WIC Travel Grant Summary – Rebecca Sebastian – GRC on Stress Proteins in Growth, Development

Gordon Research Conference on Stress Proteins in Growth, Development and Disease, Italy

Thanks to the travel grant from WIC, I was able to attend the Gordon Research Conference and Gordon Research Seminar on Stress Proteins in Growth, Development and Disease in Lucca, Italy. This conference was focused on proteostasis and stress response mechanisms, with talks on topics ranging from biochemical mechanisms of chaperones to developing pharmacological inhibitors of HSF1 for clinical applications. Attending these lectures was invaluable in expanding my awareness of the current research within my field, and I enjoyed hearing sneak previews of unpublished work.

During the conference, I presented a poster on the intersection of SUMOylation and HSF1 regulated chaperone networks during heat shock. My poster was also selected for a short presentation during a poster preview session, which challenged me to summarize critical findings within a 90 second talk. This was my first time presenting a poster and speaking to such a large audience, and I was glad for the opportunity to improve my communication skills. While presenting my poster I received valuable feedback from other professors and other graduate students, including several ideas for new experimental directions that I look forward to implementing.

Attending this conference also gave me a chance to network with graduate students and postdocs at a similar position along their research careers. In particular, the associated Gordon Research Seminar provided graduate students an informal setting to present their research and engage in scientific discussions, which prompted more engagement from early career scientists. Overall, this conference has given me perspective not only on the current research opportunities within my field, but also the diversity of academic life. As I enter my fourth year of graduate school, these conversations and experiences will be helpful in shaping my own career decisions. I would like to take this opportunity to thank WIC once again for their generous support.

Author: Katherine Taylor

2019-2020 President of MIT Women in Chemistry View all posts by Katherine Taylor

About

Women+ in Chemistry (WIC+) is a group that uses the lens of gender to guide its support of graduate students and postdoctoral scholars in the Department of Chemistry. Our mission is to foster a sense of community in the department, facilitate connections with the greater community, support the professional development of department members, and advocate for people of all genders and for gender diversity in the department and the entire chemistry community.

The language “Women+" indicates that WIC+ welcomes anyone who identifies with our mission, which may include cis and trans women, non-binary people, and others who are marginalized on the basis of gender. We welcome allies to join us in centering the voices of those whose gender identities are underrepresented in chemistry.