PDA Professional Development Award Winners-Spring 2024
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American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting, 2024, San Diego, California. |
With support of the PDA Travel Award I attended the 2024 American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting, widely considered to be the most significant cancer research conference in the world. The AACR meeting had an attendance of over 22,000 participants and featured more than 50 major symposia on topics ranging from biology to translational research, drug development and clinical studies. Presenting my own research on Epstein-Barr Virus at the AACR meeting bolstered my visibility as a researcher and disseminated my scientific findings, which are both key aspects of academic success.
I established new connections with researchers at the National Cancer Institute that will propel future collaborative work on cancer-causing pathogens. Likewise, I connected with researchers in technology development to broaden my skills in analytic methodology. I proactively shared my insights from the AACR meeting with my colleagues in a division-wide talk on the most important takeaways from the conference. As a result, we have learned of new, transformative protein analysis techniques presented at the AACR meeting that we are planning to adapt to advance multiple research projects in our division. Bringing this knowledge with me from the AACR meeting highlights how my attendance has already had a synergistic benefit for my department as a whole. Attending the AACR meeting also served as an excellent setting for engaging virology researchers. I met with several virologists and made connections that I will follow up on at the upcoming 2024 American Society for Virology meeting. This continued engagement will be a cornerstone for my next career step as Junior Faculty. In summary, the PDA Travel Award enabled me to advance my professional development and expand my scientific network. I gained valuable knowledge and perspective for my own science and will use these insights to great effect in the near future. |
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Department of Chemistry American Chemical Society’s Spring National Meeting, 2024, New Orleans, LA. Oral Presentation |
I was fortunate to receive the Spring 2024 PDA Travel Award which enables me to attend American Chemical Society’s Spring National Meeting at New Orleans, LA. This meeting was a wonderful opportunity for me to meet my peers, expand my professional network, and listen to the research currently ongoing in chemistry around the world. Most importantly, I gave an oral presentation at the conference that allowed me to disseminate my research to other scientists and potential future employers. This conference also presented me with two instances to engage in professional development activities. Firstly, as a postdoctoral scholar aspiring to establish an independent research program, it is very useful for me to interact with current professors at various universities and get feedback about my ideas. I was able to do this at the conference and get this much required feedback and advice. Furthermore, I was also able to interact with professors working in PUIs and learn about their experience about working and conducting research at a PUI, which is invaluable for me to make future career choices. Secondly, I was invited to chair the session I was presenting in which provided me a unique opportunity to give back to the field. I thoroughly enjoyed interacting with everyone that I met at the conference, and I am thankful to the PDA for enabling this! |
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College of Medicine Translational Research Cancer Centers Consortium (TRCCC) 2024 Annual Meeting hosted by University of Pittsburgh – Hillman Cancer Center.
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Attending the Translational Research Cancer Centers Consortium (TRCCC) 2024 Annual Meeting hosted by University of Pittsburgh – Hillman Cancer Center was an enriching and enlightening journey into the forefront of cancer research and its practical applications. The conference, which drew together a diverse assembly of esteemed cancer researchers, clinicians, and industry leaders, provided a unique platform for the exchange of groundbreaking ideas and collaborative efforts in translational cancer medicine.
The event spanned a spectrum of topics, ranging from molecular insights into cancer biology to cutting-edge advancements in therapeutic interventions. Engaging keynote sessions delivered by thought leaders in the field offered invaluable insights into the latest breakthroughs, shaping the future of cancer treatment. The interdisciplinary nature of the presentations and panel discussions underscored the importance of collaboration between laboratory-based research and clinical application. As a participant, I had the privilege of not only absorbing insights from leading figures in the field but also presenting my own research, receiving constructive feedback, and establishing connections with like-minded professionals. The networking opportunities were invaluable, allowing me to engage in meaningful conversations with peers who shared a common commitment to advancing cancer therapies. Overall, the TRCCC conference not only expanded my knowledge of the current state of cancer research but also provided a unique platform to contribute to the ongoing dialogue shaping the future of translational medicine. The experience was a pivotal moment in my academic and professional journey, leaving an indelible impact on my understanding of the collaborative and innovative spirit driving advancements in the fight against cancer. |
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Annual Meeting of the Biophysical Society 2024 (BPS-2024), Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Oral and Poster Presentation
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My experience at the Annual Meeting of the Biophysical Society 2024 (BPS-2024) was enriching for my postdoctoral training. I had the opportunity to develop an oral presentation of the project titled: Chloride Intracellular Channels (CLICs) regulate spermatogenesis in a Platform: Ion Channels, Pharmacology, and Disease. This was a great chance to share my work with experts in the ion channels and in the fertility field, I discussed and received very critical and punctual comments that allowed me to enrich and polish this work that I am planning to submit this month. Apart from the talk, I had the chance to present a poster of the project: Biophysical Characterization of Chloride Intracellular Channel 6 (CLIC6) that we published in the Intracellular Ion Channels/Singh lab last year, with this activity I could interact with emeritus researchers and scientists that I admire (like Ren) in a relaxed environment, who shared tips in terms of their science career experience and also I could talk with bachelor and PhD students from different Universities and Institutes in the country who shared their energy and fresh vision of the science.
During the BPS-2024 meeting, I attended parallel conferences in the Career Development Center that focused not just on hard science like in official platforms, the idea of those talks was to improve presentation, writing grants, and dissemination skills and guide to choosing postdoc, journals options, and in general activities aimed at acquiring an integral approach to science. In the halls of the Pennsylvania Convention Center (the location of the symposium), I visited suppliers’ exhibitions very useful to develop electrophysiology that makes life easier (like nanion and sutter instrument). So, for me, BPS-2024 it was an awesome and full experience that included not just the academic part, include also the personal part because I could see old friends from Mexico (my original country) that I met during my bachelor’s and PhD training and did new ones. |
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