By Megan Bohn, Ph.D.
The NIAID 17th Annual Fellows Workshop occurred on Friday, December 1, 2023, honoring the exceptional contributions of NIAID predoctoral students, postdoctoral fellows, and clinical fellows. The event showcased fifty-five engaging presentations by fellows, along with insightful remarks from the 2023 NIAID Outstanding Mentor, Cathryn Haigh, Ph.D., and NIAID's esteemed Clinical Director, H. Clifford Lane, M.D. Marking World AIDS Day, which also falls on December 1, Dr. Lane delivered a captivating closing address, recounting his pivotal role in researching and combating the early days of the AIDS epidemic.
Fellows Stretched Their Presentations Skills
Organized each year by the NIAID Fellows Advisory Committee (FAC), the Annual Fellows Workshop is primarily intended to showcase the accomplishments of fellows across the Institute. In addition to the usual fifteen-minute and ten-minute oral talk format, the FAC decided to try something new: instead of the usual poster session, fellows would stretch their presentation skills by presenting Speed Pitch talks. These Speed Pitches, which are only two minutes in length, are concept talks that emphasize the researcher’s big ideas rather than data and visuals. The workshop's dynamic mix of longer and shorter talks maintained engagement throughout the day and provided ample opportunities for networking.
Winning Presenters at the Annual Fellows Workshop
Best Oral Talk:
Sarah van Tol, Ph.D., Postdoctoral Fellow, RML Laboratory of Virology
Sarah van Tol, Ph.D., is this year’s Best Oral Talk winner.
Best Concurrent Talks:
- First Place: Andrew Platt, M.D., Ph.D., Clinical Fellow, Laboratory of Virology
- Second Place: Samantha Muccilli, Ph.D., Rocky-Beth Fellow, RML Laboratory of Neurological Infections and Immunity and Laboratory of Viral Diseases
- Third Place: Alexandria Wells, Ph.D., Postdoctoral Fellow, Laboratory of Host Immunity and Microbiome
The winners for Best Concurrent Talks at the NIAID 17th Annual Fellows Workshop are, from top to bottom, Drs. Andrew Platt, Samantha Muccilli, and Alexandria Wells.
Best Speed Pitches:
Best talks from each of the three sessions were decided by audience vote as follows:
- Balcony A: Inta Gribonika, Ph.D., Postdoctoral Fellow, Laboratory of Host Immunity and Microbiome
- Balcony B: Liang Chi, Ph.D., Postdoctoral Fellow, Laboratory of Host Immunity and Microbiome
- Balcony C: Taylor Farley, Ph.D., Postdoctoral Fellow, Laboratory of Host Immunity and Microbiome
The winners for Best Speed Pitches at the NIAID 17th Annual Fellows Workshop fellows are, from top to bottom, Drs. Inta Gribonika, Liang Chi, and Taylor Farley.
Appreciation and Acknowledgements
The NIAID Office of Research Training and Development wishes to extend its gratitude to each member of the NIAID FAC as well as the Speaker Judging Committee, comprised of Sila Ataca, Ph.D. (VRC), Roland Bamou, Ph.D. (Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research), Adam Catching, Ph.D. (Laboratory of Viral Diseases), Jessica Hargarten, Ph.D. (Laboratory of Clinical Immunology and Microbiology), Naseer Khan, M.S., Ph.D. (Laboratory of Clinical Immunology and Microbiology), Pete Kulalert, Ph.D. (Laboratory of Host Immunity and Microbiome), Ashira Lubkin, M.D., Ph.D. (Laboratory of Clinical Immunology and Microbiology), Cristina Meehan, B.S. (Laboratory of Malaria Immunology and Vaccinology), Patrick Mpingabo, Ph.D.(Laboratory of Infectious Diseases), Gaurav Shrivastava, Ph.D. (Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research), Courtney Tucker, B.S., (Laboratory of Immunogenetics), and Arthur Wickenhagen, Ph.D., (Laboratory of Virology).
Learn more about predoctoral and postdoctoral training opportunities at NIAID.