2024 QIRC Early Career Researcher Travel Awards: A Transformative Experience for Our Researchers
In 2024, the Queensland Immunology Research Centre (QIRC) offered its first round of Early Career Researcher Travel Awards. In this 2024 round, the QIRC financially supported three talented early-career researchers to allow them to present at prestigious international meeting. These travel opportunities enabled them to showcase their research, forge new collaborations, and bring invaluable insights back to the community. Here's a glimpse into their experiences:
1. Sabrina Sofia Burgener, Gordon Research Conference, Proteolytic Enzymes and Their Inhibitors, Lucca, Italy.
This conference provided a platform for Dr Burgener and fellow attendees to explore innovative approaches to understanding protease functions and inhibitor design. A key focus of the conference was to build an interactive network by utilizing the multidisciplinary approaches of the attendees, which ranged from structural information and proteomics to disease modeling.
2. Cheng Xiang Foo, 16th World Congress on Inflammation (WCI), Québec City, Canada
Held in Quebec City, this congress brought together global leaders in immunology. Representing the Ronacher Lab from the Mater Research Institute, Cheng presented research on oxidised cholesterols in respiratory infections during the Australia Symposium.
3. Malvina Pizzuto, EMBO Workshop on Pathogen Immunity, San Servolo (Venice), Italy. Toll 2024, Rotterdam, Netherlands.
These back-to-back conferences offered Dr Pizzuto access to hearing about the latest advancements in the understanding of antimicrobial defense mechanisms. Key discussions at the EMBO workshop focused on the integration of novel genetic tools, live-cell imaging, and immune signaling pathways to unravel complex host-pathogen interactions. Dr Pizzuto reports that both meetings not only provided a platform for exchanging research discoveries but also facilitated crucial discussions on future directions and applications of these discoveries in clinical settings.
These awards highlight QIRC's commitment to empowering EMCR researchers and fostering a global exchange of knowledge. The outcomes of these travels are already enriching our institutes and will continue to contribute to impactful research in years to come.
Stay tuned as these early career researchers lead us into a future of discovery and innovation!
The QIRC will offer another round of EMCR Travel Awards in 2025. Make sure you are subscribed to the QIRC Mailing List to ensure you don't miss any announcements.