OETIS Chronicle
In this issue: ‣ Feature on Fishman Fund Awardees ‣ Recent Trainee Accomplishments ‣ GSBS Dean Guy Salvesen honored by Polish Chemical Society ‣ Upcoming Events & More!
Feature Story: Impacting career development for SBP Postdocs through the Fishman Fund Awards By Nisha Cavanaugh, Ph.D. (Manager, Postdoctoral & Academic Programs) Inaugural Fishman Fund Fellow
Joana Borlido, PhD (SBP Postdoc)
Fishman Fund Career Development Awardees
Petrus De Jong, PhD (former SBP Postdoc; currently Research Assistant Professor)
Soda Diop, PhD (former SBP Postdoc; currently Staff Scientist)
Bernhard Lechtenberg, PhD (SBP Postdoc)
Roberto Tinoco, PhD (former SBP Postdoc; currently Research Assistant Professor)
In Spring 2018, current SBP postdocs will have the opportunity to apply for internal funding opportunities to further their career and research goals. The Fishman Fund Career Development Award and Fishman Fund Fellowship both provide financial support for SBP postdocs who demonstrate and articulate their career ambitions and how the funds and the SBP training environment will support them in reaching those goals. The Fishman Fund Career Development Award provides a $10,000 career development allowance to up to three postdocs per year, and every other year the Fishman Fund Fellowship provides one postdoc with a generous salary for two years as well as a $3,000 career development allowance. In this article, several Fishman Fund awardees share their experiences utilizing the funds towards reaching their research and career goals, and reflect on how it has impacted their overall professional development. (story cont. on p. 2) To learn more about the Fishman Fund Awards, check out these resources: Fellowship: http://intranet/academicsupport/otas/fishmanfund/Pages/Fishman-Fund-Fellowship.aspx Career Development Award: http://intranet/academicsupport/otas/fishmanfund/Pages/FishmanApplicationInformation.aspx Fishman Fund Awardees: https://www.sbpdiscovery.org/support-us/projects/fishman-fund
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How has the Career Development Award contributed to you reaching your career and professional development goals? Joana (fellowship): The Fishman Fund Fellowship has allowed me the opportunity to work on a project that I would otherwise not have been able to. Thanks to the fellowship, I have been able to study how a nuclear pore protein might affect the transformation of normal white blood cells into leukemia. My ultimate career goal is to use my oncology background combined with the immunological knowledge that I am acquiring during my postdoctoral training at SBP to attain a faculty position in immunotherapy. I am confident that this fellowship will play an integral role in my ability to continue down my career path to become an independent investigator that can contribute to science and medicine. Petrus: With the Fishman Fund Career Development Award, I had the freedom to go to scientific meetings that otherwise would have been out of reach. For example, I attended a conference on Drug Delivery Systems organized by MIT’s Langer Lab. This helped me to think about novel ways to deliver some of our experimental compounds that are not available in vivo without a smart delivery system. I also used this award to obtain certification in Clinical Research through UCSD’s Extension Program. These courses not only helped me to better understand the nuts and bolts and regulatory aspects of clinical trials, but will also help me to obtain my long-term careers goals in translational medicine. Soda: I completed the Advanced Project Management at UCSD’s Rady School of Management. Bernhard: I served as a Session Chair at the Annual Meeting of the American Crystallographic Association (ACA); this experience helped me to develop important organizational skills and provided me with outstanding exposure in the field of crystallography, so that I could make key connections with leading researchers in the field. This award also supported my participation in a career fair (GAIN Annual Meeting) in San Francisco which allowed me to explore potential future career options in academia and beyond. Roberto: The funds allowed me to attend the Academic Lab Management and Leadership Symposium (sponsored through the Torrey Pines Training Consortium) where I learned about tenure, promotion, funding, publishing and how to setup my future lab.
Why would you encourage other SBP postdocs to apply for a Fishman Fund Award? Joana (fellowship): As postdocs at SBP, we are uniquely privileged to have our work supported by the generosity and kindness of individuals who have the admirable goal of directly supporting young career scientists that do fundamental biomedical research. This is a very unique opportunity. The fellowship not only provides a very generous salary, but also includes a career allowance which can be utilized to attend conferences or courses that expand our field of knowledge and our scientific network. This places a postdoc in a more competitive position to make the next career transition. I would strongly encourage SBP postdocs to apply for the Fishman Fund Fellowship because it promotes and helps early career scientists and it is also a great opportunity to consolidate ideas and practice writing a grant proposal. Petrus: The application process is very useful to organize your own thoughts and to state your career goals on paper, regardless of the outcome of the application. This is a good exercise that will definitely benefit your career, and will help you focus on real life steps you have to take to achieve these goals. I would recommend taking the time to carefully prepare the application materials, as there is a rigorous selection process. I think the Fishman Fund Award is a unique attribute to the postdoctoral trainee experience at SBP and I would sincerely recommend taking advantage of this opportunity.
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Why would you encourage other SBP postdocs to apply for a Fishman Fund Award? (cont.) Soda: Earning an award from my own institute is a mark of success and internal recognition that can give confidence to external organizations/professional societies to award additional funding. Since receiving the Fishman Fund Career Development Award, I secured a fellowship from the American Association of University Women (AAUW) and a grant from the American Heart Association. Bernhard: Preparing the application was a good opportunity for me to focus on what my future career goals are and to identify what additional support/skills I would need. Although every ambitious postdoc probably knows these aspects, it was very beneficial for me to take the time and put those thoughts into writing. The award provides a substantial amount of money that can be flexibly used for a wide variety of career development options (which is sometimes difficult to obtain) and independent of the PI’s funding. The Fishman Fund Award provides flexibility to investigate or follow other career options.
What does it mean to you to receive a Fishman Fund Award? Joana (fellowship): I am so grateful to the Fishman Fund Award donors and Fellowship Review Committee for funding my project and believing that I am capable of accomplishing something that could improve the lives of patients. (Hear more about Joana’s research funded by the Fishman Fund Fellowship in this interview.) Petrus: It is a great honor to receive this award as it is very competitive. The Fishman Fund Award Ceremony featured the awardees and was a great opportunity to talk to the many donors. The Fishman Fund Career Development Award helped me to stay motivated and on target with my career goals, and to strengthen my commitment to cancer research. Bernhard: The Fishman Fund Career Development Award demonstrates that SBP values their postdoc scientists and that the Institute cares about postdoctoral development within and external to the laboratory. The award has clearly furthered my career, not only with the financial support, but also with the prestige of winning this award which highlights to potential future employers that I am a valued and successful member of the Institute. Roberto: Receiving the Fishman Fund Career Development Award is a great honor because it signifies the commitment by SBP and donors to support the next generation of scientists. With increased competition for funding and positions both in industry and academia, having this program to support activities that help you become more prepared to secure these in my opinion is unique at our institute.
Want to apply for a Fishman Fund Award? Here are some important dates & deadlines: March 1, 2018: Fellowship Application Period opens March 30, 2018: Fellowship Application due May 21, 2018: Fishman Fund Fellow announced May 23, 2018: Career Development Award Application Period opens June 20, 2018: Career Development Award Application due August 10, 2018: Career Development Awardees announced
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SBP Graduate Student Katja Birker takes top prize at Southern California Graduate Symposium By Andrew Bankston, Ph.D. (Program Manager, GSBS) For the second consecutive year,* an SBP graduate student won “Best Talk” at the 2017 Southern California Graduate Symposium. On October 20, graduate students from nineteen institutions from the San Diego and Los Angeles areas participated in the fifth year of the symposium at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. Katja Birker from the Bodmer lab won “Best Talk” for her ten-minute presentation titled “How to Break a Fly’s Heart.” Katja also presented a poster along with four other SBP graduate students: Daniel Ojeda Juarez (Kaul lab), Francesca Boscolo (Sacco lab), Cameron Pernia (Snyder lab), and Marisa Sanchez (Wolf lab). Katja credits the feedback that she received in her “Podium Pointers” practice session, a service offered by OETIS to all SBP graduate students and postdocs, as a major player in her success. Congratulations to Katja on her well-deserved recognition! *In 2016, Roisin Delaney (Powis lab) won “Best Talk” at the Southern California Graduate Symposium. Photo captions: (top) SBP graduate student Katja Birker, pictured with other oral presenters, received a $500 check for the “Best Talk” at the 2017 Southern California Graduate Symposium; (bottom) Attendees from SBP from left to right: Dr. Guy Salvesen, Daniel Ojeda Juarez, Katja Birker, Cameron Pernia, Francesca Boscolo, and Marisa Sanchez.
Dr. Guy Salvesen, Dean of the SBP Graduate School, honored by Polish Chemical Society By Andrew Bankston, Ph.D. (Program Manager, GSBS) The 60th Congress of the Polish Chemical Society convened in September 2017 at Wroclaw University in Poland. The meeting marked the 150th anniversary of the birth of the Polish Nobel laureate, Dr. Maria SklodowskaCurie. The meeting included scientific presentations as well as presentation of multiple awards. Among the awards was the Marie Curie Medal presented to Dr. Guy Salvesen, Dean of the SBP Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences (pictured right). He received the award for his outstanding scientific achievements in chemistry of world-wide significance and for contributions to the community of Polish chemists. Congratulations, Dean Salvesen!
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Congratulations to our recent graduate! Jinsha Liu, Ph.D. Dissertation Title: “T-cadherin and Adiponectin in hippocampal synaptic functions and behaviors” Mentor: Dr. Barbara Ranscht Jinsha was born and raised in the city of Changchun (it means forever-Spring) in the Northeast part of China, which ironically is a snow-wonderland in winter-time. In middle school, Jinsha encountered the subject called Biology, and knew where her great passion was. Jinsha obtained a Bachelor of Science degree from Northeast Normal University in Changchun and decided to pursue an advanced degree abroad. To do this, Jinsha moved to California and joined Dr. Jason Bush’s cancer biology laboratory at Cal State Fresno. Her project focused on the importance of caveolae for membrane trafficking of integrins, with an eye toward understanding the involvement of integrin function in cell adhesion, cell migration, and cancer cell metastasis. In the Fall of 2012, Jinsha was accepted into the SBP Ph.D. program and began to work in Dr. Barbara Ranscht’s laboratory. Following her desire for more neuroscience-oriented research, her projects have involved delving deeply into Dr. Ranscht’s long-standing interest in the twin roles of T-cadherin and adiponectin in the maintenance of hippocampal functions, with the goal of understanding the basis of neurological diseases. In addition to exciting research projects in the lab, Jinsha also shadowed MDs in their neurogenetic clinics at Rady Children’s hospital and completed an internship at Eli Lilly, crediting these experiences with increasing her interest in pursuing more translationally-oriented work that will be of direct benefit to human health. Following graduation, Jinsha will spend a bit more time in Dr. Ranscht’s lab with the intent to complete two manuscripts of T-cadherin and adiponectin for publication. She will then pursue a career in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industry towards directly benefiting public health.
OETIS celebrates the success of our trainees Jonatan Matalonga Borrel, Ph.D. (Postdoc in the Dong Lab) received an honorable award from the Larry L. Hillblom Foundation (LLHF) for his presentation at the annual LLHF Scientific Meeting and has been named the 2017 “Distinguished Research Scientist”
Victoria Recouvreux, Ph.D. (Postdoc in the Commisso Lab) received the Eric Dudl Endowed Scholarship; learn more about Victoria and her research on SBP’s Beaker Blog
Share your research and career accomplishments with us! Email OETIS@SBP.edu and tell us your exciting news!
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UPCOMING WORKSHOPS & EVENTS Register for all events through the OETIS Intranet Calendar
RCR SPECIAL PRESENTATION: ARE WE READY TO EDIT OUR CHILDREN’S GENES? Date/Time: March 15, 2018 (10:00-11:30 am) Location:
Fishman Auditorium
Just ten years ago, questions about editing genomes of the next human generation were largely hypothetical. The prospect of erasing fatal or debilitating diseases was seen as a goal worth pursuing, even as some worried about using the technology to create “designer babies.” Dr. Evan Snyder will lead a discussion addressing key questions such as: Do we want to do this at all? If we are editing human genomes, then should this be done in vitro, in utero, or after birth? Are there some things we should not do? Who decides? Speakers: Evan Snyder, M.D., Ph.D. (Professor of Human Genetics Program, SBP, and Director of the Center for Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine, Sanford Children’s Health Research Center)
THE ART OF SCIENCE COMMUNICATION (course) Dates/Time: Tuesdays, March 13 – May 1, 2018 (3:00-5:00 pm) Locations will vary but all rooms are on the SBP campus "The Art of Science Communication” provides expert training and hands-on experience to enhance participants’ ability to present science in non-technical language. Ultimately, such competency will increase the public's understanding of and comfort with science and scientists. It also provides the scientific community with a real-world sense of the public's perception of, and attitudes towards, science. This is a hands-on interactive workshop series, based on the curriculum developed by ASBMB, that includes assignments, inperson discussions, examples of science communication and technical pointers. On the first day, all participants will deliver their own presentations and again at the end, after incorporating what they have learned throughout the course. Everyone is expected to participate in regular discussions with their peers and discussion leaders, to complete assignments on time, and to provide constructive feedback to the other participants. In-person discussions will offer constructive feedback from faculty and students. A list of auxiliary resources for the weekly topics will be provided each week. Participants can identify and post additional resources for the topics discussed. CERTIFICATE OF COMPLETION: ASBMB will issue a certificate to those who finish the workshop requirements. Course Instructors: Hudson Freeze, Ph.D. (Director & Professor of Human Genetics Program, SBP) & Thomas Baldwin, Ph.D. (Professor of Biochemistry, UC Riverside and President, FASEB)
GET MORE DONE: AN INTRODUCTION TO PROJECT MANAGEMENT FOR SCIENTISTS (half-day event) Date/Time: April 18, 2018 (8:00am-1:00pm) Location:
Sanford Consortium for Regenerative Medicine Auditorium
Speaker:
Melanie Nelson, Ph.D. (Independent Contractor, MRN Consulting)
More details coming soon!
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POSTDOCS & STUDENTS AS OF JAN. 2018 POSTDOCS = 153 Total per location Postdoc Associates Postdoc Associates, Sr. Postdoc Fellows GRADUATE STUDENTS = 46 Total per location Grad. Students, SBP Grad. Students, External
La Jolla 140 117 9 14
Lake Nona 13 12 0 1
La Jolla 44 31 13
Lake Nona 2 0 2
POSTDOC IDP AS OF DECEMBER 31, 2017
Postdoc & Student Counts for FY2018 Q2
ANNUAL IDP SENT = 114 Total per location PD/PI Participated
La Jolla 92 49 (53%)
Lake Nona 22 6 (27%)
La Jolla 61 22 (36%)
Lake Nona 2 1 (50%)
1st YEAR IDP SENT = 63 Total per location PD/PI Participated
HIRES BY QUARTER: OCT - DEC 2017 POSTDOCS = 10 Total per location Postdoc Associates Postdoc Associates, Sr. Postdoc Fellows
La Jolla 9 8 0 1
Lake Nona 1 1 0 0
La Jolla 4 0 4
Lake Nona 0 0 0
GRADUATE STUDENTS = 4 Total per location Graduate Students, SBP Graduate Students, External
Coming in the next issue … • • • •
GSBS Recent Graduates GSBS Faculty Profile SBP’s Grant Writing Workshop Series International Scholars Profile
TERMS BY QUARTER: OCT - DEC 2017 POSTDOCS = 3 Total per location Postdoc Associates Postdoc Associates, Sr. Postdoc Fellows GRADUATE STUDENTS = 11 Total per location Grad Students, SBP Grad Students, External OETIS Chronicle
La Jolla 3 1 1 1
Lake Nona 0 0 0 0
La Jolla 11 0 11
Lake Nona 0 0 0
If you would like to contribute content to the next issue, please contact OETIS@SBP.edu
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2017 Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences Holiday Luncheon Group Photo OďŹƒce of Education, Training, & International Services Sta Diane M. Klotz, Ph.D. Director
Education & Training
Nisha A. Cavanaugh, Ph.D. Manager, Postdoctoral & Academic Programs
Mary B. Bradley, M.L.A. Manager, Graduate School
Andrew N. Bankston, Ph.D. Program Manager, Graduate School
International Services
Doug Broadhurst, M.A. Manager, International Services
Susie Bolor Senior International Advisor
Leadership Support Guy Salvesen, Ph.D. Faculty Advisor, Graduate Education
Malene Hansen, Ph.D. Faculty Advisor, Postdoctoral Training
Teddi Reilly Interim Vice President, Human Resources
Please contact OETIS@SBP.edu with any questions or concerns.
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