Investigative Reportby N. Sherer GSRS 2001
Livid that your abstract was rejected by the Annual Meeting of Cell Biology? Fed up with academia and ready to run off to biotech or consulting for the promise of big bucks and dental insurance? Looking to mingle with a hot Nobel laureate over rock-and-roll, red wine, and chocolate crumpets? The Graduate Student Research Symposium (GSRS) may be your answer.
A candid photo GSRS originated in 1996 as a one-day event consisting of a keynote address, student talks, and a poster session. It was spearheaded by two MB&B students, Kate Smith and Leslyn Hanakahi, looking to develop a forum for students to meet their training grant requirements for research presentations. Since 1997, the leadership of Sue Brill, Owen Chan, Donnasue Graeser, Liz Doherty, Helen Seow, and Shilpa Patel have led to the expansion of GSRS, implementing discussion sessions, mini-symposia, and the opening of the proceedings to post-docs. Fundraising from university and corporate sponsors has improved the quality of the symposium, and a second day, devoted to careers in the biosciences, was added in 1998.
GSRS 2001 is co-chaired by Chun Wu (Genetics) and Zia Ur-Rahman (MCDB). Chun and Zia, along with over 30 volunteers on 6 committees, have been planning the Symposium for several months. The format of the two day event is being reorganized to maximize enthusiasm and participation. For example, the traditional Friday night banquet will be replaced by an evening mixer featuring a performance by The Cell Mates (a BBS faculty/student rock band). Also, Friday's mini-symposia will be organized such that participants will be able to choose events specifically geared to their interests rather than having to sit through an afternoon of random posters and presentations. And in the spirit of collaboration and diplomacy, students from nearby institutions (e.g. Harvard, Columbia, MIT) will, for the first time, be invited to take part in Yale's unique symposium. "Yale is somewhat isolated from other institutions and we want to promote a bigger research community", said Chun.
What can the BBS community expect over the course of the two day event? Thursday will focus on careers in the biological and biomedical sciences and will feature panel discussions addressing three general fields: academia, industry, and alternative careers. Discussions will be moderated by visiting professionals interested in informing students and post-docs of the glories and agonies of their respective career paths. Also planned are various workshops devoted to grant writing, teaching, and the incredible importance of finding a quality thesis adviser (good luck first years!).
A career fair will accompany these events and will feature representatives from a myriad of area companies including Bayer, Pfizer, Bristol-Myers-Squibb, Genaissance, and Curagen. The Biotech Student Interest Group (composed of law, business, medical, and BBS students) is assisting with its organization. In the spirit of the collaboration, integration, and the networking requisite in an information-based economy, non-BBS students are encouraged to join Thursday's activities. Bring your resume or CV as well as a cover letter, and remember - a firm handshake and eye contact can make all of the difference.
Friday will highlight cutting-edge research and features a keynote address from Princeton's Eric F. Wieschaus, winner of the 1995 Nobel Prize in Medicine. Not only is Dr. Wieschaus a Nobel laureate, he's one of us, having studied for his Ph.D. at Yale. In the afternoon, six interest-based mini-symposia will be held. Moderated by expert faculty members, each mini-symposium will contain lectures, a poster session, and a 30-minute student research presentation. The student presentations will honor the hard work of six distinguished senior graduate students selected based on merit by a jury of graduate students.
The success of GSRS has been hindered by mediocre attendance by a BBS population often more interested in spending the afternoon sorting fruit flies than learning about their fellow students' research (See editorial, this issue). "Last year I think that most people only went to see Gunther Blobel (Nobel Laureate and 2000 keynote speaker)" reflected one busy BBS student, pausing from her incessant vortexing. Pharmacology students Helen Seow and Stacey Irizarry, former GSRS committee members, expressed that a serious problem has been the lackluster performance of faculty in promoting and attending the symposium. For maximum success, GSRS would have to become a departmental priority, and all are urged to mark their calendars and cancel or coordinate events to better facilitate attendance of GSRS. Students should also realize that GSRS is a rare opportunity to present research in a low-stress, "practice" setting.
All students, including first-year rotation students, are encouraged to present posters, even if they have not yet accumulated extensive data. Post-docs and other Yale researchers are also encouraged to submit posters and attend the symposium. Also, GSRS planners are looking for more students to help plan the presentations, facilities, communications, career fair, advertising, and fundraising. Zia remarks that volunteering for GSRS is a terrific way to gain experience, and he has even made a number of quality contacts in the corporate and academic worlds during his two years with GSRS. "The GSRS mimics the real world. Students will certainly face similar tasks someday."
Registration and abstracts for presentations and posters MUST be submitted online at: info.med.yale.edu/GSRS. See the website for additional information, deadlines and a schedule of events. Students who wish to learn more about joining a GSRS organizing committee should contact chun.wu@yale.edu or zia-ur.rahman@yale.edu. B