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The APS Trainee Symposium is organized annually by the Trainee Advisory Committee. Topics cover all issues relevant to today’s researchers, educators and trainees at all stages of their career.

2022: Overcoming Writer's Block: How to Write, Review, and Promote your Manuscript

Learning to write and publish manuscripts is a critical skill for trainee scientists. One of the most common areas in which trainees have expressed interest to the APS Trainee Advisory Committee is in the challenges presented throughout the manuscript writing and publishing process.  This symposia series will take place over three sessions, with the aim to give trainees insight into the publishing process, from the early writing stages to the review process, and ending with how to best promote your newly published manuscript. The following topics will be covered:

Sunday, April 3, 7:00 AM – 8:00 AM (Session 1)
Preparing Your Manuscript 
Sue Barman, PhD - Michigan State University 

How to Pick the Best Journal for Your Manuscript 
David Pollock, PhD - University of Alabama at Birmingham 

Monday, April 4, 7:00 AM – 8:00 AM (Session 2)
Best Practices in Reviewing Manuscripts 
Gina Yosten, PhD - St. Louis University 

How to Respond to Reviewers 
Kristine DeLeon-Pennell, PhD - Medical University of South Carolina 

Tuesday, April 5, 7:00 AM – 8:00 AM (Session 3)
Distilling your Data into a Graphical Abstract 
Jan M Williams, PhD– University of Mississippi Medical Center 

Promoting your Scientific Writing 
Carmen de Miguel, PhD - University of Alabama at Birmingham


Below are links to resources from the three most recent symposia from the APS annual meeting at Experimental Biology (EB).

2020: “Next Generation Scientist ”

Symposium Abstract: What does it take to become successful in the academic and non-academic world nowadays? We, scientists are currently living in a globalized world that changes constantly and requires quick adaptation. Our scientific careers (grad school, post-doctoral training, tenure track or industry) demand more than just being at the bench and performing/reporting good science. A need for clear and effective communication, service for the professional organizations, professional development and networking have led young scientist to acquire additional skills in order to be competitive for future career positions. A primary role of the American Physiological Society’s Trainee Advisory Committee (APS TAC) is to provide young trainees with the necessary tools to succeed in their next professional career stage, especially tools and skillsets that the next generation of scientists can use in the modern world. For this the APS TAC has invited experienced speakers to address important career development topics in a 3-day symposium. The topics covered for the “Next Generation Scientist” are: 1) Communication, 2) Identity and 3) Engagement and Outreach. Each day, two speakers will have an interactive presentation with the audience for around 40 min (20 min each) followed by a 15-minute Q and A session facilitated by the chairs. At the end of the symposium, we expect young trainees to receive essential information that can be added into their professional profiles (CV/resume/LinkedIn) that will help them become successful scientists.

       Sunday, April 5, 2020, 7:00 AM – 8:00 AM
       Small audiences – poster presentation
       Kelly Hyndman, PhD - Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham

Big audience presentation
Christopher Banek, PhD - Physiology, University of Arizona College of Medicine (Phoenix)

Monday, April 6, 2020, 7:00 AM – 8:00 AM
What you need to do to reach your next step (post-docs)?
Michelle Gumz, PhD - Medicine, University of Florida (Gainesville)

What you need to do to reach you next step (industry)?
Oscar Queiroz, PhD - Chr. Hansen BioScience Company (Høsholm, Denmark)

Tuesday, April 7, 2020, 7:00 AM – 8:00 AM
Professional leadership through APS
Scott Steen, CAE, FASE – Executive Director, APS (Rockville, Md.)

Professional leadership through and through; contribution to the community
Carmen de Miguel, PhD - Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham

 

    2019: “Marketing Yourself for a Successful Career”

    Organized by Ijeoma Obi  (University of Alabama at Birmingham) and Miguel Zarate (University of Colorado Denver)

    The purpose of this trainee symposium is to provide information to help trainees cultivate skills needed to stand out as a competitive candidate and help ensure trainees are well prepared for a successful career in the future. Presentations cover a range of topics including how to build marketable skills, how to find career development opportunities outside academia and how to capitalize on social networks to build a successful career.

    Speakers:

    2018: "Do it Again: How to Achieve Rigorously Reproducible Research"”

    Organized by Ryan Downey (Georgetown University) and Ijeoma Obi (University of Alabama at Birmingham)

    The purpose of this trainee symposium is to deliver critical points and considerations on topics trainees and established scientists can immediately apply in their current research to increase the rigor and reproducibility of their experiments. Presentations cover a range of topics including enhancing the value of research findings, learning to work effectively with regulatory committees, applying rigor and reproducibility in the lab and publishing reproducible research.

    Speakers:

    • Shai Silberberg (NINDS/NIH, Bethesda, Md.)
    • Bill Yates (University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine)
    • Sean Stocker (University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine)
    • Kim Barrett (University of California, San Diego School of Medicine)