November 1, 2007
Postdocs to present research at symposium
Justin Percival is looking for ways to help victims of Duchenne muscular dystrophy increase muscle strength.
Brenna Kelley-Clarke wants to find treatments for Venezuelan equine encephalitis, a deadly disease which might be employed in biological warfare.
David Thorsley wants the best ways to model complex systems that include randomness, such as those in biology, robotics and nuclear power generation.
All three researchers are postdoctoral fellows at the UW who will present their work at the third annual Fall Research Symposium scheduled for 1–5 p.m., Friday, Nov. 9, in Hogness Auditorium. (It’s in the UW Health Science Building between the third and fourth levels of the A Wing.) The event is free, and no registration is required.
Provost Phyllis Wise will open the symposium, which showcases UW postdoctoral research. Following her address, eight postdoctoral fellows, including the three mentioned above, will present their work. A reception and poster session will follow the presentations.
According to the UW Postdoctoral Association, the University has more than 1,100 postdoctoral researchers.
The Office of Postdoctoral Affairs and the University Book Store Tech Center sponsor the symposium.
For more information, call 206-616-2507 or email scassels@u.washington.edu or jennifer.mhyre@gmail.com.
Grant funds workshop on ethics for postdocs
The UW Office of Postdoctoral Affairs — which is part of The Graduate School — is organizing new services as well as a workshop on ethical challenges for postdoctoral fellows.
The National Postdoctoral Association has provided $1,000 for “Bring Research Home: Fostering Responsible Conduct of Research Programs for UW Postdocs.” The grant is one of a dozen awarded to research universities around the country.
The workshop will build on existing programming by addressing real-world ethical principles. Karen Peterson, a staff scientist at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center who is serving a two-year term on the NPA board, will address workshop participants. Peterson organizes projects in the center’s Interdisciplinary Research and Training Initiative. She also advises its Student-Postdoc Advisory Committee.
Workshop topics will include ethical persuasion and interpersonal relationships in research settings. The meeting will be held sometime the first week of February 2008, probably in the Health Sciences Center.
As part of the grant, the OPA will also assess needs, expand Web-based resources and pursue joint programming with the Department of Medical History and Ethics.
