Professional Development Workshops
Lead Us Not Into Error — Practical Advice From Statistical Reviewers
Organizer/Moderator: Mike Malek-AhmadiSpeaker: Katherine Button, Eva Petkova, Robert Calin-Jageman
Track: Research Skills
The use of statistical reviewers as part of the peer review process is increasingly common, particularly among top-tier journals. This workshop will be paneled by several statistical reviewers who will provide insight and tips on how investigators can avoid common pitfalls and mistakes in their statistical analyses and in the presentation of their results. An interactive discussion between the panelists and workshop attendees will allow for individuals to address specific issues.
Powerful Presentations
Organizer/Moderator: Melanie SamuelSpeaker: Bri McWhorter, Joshua Sanes, Monica Feliu-Mojer, Trent Watkins, Katherine Thompson-Peer
Track: Career Skills
The goal of this workshop is to develop scientific communication skills to powerfully convey ideas to both experts and nonexperts. Effective presentation is the basis for career advancement at all levels in science. In this workshop, attendees will learn how to hone these skills through understanding how to develop and deliver effective talks to engage your audience. In addition, panelists will focus on challenges and solutions for engaging audiences when communicating on digital platforms.
Brain Data Science — A World of New Neuroscience Career Opportunities
Organizer/Moderator: Jane RoskamsSpeaker: Saskia de Vries, Mathew Abrams, Edda Thiels, Shan Shen, Krzysztof Gorgolewski, Blake Richards, Ariel Rokem
Track: Career Paths
Open collaborative brain research is generating huge piles of data that must be managed and analyzed. The explosion of brain big data, machine learning, and AI has created a demand for "data competent" neuroscientists working in multiple sectors who will shape the future of neuroscience. But how do we get into brain data science? This workshop features individuals with a variety of positions in brain data science to present how they do what they do, how they got there, and where they are going.
Increasing Public Support for Your Research and Advancing Your Career Through Effective Science Writing
Organizer/Moderator: Eduardo Rosa-MolinarSpeaker: Wendy Jarrett, Jim Newman, Sally Temple
Track: Career Skills
This workshop will instruct participants on how to write clearly and effectively in a way that articulates the importance of one’s research and places it in the greater context of increasing scientific knowledge and improving public health. Presenters will also provide tips and case examples that demonstrate effective strategies for communicating about controversial or politically charged topics.
"Can You Write Me a Strong Letter of Recommendation?" Soliciting, Writing, and Evaluating Recommendations
Organizer/Moderator: Donita RobinsonSpeaker: Rueben Gonzales, Dorothy Kozlowski, Hewlet McFarlane, Claudio Da Cunha
Track: Career Skills
Letters of recommendation are critical parts of applications to graduate school, postdoctoral fellowships, faculty positions and career grants. What makes a letter of recommendation effective? This workshop will consider the elements of a strong letter for each career stage and is aimed at scientists soliciting letters from mentors; scientists writing letters for others; and scientists evaluating letters for admission, fellowship, and hiring decisions.
Combating Burnout Through Self Care — A Necessary Investment in Your Well-Being
Organizer/Moderator: Emily Sparks, Marguerite Matthews, Ericka BooneSpeaker: Erika McCullough-Simpson
Track: Career Skills
As scientists, it is easy to be consumed with completing our training, advancing our careers, and balancing life at home. The constant grind can be exhausting and lead to burnout. It is important to engage in deliberate activities and attitudes to improve mental, emotional, and physical wellness to live productive and fulfilling lives. This workshop will highlight the value of self-care and provide strategies to help manage burnout, identify early warning signs, and promote "intentional living".
Cultivating Mental Health in Academia — Busting Myths and Stigma, Building Knowledge and Skill
Organizer/Moderator: Wendy IngramSpeaker: Marguerite Matthews, Calliope Holingue, Adriana Bankston, Diana Bautista
Track: Neuroscience Education
Mental health challenges are rampant in academia and often difficult to address. This three-part workshop will involve (1) improving mental health literacy, (2) breaking stigma through storytelling, and (3) active listening skills training. Presenters will discuss barriers and solutions for cultivating mental health in academic research environments and methods for immediate and personalized implementation of evidence-based strategies at attendees’ institutions.
Inclusion in Higher Education — Designing Training Environments to Serve All Students
Organizer/Moderator: Taralyn TanSpeaker: Johanna Gutlerner, Arielle Baker, Maria Ali, Anthony Ricci, Maria Dahlberg, Alycia Mosley Austin
Track: Diversity and Inclusion
This workshop will combine short talks and breakout discussions to highlight multiple facets of inclusive educational practices: pedagogy, institutional policies, mentoring, academic programming, and student initiatives. Faculty, administrators, and trainees will leave this workshop armed with knowledge of evidence-based best practices to promote inclusion and equipped with resources and new professional connections to facilitate implementation of those practices at their home institutions.
Beyond the Rainbow — Empowering LGBTQ+ Trainees and Colleagues Toward Successful and Authentic Careers
Organizer/Moderator: Jennifer HoneycuttSpeaker: Madelyn Ray, Alycia Mosley Austin, Mae Guthman, Lauren Esposito, Siddharth Ramakrishnan
Track: Diversity and Inclusion
The LGBTQ+ community is more visible than ever, with increased presence in our field and within the Society for Neuroscience. The personal and professional experiences of intersectional LGBTQ+ trainees pose unique mentoring challenges in the laboratory and classroom. In this workshop, we will discuss specific challenges, outline the do's and don'ts of mentoring the next generation of LGBTQ+ neuroscientists, and engage in timely discussion with LGBTQ+ and ally panelists.
Teaching Neuroscience — Reviving Neuroanatomy
Organizer/Moderator: William Grisham, Richard OlivoSpeaker: Robert Rosenberg, Kaitlyn Casimo, Erika Fanselow, Marc Nahmani, Leonard White
Track: Neuroscience Education
Students often find neuroanatomy a daunting exercise of rote memorization in a dead language. This workshop is designed to enliven the teaching of neuroanatomy. Presenters will recast the topic by extending it to the cellular and molecular levels as well as animating it by learning to build a brain. Speakers will also describe how to rejuvenate pedagogical practices delivered both online and in person. Lastly, a physiologist-turned-neuroanatomy-instructor will offer a fresh approach through personal experience.
Neuroscience Departments and Programs Workshop — Embedding Rigor Throughout Neuroscience Training
Organizer/Moderator: Rosalind SegalIn an evolving research culture, it is more important than ever for training programs to integrate rigor, reproducibility, and transparency (RRT) into their curricula. While these issues are often addressed in ethics and responsible conduct of research courses, many programs are looking for ways to weave RRT principles throughout neuroscience training and instruction. In this workshop, experts will discuss how they have integrated RRT into their curricula, ensuring that trainees receive a strong foundation in RRT principles throughout their neuroscience education.
Navigating the Postdoc-PI Relationship
Organizer/Moderator: Ashley Kopec, Thomas CarewSpeaker: Susanne Ahmari, Kathryn Reissner, Alberto Lopez, Christopher Smith, Yasaman Alaghband, Wendy Xin
Track: Career Paths
There are instances in which the relationship between the postdoctoral fellow and the principal investigator may face challenges, and successfully navigating those challenges is essential to the success, wellness, and career prospects of the postdoc. In this workshop, presenters will discuss attaining and leaving a postdoctoral position and provide some guiding tips to facilitate productive engagement in particularly difficult conversations that may arise between a postdoc and a PI.
Why and How to Account for Sex and Gender in Brain and Behavioral Research
Organizer/Moderator: Lise EliotSpeaker: Sarah Richardson, Annaliese Beery, Emily Jacobs, Margaret McCarthy
Track: Research Skills
Long overlooked in biomedical research, sex and gender are now recognized as key variables that impact all levels of neurobehavioral analysis. But researchers often do not fully understand the difference between sex and gender, the complexity of each variable, or how best to analyze their effects. Given recent NIH mandates to include males and females in both clinical and preclinical studies, this session will deepen researchers’ understanding of sex and gender and how they impact the brain and behavior.
Integrating Life and Work in Neuroscience — Strategies for Success
Organizer/Moderator: Georgia HodesSpeaker: Kaliris Salas-Ramirez, Liisa Galea, Yevgenia Kozorovitskiy, Debra Bangasser, Scott Russo, Jill Turner
Track: Career Skills
Presenters from diverse backgrounds and family structures will provide their perspectives on strategies they use to navigate their careers/ lives. Intended for trainees through mid-career researchers, speakers will discuss how they cope with issues experienced by many scientists. Included will be discussions on having and raising children, the “two body problem”, caring for aging parents from afar, travel, choosing between soft or hard money positions, and how to prioritize professional and personal success.
Transitioning From the Bench to a Career in Science Policy
Organizer/Moderator: Nicole CatanzariteSpeaker: Vijeth Iyengar, Kimberly Maxfield, Adriana Bankston, Amy Hein
Track: Career Paths
Considering the rise in non-academic job opportunities and the importance of using science to inform policy in the 21st century, PhD holders are well-suited for careers in policy. This workshop will feature a panel of scientists who currently hold positions in a variety of policy spaces. Participants will be exposed to careers in both neuroscience policy and broader science policy and will complete a hands-on activity in which participants will learn to identify and communicate transferable skills.
