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Early Career Members

Membres en début de carrière



Are you a postdoc, research associate or new faculty member? Let us help you improve your visibility! The CSPB - SCBV is looking to feature out ECR members on our social media pages, website and in communications like our biannual bulletin. If you are interested in being featured please send a headshot, a short bio (<150 words) and your contact info (e-mail, social handles, website) to our Postdoc Rep Dr. Mark Minow at postdocrep@cspb-scbv.ca. We will accept features on a rolling basis.

Message from the New CSPB Student Rep


Sean Ritter

PhD Candidate, UBC

CSPB Student Representative



The Student Representative position has been newly created by the CSPB to allow for more direct input of early career members to the executive board. I am honored to have been elected to this position and am excited to get to work representing graduate students across Canada. My objective in this role is to foster community between students across institutions and to advocate for/facilitate development of further resources for early career researchers. My role will also include providing information about already available resources such as travel bursaries and student scholarships. Additionally, the student representative will also sit on the selection committee for the Ragai Ibrahim Award, allowing for increased student input on this prestigious scholarship. Finally, in this role I will coordinate with members of the Education Committee and Local Organizing Committee of CSPB conferences to develop professional development workshops at Annual Society Meetings and advance the EDI mandate of the CSPB in conjunction with the EDI committee.

 

During both completion of my M.Sc. in the lab of Dr. George Owttrim at University of Alberta and at my current position as a PhD Student in Dr. Geoffrey Wasteneys lab at the University of British Columbia, I have been inspired by both the ambition and creativity of plant biologists across Canada through attending CSPB-organized conferences. During my time as Student Representative, I hope to contribute to the continued success of CSPB conferences, as well as increase student engagement with the society year-round. For instance, did you know that students are able to serve on CSPB committees? This is a great way to meet colleagues  outside of your institution and provide a student’s perspective on to the future of plant biology research in Canada.

 

As mentioned in the Student and Post-Doctoral Update, Dr. Mark Minnow (Post-doctoral Representative) and I would like to encourage students to reach out with ideas and concerns. To properly represent the diversity of students in Plant Biology across Canada, I need to hear your unique perspectives! Please feel free to contact me via email (studentrep@cspb-scbv.ca) regarding any issue you wish to be communicated to the CSPB executive, or just to say hello.

 

Budding Ideas


Editor:

Adrian Monthony

PhD Student Université Laval


The Budding Ideas column is an early career member contribution to the CSPB Bulletin which was initiated in Fall 2021. This column was created after the EDI Committee’s most recent survey brought to light that our Society could do more to engage with early career members at the graduate student and post- doctoral level. This column is one way to give graduate and post-doc members an opportunity to engage with the society, by sharing their interests, research and musings on topics touching STEM and plant biology, in short and sometimes unorthodox ways. The column is currently edited by EDI Committee member Adrian Monthony. Please email admin@cspb-scbv.ca with questions. 

Read Current Articles:

Biofortification: What does it mean? Why is it important?

Shakshi Anjali Dutt, UCalgary

The Advantages of Being a Lab Pioneer: Tips for Success

Vanessa Shivnauth, McMaster


Read Past Articles:

Ukraine: The world's breadbasket and a valuable contributor to plant biology

Adrian Monthony, ULaval

Do you know what 'first-gen' means?

Andreea Bosorogan, UoT


Biomass, biofuels, and big mistakes?

Harley Gordon, UVic

Dear Auxin: An ode to the master hormone 

Sonhita Chakraborty, UoT

Minimizing lab waste through sustainable lab practices

Praveen Khatri, UWO

Featured New Faculty & Postdocs

Read full bios of our featured members to learn more about their research!

Previously featured early career members can be found here or check out their features in our past bulletins!

Know an Early Career Researcher you would like to see featured? Contact the communications director communications@cspb-scbv.ca

Mankind is facing an unprecedented challenge from climate change. This anthropogenic climate change is already associated with altered rainfall patterns, extreme weather events and less predictable seasonal patterns, which are expected to increase non-linearly in the future. This is a major challenge to crop production and therefore to food security and human society. Agriculture is a victim of climate change but also a culprit since 20-25% of Greenhouse Gas (GHG) are released through agricultural activities. Without a substantial diet change, the growing world population will require a 70-100% increase of agricultural productivity by 2050 to produce enough food and this must be achieved in a sustainable manner without compromising nutritional quality. Furthermore, this must be done in a context of decreasing GHG emissions and increasing C-sequestration to help mitigate global climate change. This will require resilient, higher yielding crops having a more efficient use of water and minerals, and suited to climate-change adapted cultivation schemes and practices. Moreover, laboratory/researcher practices will also have to be modified to accommodate low energy-use/low C-footprint research activities.

In this context, the SPS Summer School 2024 will focus on introducing and discussing strategies, techniques and practices to carry out next generation plant research aimed at improving sustainable climate-change friendly plant productivity.

The summer school will bring together outstanding and enthusiastic young scientists (PhD students and young post-docs) and high-level researchers from all over the world in order to exchange knowledge and ideas. It is limited to a small group of participants (20 maximum) to privilege informal interactions and scientific discussions.

Deadline for application: March 4, 2024 (midnight)

Click here for more information and to apply.


 If you have any suggestions of information you would like to see listed here please contact the CSPB student and post-doctoral representative studentrep@cspb-scbv.ca

Si vous avez des suggestions ou d'information que vous voulez voir ici SVP contactez representative étudiant et postdoc à studentrep@cspb-scbv.ca

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