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Post Doc Association - connecting across campuses

Posted on: 15 August 2024 by Dr Ana Sato in August 2024 posts

Dr Ana Sato delivering her talk
Dr Ana Sato delivering her research talk

The IVES Post Doc Association recently held a hybrid event at Leahurst, bringing together postdocs from across IVES. Dr Ana Sato tells us all about the day.

Alongside Drs Aisling Brady, Cordelia Dunai and Sian Pottenger, I recently organised a seminar on behalf of the IVES Post Doc Association. This academic year has been a busy one. Thanks to support from the Institute, this was the latest in a series of events we’ve held for early career researchers, which has included research seminars and networking events. 

The final seminar for the year was a dual campus extravaganza with transport to Leahurst available for postdocs based on the main Liverpool campus. This hybrid event ensured that everyone, regardless of location, could join in and benefit from participation in the seminar. We aim to connect both campuses and foster a cohesive and collaborative IVES postdoc community. 

Leahurst tour

A tour of the Leahurst campus was a particular highlight of the day! Attendees enjoyed exploring the picturesque campus with abundant green spaces and the sounds of farm animals all around. The tour also included visits to Leahurst’s research and veterinary labs, offering a rare glimpse into the cutting-edge research taking place. A particularly memorable moment for some of the postdocs was witnessing the post-mortem process, a fascinating insight into veterinary pathology. 

Hybrid seminar

During the seminar, Dr Blanca Perez-Sepulveda highlighted the MiBiC bioinformatics club. Started in early 2023, MiBiC aims to make bioinformatics more accessible to researchers at all levels. Taking place in the Life Sciences building, it operates as a “Coding Jam” session every Friday from 14:00 – 15:00. Researchers can dedicate this time to work on their bioinformatics projects, with the club providing a supportive environment for learning and collaboration. Efforts are underway to make these sessions hybrid as well, further broadening participation. Register using this online form  or contact Blanca at blancaps@liverpool.ac.uk for more information.  

I presented my research on the role of host-pathogen interactions in digital dermatitis (DD) in cattle. This project involves in-vitro assays, genomic breeding values and DD phenotypes. I isolate keratinocytes and fibroblasts from cattle foot skin from three phenotypes (genetically resistant / healthy, genetically susceptible / recovered and susceptible/chronic). As keratinocytes and fibroblasts interact in wound healing, I will compare whether cellular responses to treponemes differ between cattle with those different genetics for DD resistance.  Overall, I highlighted the intricate dynamics of this disease and the innovative approaches being used to study it. 

There was a good turnout at both sites, and everyone enjoyed a pizza lunch before we parted ways until the new academic year. However, the IVES postdoc activities do not stop here. This summer we’re holding a raffle to encourage postdocs to update their university webpages. We also have exciting activities planned for National Postdoc Appreciation week in September. 

We welcome any comments or suggestions at ivespostdocassociation@liverpool.ac.uk. Contact us too to join our Teams channel.

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