Sharing Science
Wistar’s Trainee Symposium highlights the power of connecting young researchers and showcasing their science
Undergraduate and graduate biomedical research students gathered alongside postdoctoral fellows and research leaders from throughout the Greater Philadelphia Region for The Wistar Institute’s 4th annual Trainee Symposium on February 27.
Organized by The Wistar Institute Trainee Association, the full-day event offered trainees a forum to showcase their science and learn from others during poster sessions and scientific presentations. It also provided opportunities to network with other researchers and organizations to advance their careers.
Symposium co-leader Kelsey Leach said the event is an ideal way for trainees to share their work, make connections with other scientists and organizations, and help facilitate both their studies and their future careers.
“The Trainee Symposium is an important tool for young researchers for two main reasons,” explained Leach. “First, it provides an opportunity for trainees to gain experience presenting their research in a low stress environment. Second, it allows trainees to network and gain feedback from their peers.”
Dr. Katherine Aird, professor in Wistar’s Ellen and Ronald Caplan Cancer Center and a prior Wistar postdoctoral student, offered some advice to the trainees during a special speaking session. She highlighted the value of outside experiences and embracing setbacks as part of the scientific career journey.
“CVs look impressive on the surface, but they’re really designed to highlight the successes and not all of the failure that come with them,” she explained. “They don’t reflect the struggles that you’ve gone through, the blood and sweat and tears that went into those successes. Those experiences have value, even if they’re invisible. Each one builds your resilience and acts as an opportunity to learn.”
Keynote speaker Dr. César de la Fuente, Presidential Associate Professor and leader of the Machine Biology Group at The University of Pennsylvania, showcased his work using machine learning and artificial intelligence to propel biological research forward. His lab uses artificial intelligence to dramatically accelerate discovery in biology and medicine, specifically by designing and identifying new antibiotics from vast biological datasets, including the human body, microbiomes, and even extinct organisms.
The event concluded with a presentation of awards for best posters and best science presentations, followed by a reception.
For Leach, in the end it’s all about providing a forum to forge new connections. “It is infectious to hear other trainees talk passionately about their own research interests,” she said. “There is such an incredible breadth of research being done in the greater Philadelphia area and I love getting to see friendships that begin and the exchange of novel ideas from across different institutions and fields.”