Apr 30, 2024

Networking and sharing research: LMPRC is a huge success!

Programs: Graduate, Programs: MHSc Lab Medicine, Programs: TRP, Programs: Postgraduate, Agile education, Impactful research

A small group of women point at a poster

The Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology held its annual research conference this April. With almost 400 registrants and 140 research presentations, it was a great opportunity to see what was happening in LMP research.

Students from the research stream (MSc and PhD) presented alongside graduate students in the Translational Research Program (TRP) and MHSc in Laboratory Medicine (Clinical Embryology field). Residents from pathology, microbiology and hematological pathology presented, as well as from clinical and postdoctoral fellowships.

The day was opened by Vice Chair Education (Life Sciences), Dr. Michael Ohh. Keynote speaker, Dr. Logan Walsh from McGill University, spoke on “Decoding the tumor microenvironment with spatial technologies”. An engaging talk which covered a broad spectrum of fields from basic science to clinical applications, the room was packed with attendees.

The poster presentations, as ever, were a highlight. “It’s wonderful to see all our trainees in one place, talking to each other, sharing their research,” commented Dr. Susan Done, Director of Residency Programs in LMP.

A new addition this year was in running concurrent skills training workshops. From Biostatistics to 3D Cell culture, and Postgrad job success, there was something for everyone.

PhD candidate, Rupal Hatkar, attended the workshop on Single-Cell RNA Sequencing, “The workshops have been a great addition this year. I love hearing from experts and see them go through real examples, addressing specific technical issues and answering questions. I have received some great tips on how to analyze and interpret the data based on tissue type – very useful!”

The Product Show was a big draw. With vendors from Cedarlane, ESBE Scientific, Norgen Biotek, PHCbi, Sarstedt, FroggaBio and Diamed, attendees had plenty to talk about and to explore the latest in lab supplies and equipment.

The conference was organised by students, trainees and staff in LMP (see below for the full list of committee members). Priya Mistry, part of the organizing committee commented, “Pacing for the event was very important. It’s a busy day but we tried to build in time for people to chat and network – getting together in person is important for building relationships and sharing knowledge and we wanted to make sure everyone can get the most out of the day.”

CLAMPS Co-Presidents Negar Khosraviani and Seojin Lee led the student team. Negar commented, "It was a fantastic day! We had a great turnout of both learners and faculty. I feel like the day went smoothly and it was all thanks to the collective efforts of the whole LMPRC planning committee over the past few months which consisted of graduate students, postgraduate trainees and LMP staff. Our oral presenters were of diverse research backgrounds which reflects the amazing research happening in our department."

Seojin added, "Organizing this year’s LMPRC as co-president of CLAMPS has been an incredibly memorable experience. It was a long journey leading up to the day of the conference, but thanks to the amazing teamwork from the committee, it was certainly a smooth process. LMPRC organization was an opportunity of which I was able to truly feel the incredible breadth and depth of research going on in the department firsthand, and seeing the faculty members, students, and staff actively networking and enjoying the conference on the day of was an indescribable feeling of awe and joy. I look forward to the exciting research endeavours that are more to come from LMPRC".

See photos from the day on Flickr

See the conference web page.