More than 130 LIMS, ONJCRI and La Trobe University staff and students gathered for the LIMS Fellows post-doctoral annual event. Excitement and anticipation filled the air. Unsurprising given it was their first in-person symposium since 2019.
Or perhaps part of the excitement was due to the first guest speaker, Professor Peter Doherty. It’s not every day a Nobel Laureate recipient and Australian of the Year leads off an event.
Since COVID-19 struck, Professor Doherty’s voice of reason and logic has travelled well beyond the science community, into politics, the media and even our homes. At the LIMS Fellows Symposium Professor Doherty spoke about immunology and his award winning work, inspiring all present – HDR students, ECRs and academic staff – to “love your research”.
And “love your research” they clearly do. Attendees at the Symposium were treated to passionate and eloquent presentations from HDR (Higher Degree by Research) students and Early Career Researcher (ECRs). From T Cells to microscopy, and extracellular vesicles to cancer cachexia, the audience remained engaged, firing insightful questions to each presenter.
Attendees were also gifted words of wisdom on the subject of mentoring, reminding us that ‘everyone’s experience is unique’, from guest speaker Associate Professor Joanna Groom at WEHI. (Read her article on Mentoring, in Nature Immunology.)
The program concluded with presentations from four groups of regional undergraduate students who had spent the week under the supervision of Dr Donna Whelan (LIMS / Holsworth Biomedical Research Initiative) at La Trobe Bendigo, working on novel research projects with LIMS ECRs and HDR students.
Outside the day ended as it began, cold and wet. But inside, the minds of the LIMS Fellows and their audience were abuzz with fresh ideas and collegial warmth.
Congratulations to prize winners on the day
Best talk: Michael Harris
Best Flask Talks: Jay Laws, Guneet Bindra
Best Posters: Marzan Akbar, Christopher Reimann
People’s Choice:
Talk: Lucas Newton
Flask Talk: Zoe Day
Poster: Jacinta Agius
Special thanks to the LIMS Fellows organising committee
Eduard Willms
Ebony Monson
Jay Laws
Jacinta Agius
Emma Grant
Ashleigh Poh
Jascinta Santavanond
Pamali Fonseka
Full program
2022 LIMS Fellows Symposium Program
