hematology at UBC. Professor Emeritus of Hematology since 2006, he has devoted himself to building STEMCELL Technologies Inc, which he founded in 1993 to provide standardized reagents for stem cell, regenerative medicine and cancer research. Always profitable, and with 97% of its sales outside of Canada, STEMCELL is Canada’s largest biotech company with ~1500 employees and a global network of sales offices and distribution centres. Dr. Eaves is passionate about creating rewarding employment for those who love science.
Career Panels
This year, we will have two concurrent career panels. One will be focused on the academic job search while the other panel will be centered on non-academic careers. Come with any questions you have and hear from several panelists in these fields as they discuss their experience transitioning from a Postdoc, the application process, and more!
Academic Panel:
Non-Academic Panel:
Brief Message from Dr. Gail C. Murphy and Dr. Peter Simpson
Don’t miss Dr. Gail Murphy, Vice-President Research & Innovation, and Dr. Peter Simpson, Dean of the College of Graduate Studies (Okanagan) as they join us during Research Day to share a brief statement about the UBC postdoc community.
Postdoc Town Hall
The UBC PDA wants to hear from you! As the independent organization working to represent all UBC postdoctoral fellows and advocate on their behalf, the PDA would love to hear about your experience as a postdoc. We especially would like to hear about how the pandemic has affected you. We will be sharing the results of our COVID-19 Research Curtailment Survey that was launched this summer and the ways we are working to address the concerns you voiced in that survey. We would also love to hear about other experiences you have as a postdoc: How are you liking our virtual or physically-distanced socials? Are you satisfied with your professional development opportunities? How about that extended benefits package? Come chat with the PDA exec team and help us prepare an advocacy agenda that represents you!
A Note on the Virtual Format
Each year, the Postdoc Research Day is not only a professional development opportunity, it is also a great venue for networking, meeting and socializing with other postdocs. While it will be virtual this year, we are still striving to provide an enriching and comfortable environment for postdocs to make connections. We will be having virtual “coffee breaks” and an online social hour after the event.
We look forward to joining you at this year’s Postdoc Research Day!
As the weather gets colder and the days get shorter, it can be difficult to prioritize our health and wellness. That’s why we are teaming up with the SFU PDA to bring you a series of virtual workouts and wellness sessions.
What does it mean to have resilience? How do you cope with challenging times? Join us for a workshop on Mental Health & Wellbeing for Postdocs, focusing on:
– Encouraging dialogue on postdoctoral mental health
– Looking at the definition of resilience
– Sharing strategies and resources for building resilience
This workshop will be facilitated by Crystal Hutchinson (Workplace Wellbeing Strategist with UBC Human Resources) and Dr. Karen Ross (Graduate & Postdoctoral Wellbeing Support Coordinator, UBC Faculty of Medicine).
Tuesday November 24 from 11am-12pmOnline via Zoom: those that register will receive the Zoom link prior to the workshop.
Please register in advance: register here!
Join us for two upcoming Mindfulness & Meditation sessions. Guided by a mediation and mindfulness coach, these will focus on attention and breath work.
Thursday, November 12 at 6-7pm
Thursday, November 26 at 12:30-1:30pm
Please register in advance: register here!
These weekly sessions will focus on neck, shoulder and back health to help overcome the postural and mobility issues that we may be facing due to sitting at a desk for longer periods of time during the pandemic. So join us on Zoom for some workouts targeting postural health, lead by a Pilates and Yoga instructor. All fitness levels welcome!
There is no need to register in advance. Below is the meeting information:
Tuesday, November 3th at 6-7pm
Tuesday, November 10th at 12:30-1:30pm
Tuesday, November 17th at 6-7pm
Tuesday, November 24th at 12:30-1:30pm
Zoom meeting link (will be the same for each week):
https://sfu.zoom.us/j/87886300705?pwd=c2M5Mm1iTGRaOW1HYjNXV2FNTFB0Zz09
Meeting ID: 878 8630 0705
Password: wellness
We hope to see you at these great health and wellness events!