Week of March 25th, 2024

Pathology & Laboratory Medicine Graduate Program & PDF Newsletter

Useful information for Graduate Students & PDFs in Pathology and their Supervisors.

EVENTS THIS WEEK (see below for more information) :

March 26th - UBC Library "Introduction to Machine Learning” Register

March 26th - PaSA Meeting @ 4:30pm

March 28th - BioConnect BC (aka D.R.I.N.K.S) at Mahoneys at Stamps Landing (False Creek at 601 Stamps Landing - http://mahonyandsons.com/)

PaSA: PATHOLOGY STUDENT ASSOCIATION (pasa@pathology.ubc.ca)

Find Us: Twitter @UBCPathologySA| Instagram @ubcpasa|Facebook at UBC Pathology Students Association

SLACK: https://join.slack.com/t/pathologystud-ogs6617/shared_invite/zt-1arrr1g5h-cGsWP~ZuDFOGwJcuh4wxDA

Events:

🎉 Join Us for Trivia Night Hosted by PaSA Members! 🎉

Get ready for a fun-filled evening at PaSA's Trivia Night on Thursday, April 18th, 2024, from 5:00 PM to 6:30 PM! Put your knowledge to the test and compete with friends or join a team of up to 5 individuals. Don't have a team? No problem! Sign up individually, and we'll place you in a team.

The event will take place at BCCHR room 3113. Sign up now at https://forms.gle/GHAEfiHGjZTM8dZG7 to reserve your spot and be part of the excitement! Snacks will be provided, and there are prizes waiting for our winning teams. Plus, don't miss the chance to claim the prestigious Pathology Trivia star trophy for your team!

Don't miss out on the chance to showcase your trivia prowess and enjoy a fun evening with your fellow PaSA members.

Meetings:

PaSA invites everyone to join the next PaSA Meeting which will be held on Tuesday, March 26th at 4:30pm via Zoom. 

Join Zoom Meeting
https://ubc.zoom.us/j/63631399673?pwd=OUwrMEY3L0s0NEJjMjVqVnZhRndIZz09 

Meeting ID: 636 3139 9673
Passcode: 628541

GRADUATE STUDENTS & PDFS

🍷D.R.I.N.K.S. Thursday March 28th

BioConnect BC (AKA D.R.I.N.K.S) is happening on Thursday, March 28th at Mahoneys at Stamps Landing (False Creek at 601 Stamps Landing - http://mahonyandsons.com/). The purpose is to bring together academia, clinicians and industry who are looking to make connections through common interests in biomedical/translational research & discovery/commercialization.  PALM Students - This is a great opportunity to connect with people from industry!

Faculty of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies:

GradUpdate In this issue: Doctoral Examination and Defence Procedures, Writing your Research and Teaching Statements for the Academic Job Market, Writing Research Article Conclusions, and more.

Abstracts: Communicating Research Findings With Brevity and Concision
Hybrid | Wednesday, Mar 27 | 10 - 11:30 am Register

Exploring Teaching Careers at Research Universities with CIRTL Alumni
Online | Wednesday, Apr 3 | 10 - 11 am
This event is designed first and foremost for graduate students and postdoctoral researchers in STEM/SBE disciplines exploring potential career paths, but generally relevant to anyone interested in understanding career trajectories within academia and beyond. Register

Writing Your Research Statement for the Academic Job Market
Online | Wednesday, Apr 3 | 1 - 2 pm Register

Gen AI and Open Educational Resources in Teaching and Learning
Online | Thursday, Apr 4 | 12 - 1:30 pm Register

Writing Your Teaching Statement for the Academic Job Market
Online | Friday, Apr 5 | 1 - 2 pm Register

Professional Development:

Research Computing Training for Western Universities

Link to sign-up and listing of all upcoming webinars here.

UBC Library Research Commons Newsletter - March

UBC Library Public Events -  “Introduction to Machine Learning” March 26, Register

GRADUATE STUDENTS

Faculty of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies:

BIPOC Community of Care Circle

A space for Black, Indigenous and/or People of Colour to gather within the UBC community and discuss their experiences with one another.

In-person | Wednesday, Apr 3 | 5 - 7 pm | Email to register | Topic:

• Apr 3 - Community Care 2

Grad Student Support Group

Feeling overwhelmed, stuck, or challenged in balancing work & life? This support group is for grad students to connect in a non-judgmental & welcoming space to help navigate the unique challenges of grad school.

In-person | Wednesdays | 3 - 4:15 pm | Learn more and register

Deadline Reminder for Spring 2024 Graduation

PhD:

FRIDAY, APRIL 19, 2024* - Acceptance of final, approved doctoral dissertation by Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies

MSc:

FRIDAY, APRIL 19, 2024* - Acceptance of final, approved master's thesis by Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies

* It normally takes a minimum of five business days for your thesis to be reviewed after you submit it to cIRcle. Please plan ahead for this and check your email in case you are asked to make corrections. Your submission is not complete and you will not meet deadlines until your thesis has been approved, and you have received an official email receipt.

Student Support Services

Grad Student Support Group

In-person | Wednesdays, Jan 10 - Apr 3 | 3 - 4:15 pm Register

Awards

PALM Trainee Virtual & In-Person Conference Graduate Awards

The PALM GPS Program invites applications for PhD graduate students to present their work at international conferences. Each virtual award will be valued at ~$250.00 each and each in-person award will be valued at ~$1,000.00. The awards will be split over 2 cycles; cycle 1 for January through June, and cycle 2 for July through December.  More information including eligibility and the application are included here.

Cycle 1 application deadline: April 2, 2024

Professional Development

Graduate Instructional Skills Workshops
Check out additional upcoming ISWs.

Course Opportunities

Recommended Course Opportunities:

PATH 548L (3 CREDITS) - EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN & CONSIDERATIONS FOR DATA COLLECTION, PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS & INTERPRETATION

(Runs Apr – June) This course will provide students with insight about study design, data collection, data presentation, data analysis, and data interpretation. Course Coordinators: Dr. Helene Cote & Dr. Andrew Roth

Course Objectives:

• Design a study and an analysis plan
• Identify sources of error, variability, and bias
• Present data transparently and informatively
• Perform simple statistical analyses using statistical software
• Read the scientific literature critically
• Know when and how to interact with a biostatistician

PATH 521 (3 CREDITS)  - Introduction to the Pathogenesis of Human Disease

(Runs June - July) This course focuses on reviewing current areas of medical research with emphasis on cardiovascular disease, respiratory disease and sepsis.  Course Coordinator: Dr. Honglin Luo

Course Objective and Learning Outcomes:

The objective is to provide students with the ability to understand modern research techniques and how they are being applied to increase our understanding of pathogenic mechanisms. Upon completion of this course, students should be familiar with selected current research topics related to cardiovascular disease, respiratory disease and sepsis.

If you would like to register, please contact the Graduate Program Coordinator Heather Cheadle.

POST-DOCTORAL FELLOWS

Awards

Schmidt Science Fellowships

The Schmidt Science Fellows program provides the world’s best emerging scientists with new skills and perspectives to develop novel solutions to society’s challenges, become scientific and societal thought leaders, and accelerate ground-breaking discoveries. The program is looking for the brightest minds in the natural sciences, mathematics, engineering, and computing who are interested in broadening their horizons. Fellows receive a stipend of $100,000 USD per year and are supported to pursue a one to two year postdoctoral placement at a world-leading laboratory anywhere in the world in a disciplinary pivot from their PhD. Fellows also benefit from a Global Meeting Series and personalized mentoring program.

UBC is one of select group of the world’s leading science and engineering institutions that are invited to nominate students to the international competition. In 2023, 32 Schmidt Science Fellows were selected to be recipients globally.

As part of the eligibility requirements, applicants must have completed, or expect to complete, all the requirements for the conferral of their UBC PhD, including a successful defense, between May 15 2024 and June 30, 2025.

• Value: $100,000 USD per year, for up to two years
• Application deadline: One complete PDF of Application due to the Pathology Program Coordinator , Heather Cheadle at heather.cheadle@pathology.ubc.ca, by April 5, 2024

For further information about the opportunity, including detailed eligibility requirements, evaluation criteria and application procedures, please visit our webpage: https://www.grad.ubc.ca/awards/schmidt-science-fellowships.

A comprehensive List of awards for PDF's can be found here: https://www.postdocs.ubc.ca/awards-funding

Applying for funding

Some funding opportunities require institutional endorsement of applications. Unless otherwise specified, please follow the procedures outlined in the UBC Signature Policy: Application for Research Funding.

SUPERVISORS

Student Recruitment Support for Faculty (CWL login)

Want to recruit strong trainees?  It helps if your online profiles are up-to-date.

• Research Supervisor Directory
  • Faculty Directory
  • Project documentation
  • Profile Updates
• Best practices guides, e.g. 13 Steps to Graduate Recruitment Success for Faculty Members
• Position advertising (Nature Careers, EurAxess, Mendeley, LinkedIN, jobRxiv, Handshake, Twitter, UBC students)

International Students: Considerations regarding increased financial requirement for study permits

Regular study permit applicants: Applicants can use various options to show proof of funds to meet the $20,635 + tuition + travel costs, such as bank account statements, award letters issued by UBC, receipts from deposit payments etc. If a research program were to issue an award letter totaling $40,000 to an applicant, the applicant can reference the award offer in their letter of explanation to IRCC with details about the amount of the first year tuition fees, the cost of flight ticket plus living cost of $20,635 to ensure visa officers understand they meet the minimum financial requirement (if that is the case).

We are posting potential student CV's on our website on our Students Seeking Supervisors page. If you are looking for students, please feel free to review the CV's and check back here often.  Among our posted CV's we have strong students from Canada and other countries, including students from McGill,  SFU, U of Ottawa, UCSD, and UBC who are looking for Supervisors.

If you are contacted by a strong student, but are unable to recruit them, please ask the student whether they would like their CV added to our website and refer them to the Graduate Program Coordinator . 

PROGRAM COORDINATOR & GRAD ADVISOR CORNER

👀 Please explore our Program Website for guidance, including the PALM Comprehensive Examination Overview here.👀

🍵WEEKLY Program Coordinator Virtual Open Office Hours* - If you need advice, have an issue, or just want to chat, Heather will be hosting a one-hour virtual open office every week on Thursday from 1:00am - 2:00pm . Feel free to stop by here: 

Join Zoom Meeting
https://ubc.zoom.us/j/62812937886?pwd=Q0V2eGtJNTVidnJiSU5pVkQ3R2tFQT09

Meeting ID: 628 1293 7886
Passcode: 680021

I am also available in-person in my office at UBC Hospital Koerner Pavilion in room G109A on Mondays.

PALM Student Representatives:

If you know someone who wants to receive this newsletter, advertise an event, or if you have any ideas for how to improve the newsletter, let us know at heather.cheadle@pathology.ubc.ca . We are always accepting content including photos for upcoming newsletters -- just email us!