April 21-25, 2025 | Vol. 11, Issue 16
In this issue:
- Navigating the Future: UR Alumni Virtual Panel
- Neuroscience Retreat 2025
- 36th Annual Genetics Day
- SMD-Entrepreneurs Meeting
- GRC Spatial Workshop Part I
- GWIS Spring Travel Award 2025
Navigating the Future: UR Alumni Virtual Panel
��️ Tuesday, April 22 | ⏱️ 12-1:15pm | �� Virtual
The job market is shifting rapidly due to recent layoffs, economic uncertainty, job insecurity, and evolving policies driven by executive orders—creating both challenges and new opportunities for PhDs & alumni. Join us for an insightful Virtual Alumni Panel featuring industry professionals and alumni who have successfully secured employment in their respective industries and who can offer insights and strategies for how you can achieve your own career success.
Neuroscience Retreat 2025
��️ Friday, April 25 | ⏱️ 8am | �� Memorial Art Gallery
36th Annual Genetics Day
��️ Monday, April 28 | ⏱️ 8:30am-4:30pm | �� Class of '62 Auditorium & Flaum Atrium
The keynote speaker will be Marisa Bartolomei, Ph.D., Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. In addition to the keynote lecture, this event will include talks by faculty and trainees as well as a poster session.
CALL FOR POSTERS
We invite you and your colleagues to present posters in the Genetics Day poster session (1:00 – 3:00pm). To present a poster and be eligible for a poster prize, submit your registration by 12pm on Monday, April 21st, 2025
SMD-Entrepreneurs General Meeting
��️ Monday, April 28 | ⏱️ 4:30-5:30pm | �� Northeastern Room (1-9525/1-9535)
Come join the SMD-Entrepreneurs general meeting to present the new members of the Board and hear about our member's activities of interest. Connect with fellow colleagues in SMD who are interested in entrepreneurship. Past SMD-E president, Burris Davis, PhD, will talk about his experience as an entrepreneur. Open for Graduate and Undergrad students as well.
GRC Spatial Workshop Part I
��️ Tuesday, April 29 | ⏱️ 10am-2pm | �� SMD Large Auditorium (2-6424)
This is the first session in a multi-part workshop series on spatial transcriptomics presented by the Genomics Research Center. This workshop is open to the community. Part I will involve both wet-lab and bioinformatics GRC staff and focus on the following topics:
- Overall technology review for Visium, Xenium, and GeoMx with ideal use cases (Pros, cons, limitations, strengths, etc.)
- Experimental/Sample Preparation Considerations for each platform
- Introduction to standard analysis in freely available software (i.e. Loupe Browser, DSP Analysis Suite, and Xenium Explorer)
- Self-Exploration using provided datasets - NOTE: no coding required
- Q&A, Discussion, and Introduction to Part II (Coming in June 2025) - further analysis outside of available software (i.e. using Seurat) - NOTE: coding experience will be required for Part II.
Please reach out to URGenomics@urmc.rochester.edu with any questions about the GRC Spatial Workshop Series.
Commencement Celebration Philosophy Meeting
��️ Thursday, May 15 | ⏱️ 4:30-6:30pm | �� Flaum Atrium
For all SMD graduate students, postdocs, faculty, and staff. Join us for food and drinks.
Don’t miss this celebration and reception honoring the 2025 Commencement Awardees!
Grad Students for Brand Research
Thank you for your leadership at the University of Rochester and for putting your trust in us for your graduate academic experience. As the University evolves its brand for greater impact, input from students like you is an invaluable part of the process.
Before sharing our refreshed brand with the world, we want to ensure that our story is clear, compelling and credible among those who know us best. To that end, we will host a 1-hour virtual focus group to discuss our brand strategy, and we welcome you to participate.
This session will be held over Zoom on April 24th from 9am-10am. Our team will follow up with a separate email to provide meeting details.
GWIS Spring Travel Award 2025
The deadline for the GWIS Travel Award application is Tuesday, April 22nd at noon. You must be a graduate student in years 1 through 5 and an active participant in GWIS. Travel will be sponsored on the basis of scientific merit (thus it is key that you describe your past and ongoing research), need (explain why the requested travel is important for your scientific growth), and regular participation at GWIS meetings as evidenced from the meeting registrations and sign-in sheets. To date, 78 GWIS members have received Travel Awards.
There are two steps for completing an application:
Step 1. Submit a completed Application Form along with a copy of your C.V. and copies of your peer-reviewed publications to stephanie_scoville@urmc.rochester.edu by noon on April 22nd.
Step 2. Request that your Ph.D. mentor and one of your Ph.D. advisory committee members each forward a letter of reference to stephanie_scoville@urmc.rochester.edu by noon on April 22nd.
Successful applicants for a GWIS Travel Award can also use funds to attend and participate in virtual meetings.
Free Subscription for the Sol App!
The Mindful University Project has partnered with Sol—the #1 spiritual and mental health app in the U.S.—to bring free Premium access to the entire University of Rochester community. Research shows that having a sense of purpose—what psychologists refer to as spirituality—can boost your mental, physical, and social well-being by up to 80%.
Sol helps you discover purpose-driven living by connecting you with like-minded people, meaningful communities, and activities aligned with your values. Sign up with your UR email today to unlock your free Premium subscription and start exploring what matters most to you. Available on the App Store and Google Play.
Virtual Seattle Postdoc Opportunities Recruitment Event
��️ Tuesday, May 6 | ⏱️ 11am-4pm | �� Virtual
Explore engaging postdoc opportunities in Seattle, WA! Join us on May 6th from 11am-4pm EST for Seattle DROP (Discover Research Opportunities for Postdocs), a virtual postdoc recruitment event for biomedical researchers seeking the next step in your scientific journey. This event is a collaboration between the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, University of Washington, and Seattle Children’s Research Institute. All postdoc candidates are invited to attend.
Enjoy lunch on us via a delivery voucher for the first 250 registrants within the US!
Agenda includes:
• Enjoy a stimulating conversation about “The Importance of Choosing the Right Mentor,” with Dr. Harmit Malik, Dr. Beth Lawlor, Dr. Christy McKinney and Dr. Bill Mahoney
• Engage with current postdocs about their research, our vibrant scientific community and life in Seattle
• Explore the research of faculty who are recruiting postdocs
Questions? Please contact seattledrop@cancerconsortium.org
| NSF I-Corps Regional Course Information |
MECCC
NSF I-Corps Regional Courses are for university-based STEM researchers and early-stage startup founders who are interested in exploring the market potential of their work and learning entrepreneurial skills. Participants learn to apply “customer discovery” methodology to evaluate the potential for translating their technology innovation from the lab into a successful product and/or service.
This week’s social media spotlight features Abigail Bossa, a Translational Biomedical Science PhD candidate.
Accommodations
The University of Rochester is committed to providing inclusive experiences and equal access to programs and services. If you anticipate needing any type of accommodation, please contact Mary Beth Kitzel. In all situations, a good faith effort (up until the time of the event) will be made to provide accommodations.
OTE Submission Information
Submissions for the weekly Monday edition of OTE are due by Thursday at 5:00 pm. Please submit materials to myHub@urmc.rochester.edu.
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