By Megan Sampley Bohn, Ph.D.
The NIAID 16th Annual Fellows Workshop is officially in the record books, honoring the NIAID 2022 Outstanding Mentor, hosting talks from leaders in the fields of cancer immunology and scientific journalism, and providing a platform for 81 NIAID fellows to present their research in oral presentations and short talks. Below, we provide a brief recap of the event organization, the speakers, and the winners for best talks.
NIAID Fellows Advisory Committee directed the content of the Annual Workshop
NIAID Fellows Advisory Committee (FAC) consists of NIAID predocs and postdocs who advise the Office of Research Training and Development (ORTD) on professional and career development issues and concerns. The primary project of the FAC each year is to determine the content of the Annual Workshop. The committee nominates, votes for, and selects the invited plenary speakers. This year, Miriam Merad, M.D., Ph.D., Director of the Precision Immunology Institute at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, and Katherine Wu, Ph.D., science journalist for The Atlantic, were invited based on the recommendation of the FAC and subsequently presented fantastic presentations as key voices in their respective fields. FAC is also tasked with the formidable duty of anonymously scoring predoctoral and postdoctoral abstracts to determine which fellows will present oral talks on the first day of the workshop. Many of the FAC members were on-hand at the event to serve as session moderators and talk judges.
Michail Lionakis, M.D., Sc.D., receives honors as the 2022 NIAID Outstanding Mentor
Excellent mentoring is foundational to research progress and the development of a robust scientific community. The annual NIAID Outstanding Mentor Award seeks to recognize senior scientists who further the NIAID mission by demonstrating excellence in advancing NIAID fellows’ scientific and professional growth while maintaining respectful, inclusive research environments that value trainees' health and wellness. This year, the chief of the Fungal Pathogenesis Section and deputy chief of the Laboratory of Clinical Immunology and Microbiology Michail Lionakis, M.D., Sc.D., is the recipient of the 2022 NIAID Outstanding Mentor Award and received his honor at the Annual Workshop. After being recognized for his commitment to the scientific and professional development and career outcomes of his mentees, Dr. Lionakis opened the workshop by presenting his perspectives and experience with mentoring and how it guided his research career and mentoring philosophy.
Postbac, predoc, and postdoc speakers shine a light on research across NIAID
Based on the excellence of abstracts they submitted earlier in the year, eight predoctoral or postdoctoral fellows were selected to present oral talks on the first day of the workshop, and for the second consecutive year, three postbac fellows were invited join their more senior peers in presenting their research. The speakers represented a range of NIAID laboratories on both Maryland and Montana campuses. The second day of the Annual Workshop provided a tour de force display of NIAID graduate and postdoctoral research as 70 fellows presented their work in Short Talks that ran in concurrent sessions. Each speaker was scored by a judging committee composed of postdoctoral researchers or staff scientists to measure the effectiveness of their scientific communication.
Oral talk presenters on the first day of the Annual Fellows Workshop
- Daniel Moss, Ph.D., postdoctoral fellow, Viral Pathogenesis Laboratory, VRC
- Kelsey Lowman, M.S., predoctoral fellow, Laboratory of Infectious Diseases, DIR
- Zhe Hu, Ph.D., postdoctoral fellow, Laboratory of Viral Diseases, DIR
- Cherelle Dacon, Ph.D., postdoctoral fellow, Laboratory of Immunogenetics, DIR
- Julia Port, M.S., Ph.D., RML, postdoctoral fellow, Laboratory of Virology, DIR
- Zarna Pala, Ph.D., postdoctoral fellow, Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, DIR
- Michel Enamorado, Ph.D., postdoctoral fellow, Laboratory of Host Immunity and Microbiome, DIR
- Gabriela Pessenda, Ph.D., postdoctoral fellow, Laboratory of Parasitic Diseases, DIR
- Benjamin Crews, B.S., B.A., postbac fellow, Research Technology Branch, RML, DIR
- Guillermo L. Raimundi-Rodríguez, B.S., postbac fellow, Laboratory of Infectious Diseases, DIR
- Jade C. Riopelle, B.S., postbac fellow, Laboratory of Virology, RML, DIR
Recipients of awards for best Oral or Short Talks
- Best Oral Talk: Cherrelle Dacon, Ph.D., postdoctoral fellow, Laboratory of Immunogenetics
- Best Short Talk, First Place: Palak Patel, Ph.D., Laboratory of Malaria Immunology and Vaccinology
- Best Short Talk, Second Place: Alberto D. López-Muňoz, Ph.D., M.S., Laboratory of Viral Diseases
- Best Short Talk, Third Place: Inta Gribonika, Ph.D., Laboratory of Host Immunity and Microbiome
The Annual Fellows Workshop represents the work and efforts of the fellows
The NIAID ORTD wishes to thank the many fellows who submitted abstracts, volunteered with FAC, or served as judges, moderators, or speakers. For more information on how to join FAC or participate in planning for the next Annual Fellows Workshop, please contact Dr. Megan Bohn at megan.bohn@nih.gov.
Note: A save-the-date notice for the NIAID 17th Annual Fellows Workshop will be sent out to NIAID fellows, investigators, and staff in early 2023.