Professional Development

Postdoc Seminar by Dr. Marcus Johns on June 18th

Events, Professional Development, Seminar Series

Postdoc Seminar by Dr. Marcus Johns on June 18th at 12:00 pm

Join us on Friday June 18th at 12:00pm for a presentation by Dr. Marcus Johns

Applying cluster-triggered fluorescent emission to bio-based nanomaterials analysis

Abstract: Cellulose nanomaterials are ideally suited for the development of advanced functional materials due to their biodegradability, biocompatibility, and excellent tensile properties. However, their nanoscale dimensions make them challenging to track, especially in dynamic situations. Fluorescent dyes can overcome this but surface modification may inherently change the particle interaction with its environment. My research looks at how a recently discovered phenomenon – cluster triggered fluorescent emission – can be used to not only track these nanoparticles but also probe their physicochemical interactions. This opens new opportunities in bio-based materials analysis.

Meet the Speaker: Marcus received his PhD, which focused on the production of cellulose-based scaffolds for tissue engineering, from the University of Bath, UK. His first postdoc at the University of Bristol, UK, was spent researching cellulosic nanomaterials (CNMs), where he started to develop his research into fluorescence. He is now a Mitacs Accelerate Research Fellow in the Department of Wood Science investigating the interaction of small molecules with CNMs in collaboration with BC Research. All of his usual hobbies (acting, climbing) have been curtailed by the pandemic so he has been spending more time Geocaching and cycling.

Join us for her seminar and learn more about Marcus and his research!!

Friday, June 18th at 12:00pm online. Register to attend and receive the Zoom link.

Postdoc Seminar by Dr. Karolin Heinze on May 26th

Events, Professional Development, Seminar Series

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.

Join us for her seminar and learn more about Karolin and her research!!

Wednesday, May 26th at 12:00pm online. Register to attend and receive the Zoom link.

Postdoc Seminar by Dr. Angela Rout on May 6th

Events, Professional Development, Seminar Series

Postdoc Seminar by Dr. Angela Rout on May 6th at 12:00pm

Register here to attend and receive the Zoom link.

Join us on Thursday, May 6th at 12:00pm for a presentation by Dr. Angela Rout:

Smartphones and sensors: designing better cities for people and trees
Abstract: Smartphone and sensor data can support urban design by providing decision makers with information about how people use public spaces. In my doctoral research I explored three ways that researchers can use spatio-temporal data from smartphones to inform design decisions  (public engagement, data modeling and visualizations). In my current postdoctoral work I am combining mobile data and data from sensors to help cities design urban communities that benefit from urban forests.
Meet the Speaker: Angela completed her interdisciplinary doctoral research at the University of Calgary in a program that combines computer science with urban design. Her Master’s degree is in Architecture and she enjoyed working as an architectural designer as well as a public engagement consultant before returning to academia. Angela’s bachelor’s degree is in Fine Arts from UBC. She currently lives in Calgary with her family and is looking forward to living in Vancouver before summer!
Join us for her seminar and learn more about Angela and her research!!

Thursday, May 6th at 12:00pm online. Register to attend and receive the Zoom link.

 

Postdoc Seminar by Dr. Surya Dhulipala on April 13th

Events, Professional Development, Seminar Series

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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.

Join us on Tuesday, April 13th at 12:00pm for a presentation by Dr. Surya Dhulipala:

Advancing an Intelligent Transportation Data Platform and Environmental Sensing to Promote Sustainable Cities
Abstract: What if Google Maps could inform you about your air pollution exposure in real-time? Would you choose the least polluted route instead of shortest time to destination? In this presentation, a framework will be presented to realize this scenario using real-time measurements conducted on UBC Vancouver campus. Air quality and transportation data sets will be combined using 5G network and edge computing to provide personalized information about air pollution exposure.

Meet the Speaker: Surya is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the Department of Mechanical Engineering. His PhD thesis was focused on measuring Particulate Matter (PM) formation from volatile chemical products including combustion sources (vehicular exhaust) and non-combustion sources (ingredients of industrial solvents and coatings). Prior to joining UBC, Surya worked as an Air Quality Scientist at Omniscent, a startup based in San Jose, California. He was part of the team that developed a low-cost micro gas chromatograph, capable of detecting benzene, toluene and xylene (BTX) at sub ppb levels. His current project is focused on creating an integrated air pollution sensor network with 5G capabilities at traffic-intersections on UBC campus. In his spare time, Surya loves cooking, hiking, doing CrossFit workouts and playing guitar.
Join us for his seminar and learn more about Surya and his research!!

Tuesday, April 13th at 12:00pm online. Register to attend and receive the Zoom link.

 

NEW! Postdoctoral Seminar Series starts March 22nd

Events, Professional Development, Seminar Series

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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

Announcing the Postdoctoral Fellows Research Day 2021

Events, Professional Development, Research Day

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:

  • Research talks by UBC Vancouver and Okanagan Postdocs across diverse disciplines
  • Two amazing Keynote Speakers: Dr. Connie Eaves (UBC Professor, Medical Genetics) and Dr. Allen Eaves (CEO, STEMCELL Technologies) talking about their experiences in academic and industry career paths.
  • Two Career Panels, with one focusing on the academic job search and the other centering on non-academic careers.
  • Brief message from Dr. Gail C. Murphy, Vice-President Research & Innovation, and Dr. Peter Simpson, Dean of the College of Graduate Studies (Okanagan)
  • Postdoc Town Hall, where the PDA would love to hear about your experience as a postdoc, especially how the pandemic has affected you. We will also be sharing the results of our COVID-19 Research Curtailment Survey and how we are working to advocate for you.

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!

Click here to register!

 

3 Minute Postdoc Slam

3MPS, Professional Development, Seminars

The PDA proudly presents 3 Minute Postdoc Slam 2020

The Postdoc Slam Event is going virtual this year! Tune in on July 22 to compete in or attend our annual slam competition and for two great keynote speakers discussing science communication.

Everyone is welcome to attend! (Postdoc Slam Competition is only open to postdocs). Registration is required to attend the event.

When? July 22, 2020 from 2:00pm – 4:30pm

Where? Online via Zoom (participants will receive a Zoom link after registration)

Register here!

If you would like to participate in the Postdoc Slam Competition, presenter registration Deadline is July 8th

Alan Shapiro is a water, sustainability, and science communication professional passionate about applying science communication tools to environmental issues. Alan splits his time between teaching at BCIT and SFU and consulting for non-profits and companies on water and sustainability challenges. He is also co-founder and chair of science outreach non-profit Science Slam Canada. Find him on Twitter at @watercomm.

Dr. Sinéad Aherne is currently a Project Manager at Canada’s Michael Smith Genome Sciences Centre (GSC) at BC Cancer where she has worked since 2017.  Dr. Aherne has a PhD in Molecular Medicine, PMP certification, and 14 years experience conducting & managing clinical and basic science research.  At the GSC she works with Principle Investigators to provide research project management support for large-scale epigenomics projects with a particular focus on financial management, stakeholder management, and knowledge translation. Prior to her role at the GSC, Dr Aherne worked as Science Festival Coordinator for Taste of Science Tampa.  In this position she led a team of seven volunteers to produce Tampa’s largest science festival showcasing 27 speakers across 10 venues.  She has MC’ed events, given TV, radio, & newspaper interviews, and spoken to the general public about her cancer research at the 2016 festival.  She was also a speaker at the March for Science in St. Petersburg, Florida (~ 7,000 people, 2017).

Register Here!

 

Webinar: Professional Development and Career Planning – Getting You Back in the Driver’s Seat

Events, Jobs and Funding, Professional Development, Seminars, Socials, Uncategorized

This is a joint event by us and the SFU PDA.

When? Feb 25, 11:30 am – 1 pm

Where? This webinar will be broadcast at

MSL (Michael Smith Laboratories) Room 237
(https://tinyurl.com/MSLRoom237)

Register now to secure your spot!

Light snacks will be provided!

Topics of the webinar include

  • Developing self awareness (Skills and personality assessment)
  • Personal branding
  • Getting out there (Online presence, networking)

The webinar is facilitated by Justine Salam. Justine is a Professional Skills Program Specialist at the University of Waterloo where she guides graduate students to assess their skills, identify their talents and interests, and succeed in their post-graduate work transition, both in academic and non-academic careers. She also coaches students one-on-one to better their resumes, CVs, cover letters and enhance their interview skills.

Justine Salam

 

Career Networking Night – March 10th

Events, Jobs and Funding, Professional Development, Seminars, Socials

Join us for our Career Networking Night

This is a joint event by us and the SFU PDA.

Date: 10th March 2020, 5pm-7:30pm 
SFU Segal Building, 500 Granville Street, Vancouver

This is an excellent opportunity to connect with a variety of companies and employers in an informal setting. Discover the opportunities available outside academia, and what employers are looking for!

Register now!

The event will be held in the Segal Building (SFU downtown) from 5:30-7:30 pm (brief highlight presentations from our sponsors start at 5:30 pm), with light refreshments and a cash bar.

Of Note: As this is a networking & informal interview setting, we STRONGLY recommend business casual dress.

Representatives will be joining us from:
– Zymeworks
– New England Biosciences
– Amgen
– Mitacs
– 1QBit
– Fortinet
– The Government of Canada
– ABM
– Oceanwise
– 1QBit
– Aspect Biosystems
– Fortinet
– Genome BC
– SCWIST
– Special Projects and Strategic Initiative UBC
– Willow Biosciences
– more to be announced!

This event is free for all postdocs!

We will release more event details and will update this blog post closer to the date.

Hurry and register now! There are only a limited amount of spots available!

Don’t hesitate to contact us if you have questions!

 

 

We are thankful for the support by our sponsors and exhibitors:

 

Zymeworks

 

New England Biolabs


 

 

Amgen

Postdoc Research Day 2019

Events, Professional Development, Research Day, Seminars, Socials, Uncategorized

Postdoc Research Day on Monday, December 2nd

sponsored by STEMCELL Technologies

Our biggest event of the year is coming up! Postdoc Research Day is a full day of interdisciplinary talks by postdocs at UBC in a fantastic venue at a large capacity.

Register here: https://bit.ly/2MXleOJ

Everyone is welcome to attend, but only UBC affiliated postdocs can present.

Abstract submission has closed now, but we are still accepting registrations until Nov 30 at noon!

Find the abstract book here: https://bit.ly/35JGb6e

Where? Pharmaceutical Sciences Building, UBC Campus

When? Monday, December 2nd

Research Day: 9 am – 5.30 pm

Evening reception from 5:30 pm onwards (networking + dinner)

This year’s speaker line-up is showcasing the diversity of research by postdocs at UBC!

08:30 – 09:00 Registration (Atrium)

09:00-09:15 Welcome & Introduction, Dr. Daniel Anstett, President UBC PDA  (Lecture Theatre)

09:15 – 10:30 Research Session 1 (Lecture Theatre)

Full talks: 

09:15-09:30 Dr. Victoria Hemming, Forestry
Who to trust? How to derive improved quantitative judgements from experts for models and decisions

09:30-09:45 Dr. Rohan Abraham, BC Cancer Research Centre
Machine Learning CADx process for classification of sub-cm Lung nodules in the PanCan study

09:45-10:00 Dr. Jesse Chao, Cell & Physiological Sciences
A premalignant cell-based model for functionalization and classification of PTEN variants

Lightning Talks:

10:00-10:05 Dr. Marita Rodriguez, Engineering
3D Bioprinted human cardiac tissues for toxicity screening applications

10:05-10:10 Dr. Doris Chow, Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences
Eyes as a window to global motion perception: A validation of an oculomotor tracking task to assess motion sensitivity in depth

10:10-10:15 Dr. Angelica Araujo de Melo Maia, Education
What does it take to be (come) an inclusive teacher?

10:15-10:20 Dr. Kiran Pawar, Department of Medicine, ICORD
Non-invasive chronic spinal stimulation as multi-session therapy to improve cardiovascular function after spinal cord injury

10:20-10:25 Dr. Dustin Heeney, Food Science
The green wave of medicine: Exploring the anti-inflammatory potential of Canadian hemp to treat irritable bowel disease

10:30-11:00 Coffee Break (Atrium)

11:00-12:15 Research Session 2 (Lecture Theatre)

Full talks:

11:00-11:15 Dr. Antonin Machac, Biodiversity
Diversity dynamics across scales

11:15-11:30 Dr. Omid Haji-Ghassemi, Biochemistry
Modification of heart channel proteins via stress signalling

11:30-11:45 Dr. Peifan Wu, Vancouver School of Economics
Firm demographics and the Great Recession

Lightning talks:

11:45-11:50 Dr. Chelsea Little, Zoology
Animals link ecosystems through resource movement

11:50-11:55 Dr. Christina Gray, Architecture
Architectural clients in the era of consumer empowerment

11:55-12:00 Dr. Sarah Grasedieck, Michael Smith Laboratories
Vitamin C-induced epigenomic remodelling as a preventive therapy for leukemic transformation

12:00-12:05 Dr. Lisanne de Vries, Wood Science
Plants are alternative for fossil fuels

12:05-12:10 Dr. Jon Breen, Occupational Science & Therapy
Measuring workplace attitude towards disabled employees

12:15-13:30 Lunch (Atrium)

12:45-13:30 Townhall (Lecture Theatre)

13:30-14:15 Research Session 3 (Lecture Theatre)

13:30-13:45 Dr. Elvin Ong, Public policy & Global affairs
Is it worth it? Building opposition alliances in electoral autocracies

13:45-14:00 Dr. Rohan Khadilkar, Cell & Physiological Sciences
Stem cell-niche interactions regulate signalling micro environment and innate immune response in Drosophila

14:00-14:15 Dr. Emanuel Serban, Engineering
New solar power conservation architecture for renewable energy systems

14:15-14:30 Short break

14:30-15:30 Keynote Lecture by Dr. Josef Penninger, From haploid stem cells to blood vessel engineering (Lecture Theatre)

15:30-16:00 Coffee Break (Atrium)

16:00-17:15 Postdoc Careers Panel Discussion (Lecture Theatre)

17:15-17:30 Prizes & Wrap-up (Lecture Theatre), Dr. Daniel Anstett, President UBC PDA

17:30 onwards Evening Reception Drinks & light supper

 

In addition to the interdisciplinary talks by postdocs, there will be a keynote lecture by Dr. Josef Penninger about his research “From Haploid stem cells to blood vessel engineering” and about experience in academia and industry and his path to becoming the director of the Life Sciences Institute at UBC.

Josef Martin Penninger, born in Gurten, Austria, is an Austrian geneticist and the Canada 150 Research Chair in Functional Genetics. Dr. Penninger is currently the Director of the Life Sciences Institute (LSI) at the University of British Columbia. He studied medicine at the University of Innsbruck in Austria. From 1990 to 1994 he worked as post-doctoral fellow at the Ontario Cancer Institute, thereafter until 2002 at the Department of Immunology and Medical Biophysics at the University of Toronto. As Principal Investigator of Amgen, his independent lab contributed to the development of the antibody Denosumab for bone loss and also found the first connection for RANKL to mammary gland development in pregnancy and breast cancer. In 2002, he moved to Vienna, Austria to start and develop the Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, which is now the largest and most successful institute of the Academy based on high impact publications and the number of European Research Council grants received. 

Dr. Penninger envisions to recreate this environment at the LSI to nurture and train the best and brightest young minds of UBC scholars. His major accomplishments include pioneering insights into the molecular basis of osteoporosis, breast cancer and metastasis, and he has published extensively in several multidisciplinary scientific journals, with over 60 publications in Cell, Nature, and Science. He has received numerous awards including the Wittgenstein Prize of the Austrian Federal Government. the Descartes Prize for Research, the Ernst Jung Prize for Medical Excellence, the Innovator Award of the US Department of Defense, and most recently the Austrian Cross of Honor for Science and Art First Class. 

During lunch, we will hold our first ever Postdoc Townhall Meeting

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 life postdoc-ing! Should we have more coffee parties or pub crawls? 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!

An industry focused career panel in the afternoon will feature representatives from local companies that are employing PhDs (to be announced). This year’s line-up for the career panel includes:

Dr. Theresa Grieco, STEMCELL technologies 

Dr. Ellen Schelew, Lumerical Inc.

Dr. Conny Lin, College of Pharmacists BC

Dr. Friderike Moon, Science World

Dr. Stefanie Vogt, AbCellera

Dr. Sherry Wang, Genome Sciences Centre

 

We are looking forward to seeing you at Postdoc Research Day 2019!

Registration: https://bit.ly/2MXleOJ