Volume 24, Number 8

HST Community Notices

HST TEACHING DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMMING SURVEY

Eva Cai, a second-year HST MEMP graduate student, is a Teaching Development Fellow for HST this year, and works with MIT’s Teaching and Learning Lab to support graduate student teaching and pedagogical development in the department. Eva will be planning some teaching development related events for the year. To gauge the preferences of HST students in teaching development programming for 2022-23, Eva is asking HST students to complete this survey.

Thank you so much for your time and interest!

HST FRONTIERS LECTURE SERIES - "PIZZA AND PIZZAZZ"

The 2022 HST Fall Research Frontiers "Pizza and Pizzazz” Lecture Series will take place throughout the semester.

HST developed the lunchtime Frontiers seminar series to introduce first- and second-year MD and MEMP students to the breadth of HMS and MIT research faculty within our community; the series is open to all however.  The talks are expected to cover new and interesting developments from the speakers' labs, as well as 10 minutes of background to put the work into the bigger context of the field.

The "Pizza and Pizzazz” series, will take place on Thursdays, 11:30am, TMEC 209.
Pizza and salad will be served following the talk at 12:30pm in the student lounge.
 

The full schedule for the fall follows; please mark your calendars!

October 27, 2022           Dr. Guillermo Garcia-Cardena - "Endothelium: At the Vascular Frontlines"

November 10, 2022         Dr. Dan Milner - "Pathology in the Developing World"

November 17, 2022         Dr. Kathleen Burns - "Butting into the Conversation: Transposons in Malignancy"

December 1, 2022          Dr. Rakesh Jain - "Role of the Tumor Microenvironment in Progression and Treatment"

December 8, 2022          Dr. Timothy Padera - "The Great Escape: Draining Fluid and Cells Out of Tissues"

December 15, 2022         Dr. Alice Shaw - "Next-Generation Cancer Therapeutics"

HELP SPREAD THE WORD - HST!

Are you traveling for any of the following reasons?

  • Conference/workshop
  • Giving a talk
  • Visiting your alma mater

Can you help promote HST by talking to prospective students?

Contact Laurie Ward (laurie [at] mit.edu (l)aurie [at] mit.edu (aurie[at]mit[dot]edu)) for talking points and promotional materials to distribute.
A link to an HST Programs Slide to include in your presentations can be found here.

DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION: WEEKLY INSIGHT

Don’t Just Mentor Women and People of Color. Sponsor Them.

Each week the TWiHST newsletter includes an item (reading, video, podcast, etc.) about Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in STEM, academia, research, or medicine. Members of the community are encouraged to submit suggestions here. An archive of previous TWiHST DEI: Weekly Insight posts can be found here.

MIT & HARVARD COVID-19 RESOURCES

Find a full list here: https://hst.mit.edu/covid-19-resources

Course & Academic Resources

MIT BIOTECH GROUP CALL FOR MENTORS - UROP MIXER

Are you a graduate student, postdoctoral fellow, or faculty member looking for a UROP for IAP or Spring?

MBG is collaborating with MIT’s UROP office to continue our official Life Sciences UROP Mixer–connecting undergrads excited about the life sciences to labs interested in recruiting. Based on student/mentor feedback from prior iterations of this event, it's a great way for mentors to find students who are passionate about the same projects. This year, we will also be providing DINNER for all registered mentors!

If you are a grad student or postdoc and you or someone in your lab would be interested in recruiting UROPs for the IAP and Spring terms, the mixer will take place during the week of November 7th from 6:30-8:30pm (official day TBD).

If you’re interested in attending the mixer, please let us know by filling out the RSVP form linked here.

GRADUATE WORKSHOP IN TECHNICAL LEADERSHIP

At this time, we’d like to announce our next workshop with Jim Magarian - Foundations for personal integrity in technical contexts

  • Wednesday October 26, 2022
  • 5-7pm
  • 32-144

This workshop centers on an interactive case analysis in small student groups. An introductory lesson frames the decision-making of technical professionals in terms of integrity and professional ethics concepts. Tools for decision analysis are presented, and students develop awareness of contextual variables that tend to strain integrity. Session concludes with case analysis debrief.

REGISTER HERE FOR THIS WORKSHOP

Full list of our workshops. These workshops will be limited to 50 students.  REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED PRIOR TO ATTENDING.  If you find you’re not able to attend after registering, please email LSTAG [at] MIT.EDU (LSTAG[at]MIT[dot]EDU) so that she can make your seat available to another student who is on the wait-list.

ABUGOOT LAB OPEN HOUSE

The Abudayyeh-Gootenberg Lab (abugoot.mit.edu) at the McGovern Institute for Brain Research will be having an open house on November 3rd from 5-6:30pm. We’ll have presentations from current lab members about projects in the lab, including new genome, transcriptome, and cell engineering technologies. Food will be provided! In order to estimate attendance, we request you RSVP here.

MEMSI IS BACK - WITH POSSIBLE TRAVEL TO HONG KONG

Join MEMSI (MIT Entrepreneurship and Maker Skills Integrator) to unleash your inner entrepreneur, network with industry domain experts to innovate for the aviation sector and turn ideas into products that matter!

MEMSI 2023 (January 9-21, 2023) is a two-week, intensive tech startup bootcamp for aspiring entrepreneurs who attend MIT or universities in Hong Kong. The hybrid program is designed for those who want to advance their skills in entrepreneurship, prototyping, product development and business modeling with fellow innovators across geographies. We will be partnering with the Hong Kong International Airport to tackle unique customer needs. 

We are recruiting students across broad fields of business, computer engineering, data analytics, UX/UI design and more, with a preference for Year 3 undergraduates and above (including postgraduate level, incoming or current Master’s students and PhD’s). You must be a current student pursuing a full-time degree bearing program at one of the UGC universities to be eligible.

Learn more and apply at our program website: https://memsi.mit.edu/

Don't miss out on this incredible opportunity! Email memsi [at] mit.edu (memsi[at]mit[dot]edu) for enquiries.

NEW FUND OFFERS GRANTS IN AI, MACHINE LEARNING

MIT School of Engineering and Pillar VC recently announced the MIT-Pillar AI Collective, a one-year pilot program funded by a gift from Pillar VC that will provide seed grants for projects in AI, machine learning, and data science with the goal of supporting translational research. The program will support graduate students and postdoctoral researchers through access to funding, mentorship, and customer discovery.

The collective, administered by the MIT Deshpande Center for Technological Innovation, will center on the market discovery process, advancing projects through market research, and prototyping. Graduate students and postdoctoral researchers will aim to emerge from the program having built minimum viable products, with funding and support from Pillar VC’s network of industry leaders, as well as the wider start-up eco-system. 

If you have market-ready research or technology and are interested in driving the commercialization efforts in the next 12-18 months, we encourage you to discuss the opportunity with your PI/advisor and apply.  Grants are open only to MIT faculty and PI researchers, with an emphasis for the funding to be used on graduate students in their final year, as well as postdoctoral researchers. Applications are open through October 28. Find additional information and an application on the MIT Pillar AI Collective website.

If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact us at ai-collective [at] mit.edu (ai-collective-help[at]mit[dot]edu).​

SAFE ZONE ALLY TRAINING ONLINE WORKSHOPS

Supporting LGBTQ+ Inclusion in STEM

Join us this fall for a series of free Safe Zone Ally Training Workshops, interactive training sessions that seek to raise awareness for LGBTQ+ inclusion in STEM and create a visible network of allies to foster a supportive atmosphere for LGBTQ+ individuals. 

Workshop Details

  • Level 2 Safe Zone Ally Training (Nov 1, 2022, 3:00 - 4:30 PM, ET)
    This Level 2 workshop will describe the concepts and implications of privilege and bias, discuss the climate for LGBTQ+ individuals in STEM and ways that allies can support LGBTQ+ students and colleagues, and explore techniques for creating inclusive classroom environments. Register here.

  • Trans Allyship Safe Zone Ally Training (Nov 9, 2022, 2:00 - 3:30 PM, ET)
    This Trans Allyship workshop will describe the concepts of sex and gender as they relate to trans individuals, explore the climate for trans individuals in engineering and STEM and its broader impacts and implications, and share strategies that contribute to an inclusive environment for LGBTQ individuals, particularly trans individuals. Register here.

This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grants Nos. EEC-1539140 and EEC-1748499.
Learn more at https://lgbtq.asee.org. (American Society for Engineering Education)

THE MIT-TAKEDA PROGRAM

The MIT-Takeda Program, a collaboration between MIT’s School of Engineering and Takeda Pharmaceuticals Company Limited, focuses at the intersection of AI and human health. With a number of the MIT-Takeda flagship research projects concluding after two years, the MIT Industrial Liaison Project (ILP) is hosting a four-part series to highlight the progress made. In addition, this series will feature presentations by MIT researchers and startups working in this exciting interdisciplinary area.

Each session will take place from 9:30 – 11:30am in the conference space at the MIT ILP Offices on the 12th floor of E90 (1 Main St, Cambridge, MA). A networking lunch will follow. Please RSVP via Eventbrite, where details of the agenda for each session can be found.

  • Session 3, October 25: Manufacturing (RSVPopens 10/5)
  • Session 4, November 1: Post-Marketing & Safety Monitoring (RSVPopens 10/12)

This series is open to people from Takeda and MIT, as well as to the startups in attendance. We encourage in-person attendance to enhance the discussion and networking opportunity. A livestream option will also be available.

We hope you can join us! 

HST.590 LECTURE SCHEDULE

HST.590: Topics in Biomedical and Research Ethics - Fall 2022
Meets E25-117 Thursdays 4:30–6:30pm

Schedule of Lectures and Course Events:

  • November 3, 2022
    Ethics & The Opioid Crisis:

    Andrew Kolodny, Medical Director of Opioid Policy Research at the Heller School for Social Policy and Management
    Ethics at the intersection of healthcare & climate:
    Marie Dunn & Caitlin Rublee, Clinical & Healthcare experts on the impact of climate change on health and health equity
  • November 10, 2022
    Ethics & Personal Information in the Digital Health Age:
    Eric Perakslis, Chief Science & Digital Officer at the Duke Clinical Research Institute
    Historical Perspectives & DEI:
    David Jones
  • November 17, 2022
    Ethics & Women's Health:
    TBD

MIT COMMUNITY WELLNESS CLASSES AND RESOURCES

This year, the MIT community is adapting to new ways of taking care of ourselves and others. If you’d like to connect with your community, stay active, sleep better, relieve stress, and more, Community Wellness at MIT Medical can help you find wellness programs that fit your needs.

Have you registered for your favorite class yet?

View all Community Wellness classes here.

Don’t see what you are looking for? Email wellness [at] med.mit.edu (wellness[at]med[dot]mit[dot]edu) with any questions about wellness programs at MIT.

Don't forget: MIT Medical's COVID-19 hotline can be reached at 617-253-4865, and the 24-hour general helpline is 617-253-1311.

MIT WRITING AND COMMUNICATION CENTER (WCC)

The Writing and Communication Center offers free one-on-one professional advice from communication specialists with advanced degrees and publishing experience. The WCC can help you further develop your oral communication skills and learn about all types of academic and professional writing.

You can learn more about the WCC consultations at http://cmsw.mit.edu/writing-and-communication-center and register with the scheduler to make in-person and virtual appointments through https://mit.mywconline.com. Please note that the WCC hours are offered Monday-Friday, 9am-6pm, and fill up fast.

Some faculty already require their students to consult with the WCC’s communication experts on their papers, technical reports, and presentations — doing so is a good way not only to improve the quality of their students’ work but also to help students grow as academic writers and communicators. 

The WCC has decades of experience preparing thousands of undergraduate and graduate students, as well as postdoctoral scholars and faculty, for positions in research, academia, and industry. We provide expertise in scientific and engineering writing as well as humanities and social science writing across various genres, including journal articles, scientific posters, dissertations, oral presentations, and slide design.

Start Your Fall Semester Strong With Writing Together Online
Writing Together Online is back with an expanded choice of sessions to accommodate those who prefer to write early and those who need longer sessions. Join 90-min writing sessions, which create a community of scholars who connect, set realistic goals, and write together to motivate each other. This program is open to all MIT students and scholars actively writing their papers, proposals, manuscripts, or thesis/dissertation chapters.

Feel free to register for any number of sessions here

The program begins Monday, Sep 26th and runs through Friday, Oct 28th

  • Mon-Fri 9:00-10:30 am (ET)
  • Tue & Thu, 7:30-9:00 am (ET)
  • Thu, 3-4:30 pm (ET)

Those who attend at least 5 sessions in Sep-Oct will be automatically entered into the raffle of gift-card prizes taking place on Friday, Oct 28th, at 10:30am. The more you participate, the more times you will be entered into the raffle of prizes.

For more information and to register, go to this link or check the WCC website.

UPCOMING EVENTS FROM THE TEACHING + LEARNING LAB (TLL)

Information about upcoming workshops for graduate students and postdocs can be found here.

For any questions about programs and resources available to graduate students through the TLL, contact Ben Hansberry, Assistant Director for Graduate Student Teaching (bhansber [at] mit.edu (bhansber[at]mit[dot]edu))

Subscribe here to the TLL Newsletter.

HARVARD CATALYST COURSES AND EVENTS

Harvard Catalyst works with Harvard University’s schools and affiliate academic healthcare centers to build and grow an environment focused on team science – where discoveries are rapidly and efficiently translated to improve human health. We catalyze research across all clinical and translational domains by providing investigators with opportunities such as pilot funding, free resources such as biostatistics consultations, training and mentoring programs, and numerous courses. To facilitate communication, collaboration, and data collection, our informatics team develops a range of open-source tools available to the community within Harvard University and beyond.

BridgeResearch: A Networking Event Series

BridgeResearch is a series of networking events for professionals working in clinical and translational (c/t) research at Harvard University and beyond. In these events, hosted by our Postgraduate Education program, attendees are invited to connect with one another while learning more about our program opportunities.

We look forward to connecting with you and expanding our clinical and translational research community together.

Upcoming Event

Investing in the Future of MedTech
Thursday, November 10, 2022 at 5:30-7:30pm ET
Harvard Medical School, Tosteson Medical Education Center – Walter Amphitheater and Atrium
260 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115
Hosted in collaboration with Medical Development Group of Boston

Join us as two industry veterans, Darshana Zaveri, MPA, Catalyst Health Ventures, and Richard Anders, JD, Mass Medical Angels, share their insights on the current temperature and dynamics in the MedTech funding arena. They will provide funding advice for entrepreneurs and discuss how best to communicate science, share solutions, and point out key aspects to highlight to investors.

Participation will be capped at 200 people, and food will be provided.

Please note that Harvard University requires COVID-19 vaccination for all attendees and boosters for all eligible attendees. Exceptions may be provided for medical or religious reasons. Masks are not required during the event.

Event Agenda:

  • 5:30-6:30pm: Networking
  • 6:30-7:00pm: Panel Discussion
  • 7:00-7:30pm: Networking

Pricing:

Online Registration: Free

In-Person Registration: closes November 3 at 5:00pm ET

  • MDG Boston members: $30
  • Non-members: $40

In-Person Late Registration: closes November 7 at 5:00pm ET

  • MDG Boston members: $40
  • Non-members: $50

Walk-In Registration:

  • MDG Boston members: $50
  • Non-members: $60

*Students pay $20 to attend in person.

Register to Attend In Person.

Register to Attend Virtually.

Information on courses and training through Harvard Catalyst can be found here.
A calendar of Harvard Catalyst events can be found here.
Subscribe to the Harvard Catalyst Newsletter here.

HARVARD INNOVATION LABS CALENDAR OF EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES

Information about the Harvard i-lab and it's upcoming events and activities can be found here.

2023 President's Innovation Challenge

We’re calling all dreamers, changemakers, and out-of-the-box thinkers to bring their biggest and boldest venture ideas to the 2023 President’s Innovation Challenge. 

Because let’s face it, we’re staring down bigger challenges every day: How can we help kickstart faster clean energy transitions? Rollback the global food crisis? Put funds in the pockets of folks historically underserved by traditional financial institutions? How far can our imaginations take us as we search for solutions that don’t yet exist?

Throughout the spring, all Harvard students are invited to share and grow their ventures with our community of experts and investors. Finalists get to pitch live in front of a global audience at our Awards Ceremony on May 3  — and compete to win up to $75,000 in Bertarelli Foundation prize funding.  Applications are due by November 30, 2022 at 11:59 pm EST. Got what it takes? Join us!

Conferences, Lectures & Seminars

31ST ANNUAL IRWIN M. ARIAS SYMPOSIUM

I am delighted to share that registration is open for the 31st Annual Irwin M. Arias Symposium, ‘Bridging Basic Science & Liver Disease’, featuring global speakers including Hans CleversLew Cantley, and Joseph Takahashi.

On November 10, 2022, we will build on last year’s successful virtual format, and hope to surpass last year's record-breaking audience that brought together speakers and audience members from academic, clinical, and industrial research settings around the globe.

Our program will include:

  • 11 plenary talks from scientists on 3 continents
  • a collection of ‘MicroTalks’ from junior scientists – to be selected from registered abstract submissions (deadline extended to October 25)
  • a ‘Roundtable Coffee Chat’ about topical issues between Dr Arias, myself, my co-Director Dr Wolfram Goessling, and moderated by Dr Nikla Emambokus from Cell Press’s Med

Notably, the entire program has been generously provided for FREE via the American Liver Foundation and its sponsors.

Free conference registration: https://alfevents.org/ariassymposium/registration/

*Submit trainee MicroTalk applications HEREhttps://forms.gle/92sMz3KoGjdWt3MR7

REGISTER/SUBMIT POSTER FOR NESBO 22

Registration is now open for the Northeast Symposium on Biomedical Optics (NESBO) to be held on November 10, 2022 in Cambridge, MA.

NESBO is a symposium organized by postdocs and graduate students where similarly early career scientists give invited talks about their research in the general area of biomedical imaging and sensing. The symposium is also a networking and professional development opportunity for early career scientists. This year's sessions in biomedical optics include: image processing and machine learning, neurophotonics, and advances in optical-molecular imaging.

Also included with NESBO is a poster competition (with prizes!), an academia to industry panel discussion, and an networking event at Cambridge Brewing following the symposium (drink and food provided!).

All graduate students and postdocs are welcome to register whether they are in the field of biomedical optics or just looking to learn more.

Check out the agenda and register FREE at the link below!! 

https://octresearch.org/nesbo-22-thursday-november-10/

COMPUTING CONFERENCE 2023

Please consider submitting your papers for the 10th Computing Conference 2023 to be held from 22-23 June 2023 in London, UK. 

Started in 2013, the Computing Conference has featured keynote talks, special sessions, poster presentation, tutorials, workshops, and contributed papers each year. The goal is to be a premier venue for researchers and industry practitioners to share new ideas, research results and development experiences in computing and related fields.

Conference Tracks include Computing, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Vision, Security, Communication, Ambient Intelligence, e-Learning & Technology Trends.

Important Dates: 
Paper Submission Due: 01 November 2022
Acceptance Notification : 01 December 2022
Camera Ready Submission : 15 December 2022
Conference Dates : 22-23 June 2023

Conference Website: https://saiconference.com/Computing

Computing Conference 2023 proceedings will be published in Springer series "Lecture Notes in Networks and Systems" and submitted for consideration to Scopus, Web of Science, INSPEC, WTI Frankfurt eG, zbMATH, SCImago

UPCOMING INSTITUTE COMMUNITY & EQUITY OFFICE (ICEO) EVENTS

A calendar of upcoming events is available here.

MEDICAL DEVELOPMENT GROUP BOSTON - EVENTS

The Medical Development Group Boston (MDG Boston) is a community of individuals professionally committed to the Medical Device and other Medical Technology Industry segments united by the belief that innovation and advances in technology lead to substantial improvements in health care.

MDG's Mission is to contribute to the continuing development of medical devices and other medical technologies by enhancing the professional development of its members, fostering and supporting entrepreneurial thinking, serving as a forum for exploration of new business opportunities, and promoting best practices in enterprise management.

MDG pursues this mission through the organization of educational programs and forums: the facilitation of cross-disciplinary dialogue and collaboration; the creation of venues for networking and information sharing for current and aspiring professionals, clinicians, and entrepreneurs; and the development of alliances with complementary organizations.

We would love for you to attend and spread the word in your community!

For more information on our upcoming events, visit our website.

MEDTECH BOSTON INFORMATION SOURCE & CALENDAR OF EVENTS

Boston has long been known as a medical mecca of scientific discovery. Boston’s healthcare professionals and administrators are adopting practices from other high-risk and service industries. The ‘big data’ movement is thriving, fundamentally changing our healthcare delivery systems. Digital health investments are higher than ever before. Medical hackathons and un-conferences are now an every-weekend occurrence. And both redesign and innovation promise to change medicine as we know it. It’s all happening right here, right now. But the problem is that many of us don’t know it. Despite Boston’s innovative energy and a solid medical infrastructure, many medical providers and health care entrepreneurs remain in the dark about the opportunities, events and work happening in and around the city of Boston – and across the country. That’s where we come in.

At Medtech Boston, we highlight exciting medical innovation work in and around the city of Boston. We aim to start a discussion about the most exciting and controversial new healthcare offerings, igniting a new reputation for Boston as a city with first-class medical research and patient care, but also as a city full of passionate people who use new technology to think big thoughts about medicine’s most pressing problems.

More organizational information and event postings from Medtech Boston is available here.

BRAINMAP SEMINARS

Future topics will be similar to the previous Brainmap season, with some talks on Optogenetics, MR-PET, BOLD physiology, ultra-high field MRI, multimodal integration, contrast agents, and many more exciting topics! Unless otherwise noted, seminars (webinars) are held on Wednesdays at noon.

Brainmap website: https://www.martinos.org/education/brainmap/

To sign up for the mailing list, please go to: https://mail.nmr.mgh.harvard.edu/mailman/listinfo/brainmap

Student Opportunities

GSC APPLE PICKING OUTING

The GSC Activities Committee will be holding an apple picking outing to Honey Pot Hill Orchards on Sunday, October 30 from 9am-2pm. Each ticket includes a personal bag for apples, apple-themed treats, and more!

Ticket sales will open HERE on 10/21 at noon. The sales are limited to MIT graduate students and their +1. A ticket with transportation included is $20, a ticket without transportation included is $10. The shuttle will leave campus at 9am and will be back by 2pm. Those using their own transportation will meet us at the orchard at 9:30am.

We hope you can join us for a day of fall-themed fun! Email relee [at] mit.edu (relee[at]mit[dot]edu) and  gsc-ac-chairs [at] mit.edu (gsc-ac-chairs[at]mit[dot]edu) for questions.

GRAD ARTS FORUM - RENAISSANCE AT THE GARDNER

Join MIT Grad Arts Forum for an evening at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum Thursday, October 27th at 6:00pm! Students will embark on a guided tour through the famed Gardner museum in the Fenway with the theme of “Renaissance at the Gardner.” Following the tour, students are invited to explore the museum independently until closing at 9pm.

This event is open to MIT graduate students only. Make sure to bring your physical MIT ID for entry into the Museum!

Register here.

About the tour:
Investigate the Renaissance within the context of European art and explore the influence of antiquity and medieval art.Through highlights from the Museum’s collection, students will explore the significant cultural, artistic, and scientific achievements of the Renaissance and reflect on how Isabella Stewart Gardner was inspired by this period in her installations.​

DIA DE DE LOS MUERTOS PAINT NIGHT

In honor of the upcoming Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, holiday, the MIT Society for Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS) Chapter will be having a clay skull painting social:

  • Monday, October 24, 2022
  • 6pm
  • 3-370

All supplies will be provided.

Traditionally celebrated on November 1 and 2 each year, Día de los Muertos​ is a Mexican holiday during which family and friends come together to remember and honor friends and family that have passed. Rather than a day of mourning, Día de los Muertos​​ is a celebration of lives lived.

Please stop by to paint a small skull, learn more about this holiday, and makes some new friends. We look forward to seeing you all there!

SANGAM DILWALI NIGHT

Get ready for Sangam Diwali Night 2022!!

Diwali is the festival of lights celebrated with great pomp all over India. Sangam Diwali Night is a cultural extravaganza that will showcase Indian food, music and dance. Join us for a night of delicious Indian dinner and cultural performances by MIT's leading teams!

  • Sunday, October 30, 2022
  • Dinner starts at 6:00 PM at Sala de Puerto Rico (W20-202)
  • Cultural show starts at 8:00 PM at Kresge Auditorium

Diwali Night is Sangam's annual flagship event that has attracted crowds of over 500 from MIT and other universities in Boston and Cambridge. We are very excited to bring you this event on a grand scale in 2022!

Order your tickets here today!

Go to Sangam social media to catch glimpses of Sangam's previous Diwali Night events!

https://www.facebook.com/mitsangam
https://www.instagram.com/sangammit/

https://web.mit.edu/sangam/

To keep up to date on Sangam events, subscribe to our mailing list here:

http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/sangam-junta

Looking forward to seeing you all on Oct 30th!

ASHDOWN HOUSE - OCTOBER PUZZLE FEST

Hey! Are you interested in puzzles (like crossword puzzles, logic puzzles, or puzzlehunt-style puzzles), and eating food?  We at Ashdown House have the event series for you: October Puzzle Fest!  RSVP here: https://tinyurl.com/puzzle-fest-oct22

Puzzle Potluck - Sunday, October 30, 2:30-pm

  • Location: Hulsizer Room (NW35-1121)
  • Free Food!
  • An afternoon of solving puzzles designed by event attendees, while eating snacks and drinks!
  • Writing a puzzle is optional to participate, but heavily encouraged.  Puzzle submission guidelines and form: https://tinyurl.com/potluck-oct22

For more info or questions, contact John Bell (jhbell [at] mit.edu (jhbell[at]mit[dot]edu)).  I look forward to seeing you there!

STUDENTS WANTED FOR END OVERDOSE ORGANIZATION STUDENT CHAPTER

Ben Lewis, a Master's student in the Technology and Public Policy program at MIT is interested is starting an MIT/Harvard chapter of a Drug Health and Safety community organization that he's partnered with in the past, The organization is called End Overdose and their purpose is to distribute harm reduction materials to community members, to spread awareness about drug safety, and to promote equitable drug policy. They have chapters at many notable universities, like UCLA, University of Washington, and University of Alabama, just to name a few.

Here is a draft of his Outreach Plan for more information on what the Boston: MIT/Harvard chapter would be doing specifically. As you can see in the outreach plan, they already have quite a few Harvard volunteers, but they are was hoping this could be more of a joint effort between Harvard and MIT students. 

If you are interested, you can either put your name directly on the outreach plan (under Current Volunteers), or you can contact Ben Lewis directly (lewis899 [at] mit.edu) with any questions or concerns.

GRADUATE COMMUNITY FELLOWS POSITIONS

Grad students, interested in improving graduate life & community at MIT while earning a partial stipend? Apply to become a Graduate Community Fellow!

When would I start? Start dates are flexible and based on the Fellow and the hiring organization. If you’re looking for a job starting this semester, over IAP, or next semester, these openings may be a great fit for you!

What would I do? Graduate Community Fellows work on projects and assignments that enhance the graduate community at MIT in targeted, impactful ways. Each Fellow reports to a staff member in the OGE or a partner organization. See specifics below.

What are the requirements? Must meet minimal eligibility requirements and agree to the terms of appointment. Appointment periods for Fellow positions vary. All positions serve 10 hours per week, and receive compensation of $700 per month.

International students with full-time RA/TA appointments should note that there are eligibility restrictions.

Available positions are listed at the current Fellow positions page.

How do I apply? Once you’ve reviewed position details, download the application to apply. Applications for all positions are reviewed on a rolling basis. We hope to hear from you!

Questions? Contact Jessica Landry, jlandry [at] mit.edu (jlandry[at]mit[dot]edu).

MITAC OPPORTUNITIES

Welcome! The MIT Activities Committee offers discounted tickets to the MIT community for local arts and culture, sporting events, and family activities.

Visit MITAC​ ~ Your Ticket to Fun for movies, museums, sports, theatre, music, family, seasonal & special events since 1984!

  • Online: web.mit.edu/mitac
  • On campus: The MITAC Stata Center ticket office is open Tues-Fri 12-4pm.

Feel free to stop by and visit!  

We look forward to seeing everyone!

Members of the MIT community: subscribe here (at the bottom of the page) to our mailing list/newsletter to receive the latest updates delivered right to your inbox!

OFFICE OF GRADUATE EDUCATION - FELLOWSHIP WORKSHOPS & FINANCIAL LITERACY RESOURCES

Fellowship Newsletter
Our Fellowship Newsletter is a monthly/bimonthly occurrence that includes upcoming opportunities and events, tips on applying to fellowships, announcements, and generally an avenue for us to relay fellowship related information. 

Interested in receiving the newsletter? Please sign up for our mailing list by clicking here. Future Graduate Fellowship Bulletins will be sent right to your email inbox.

Other financial literacy resources:

The OGE will host a virtual workshop series on investing, provided by Fidelity Investments. This three-part series will help guide those interested on the path to investing.   

  • Introduction to Investments Part 2  Wednesday, October 26th, 11:30-12:30 PM EST - RSVP HERE
    Part 2 of this series will be slightly more advanced and will build on the knowledge offered in Part 1. Emily Freund will discuss asset allocation, asset location, and understanding the market and economic business cycle.
    A Zoom link will be sent to all those that RSVP before the event as well as the recording of the workshop.
  • Introduction to Investments Part 3 Wednesday, November 16th, 11:30-12:30 PM EST
    Emily Freund will return for Part 3 of this series to discuss choosing investment vehicles and offer tips for fund selection. This workshop will build on topics covered by Part 1 and 2. An announcement with the RSVP link will go out closer to the event.

iGrad!
Check out the completely free iGrad Financial Literacy platform (offered in collaboration with the MIT Federal Credit Union).

Customized for MIT, iGrad includes videos, articles, games, job board, searchable scholarship database, and interactive modules on a wide range of topics, including emergency-funding, credit card management, identity protection, and spending-smarts. It is a great financial literacy tool for students and the MIT community in general. Find more information at https://mit.igrad.com/. We encourage everyone to sign up!

OGE website’s Financial Literacy section: https://oge.mit.edu/finances/financial-literacy/

OGE website’s fellowships section: https://oge.mit.edu/finances/fellowships/ including Fellowships Tipshttps://oge.mit.edu/finances/fellowships/fellowship-tips/Please reach out to the OGE at grad-ed [at] mit.edu (grad-ed[at]mit[dot]edu) with questions about the workshop or our financial literacy resources.

If there are further questions about fellowships, the OGE Fellowship section can be found here, especially the Fellowships Tips content here.  

INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS OFFICE NEWSLETTER

Read current and past issues of the ISO Newsletter here. For non-students, you can also subscribe to receive published copies by email.

MIT GRAD DIVERSITY & ICEO NEWSLETTERS

The Office of Graduate Education (OGE)’s GradDiversity seeks to support the success of underrepresented and under-served graduate students at MIT. This takes place through a series of programs designed to strengthen recruitment, enhance community, and ignite development in academic, leadership, and professional skills.

Together with the Institute Community and Equity Office and our faculty, students, and staff from across the Institute, we are committed to fostering a more inclusive and caring climate that intellectually engages and values all members of our MIT community.

Sign up for the GradDiversity Newsletter here.

Sign up for the ICEO Newsletter here.

MIT SPOUSES & PARTNERS CONNECT AND MIT LANGUAGE CONVERSATION EXCHANGE

MIT Spouses & Partners Connect is wrapping up its 50th anniversary year – check out our anniversary publication to learn more about how our program has grown over the decades!

MIT Spouses & Partners Connect - open to all significant others of MIT students, postdocs, and staff

The best way to stay up to date on all of our events and activities is to subscribe to our email newsletter which will be delivered every other Friday during the summer months!

Kids Clothing Exchange
Saturday, October 29 from 10am – 12pm in Kendall/Open Space

Join us for a kids' clothing and toy exchange for children ages birth to 5 years old. Registration recommended! You’ll be the first to learn of event details or if the location or date changes due to inclement weather.

Out with the old, in with the new! Co-presented with MIT Open Space Programming, the exchange will include kids’ clothing, outerwear, shoes, toys, and books. Expectant parents are welcome.

No need to bring clothes to participate, but please bring bags to take home your new finds. Leftover items will be donated to a Cambridge non-profit organization.

Open Recreational Swim for off-campus grad & postdoc families

Recreational swims are a fun and positive way to practice new skills, be physically active, and spend quality time with family and friends in the pool. This opportunity is cost-free to MIT off-campus families, thanks to financial support from MIT Spouses & Partners Connect.

Register here.

Toddler Time
Wednesdays at 10am on the
Westgate Playground

All kids from newborn age to 3.5 years old are welcome! You can bring siblings as well. This peer-led group will allow you to meet other parents and children for free play time and other activities. Snacks will be provided. This group is sponsored by Westgate, Graduate Tower at Site 4, and MIT Spouses & Partners Connect.

ON-GOING OFFERINGS

Weekly Wednesday Meetings
2-4pm in E23-009

Our weekly meetings are organized by MIT Spouses & Partners Connect staff and volunteers for the spouses and partners of MIT students, scholars, staff, and faculty. Each meeting revolves around a specific topic or activity. We invite speakers from campus, the community or our group to share their expertise. Babies and children are also welcome! Please be sure to bring a toy or activity that your child will enjoy.

Please enter the E23 basement from the E25 atrium. You can access the basement by either the stairs or elevators.  When you are at basement level, follow the signs to Room 009.

October 19: Fall Foliage tour at 10:30 a.m. at the Arnold Arboretum

October 26: Pumpkin Carving – bring your own pumpkin (we supply the carving tools)

Conversation Group
Fridays at 10am and Tuesdays at 5pm

Meet other MS&PC members from all over the world, get resources and information about life at MIT/Cambridge/Boston, exchange ideas, and engage in cultural conversations in a friendly and casual environment, while working on English fluency. This group will meet outdoors on campus while the weather permits and then will move to zoom meetings.

Please contactecgatmit [at] gmail.com ( ecgatmit[at]gmail[dot]com) if you have any questions.

Newcomer Office Hour
Monday, October 24 at 10am on zoom:
Register here

Are you new to MIT and MIT Spouses & Partners Connect? Want to learn about how to participate in our meetings and groups? Have questions about childcare, jobs, or English classes? Please join the newcomers Office Hour with Vika Palesheva, Program Assistant.

Private Consult with MS&PC Staff

Facilitated by Program Manager, Jennifer Recklet Tassi, this private appointment via Zoom or in-person is a time to ask questions, voice concerns, and reimagine your life here in Boston. We can spend the time talking about whatever is on your mind - from job search and career development to navigating a new city to figuring out how to make your experience in Boston productive and meaningful.

Appointments will be available at various times during the week.

Book a 30-minute private Zoom or in-person appointment here: https://mspc.youcanbook.me/

BEST WAYS TO LEARN ABOUT OUR EVENTS

Subscribe to our email updates: http://spouses.mit.edu/join/subscribe

Join our private Facebook Group

Follow us on Instagram @mspconnect

Visit our events calendar at spouses.mit.edu/event-calendar

MIT Language Conversation Exchange - open to all members of the MIT community

We connect people across MIT for conversation, cultural exchange, and friendship.

How to find a conversation partner at MIT so you can practice a language you are learning or want to improve with a native speaker.

Visit our website: http://lce.mit.edu

  • Search and contact native speakers of languages you want to practice for one-on-one conversation held at your convenience
  • Watch this video to learn how our website works

Join our Slack Space: https://bit.ly/lce-slack

  • Join or create channels for the languages you are interested in
  • Practice your writing skills while meeting other people at MIT who share your language interests

Subscribe to our newsletter: https://lce.mit.edu/subscribe

  • Stay informed about upcoming small group meetings & events

GET IN TOUCH WITH THE LCE

Email us at lce [at] mit.edu (lce[at]mit[dot]edu)

Follow us on Facebook @MITLCE

Visit our calendar

COMMUNITY SERVICE WEEKLY BULLETIN

At the heart of the MIT mission statement is a call to serve the nation and the world—and this charge is embodied by the MIT Public Service Center. Every year, we send thousands of students into communities locally, across the nation, and around the globe to apply their skills and knowledge for the betterment of humankind. In the Institute's best traditions of hands-on experience, entrepreneurial spirit, and creative problem solving, these students donate their time, create new technologies, form communities and companies—and ultimately change lives everywhere they go.

As part of MIT's Division of Student Life, we provide a central point of communication and support for the outreach and humanitarian efforts of the MIT community. We engage students, alumni, staff, faculty, and others in life-changing initiatives and social entrepreneurship ventures that provide needed resources to individuals and communities.

Sign up for the weekly Community Service Bulletin of Events and Programs here.

News and upcoming events are posted on the homepage.

Professional Opportunities

THE UCSF SANDLER FELLOWS PROGRAM

Nominations are being solicited for appointment as a UCSF Sandler Fellow. UCSF Sandler Fellows are independent group leaders who receive an annual financial award to cover their salary and the costs of their research program. Fellows are encouraged to apply for an NIH Director’s Early Independence Award (DP5). The UCSF Sandler Fellow award is nonrenewable, for a term of five years. See http://fellows.ucsf.edu/ for additional details about the program.

A candidate must be nominated by a mentor/advisor who is able to comment in some depth on the accomplishments and future potential of the candidate. A nomination letter, accompanied by the nominee’s curriculum vitae, should be sent to the address below by 1/13/23. Selected applications will then be chosen to submit two additional letters of recommendation and a brief research plan. All letters should include specific comments about how the candidate’s proposed research program has the potential for high impact in the chosen field and is distinct from existing work in the advisor’s lab, and why the candidate is ready to start an independent lab. Nominees working in any area of modern biomedical sciences will be considered. Although the UCSF Sandler Fellows Program is eager to consider nominations of all exceptional individuals, we are particularly interested in attracting a broad, diverse spectrum of scientists to our campus.

The deadline for nominations is January 13, 2023.

Nominations should be sent by email to:

Dr. Alan Frankel, Chair, UCSF Sandler Fellows Steering Committee, University of California, San Francisco, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, 600 16th Street, San Francisco CA 94158-2280 - Email: frankel [at] cgl.ucsf.edu (frankel[at]cgl[dot]ucsf[dot]edu)

POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCH FELLOW POSITION - MILLER LAB (MGH)

Research Area: Theranostics

Full/Part Time: Full Time

Investigators: Miller, Miles; Ng, Thomas

The Miller Lab in the Center for Systems Biology at the Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School is looking for a curious and driven postdoctoral research fellow who wants to develop and understand synergistic and translational theranostic approaches for cancer treatment, especially for prostate malignancies, and particularly through the use of targeted external and systemically delivered radiotherapy. Our lab has particular interests in macromolecule drug delivery systems, including nano- and immunotherapy approaches - always with clinical translation potential and relevance in mind.

Ideal candidates should have a background and/or interest in theranostics/imaging, radiobiology, immunology or cancer biology, with expertise in cell culture, flow cytometry, and in vivo mouse models.

Postdoctoral fellows will design and execute laboratory research in support of the lab’s mission to develop novel theranostic approaches for therapy and response monitoring. Creative thinkers who are willing to take risks and define important unmet problems in cancer research within a collegial and collaborative environment are encouraged to apply. Candidates will be encouraged to apply for their own grants with the eventual goal of the fellow launching their independent research career.

A PhD, MD, or MD-PhD is required. Interested candidates are invited to submit application materials consisting of i) a cover letter indicating research background/interests/plan including a statement of impact, ii) a curriculum vitae, to miles.mlller [at] mgh.harvard.edu (miles[dot]mlller[at]mgh[dot]harvard[dot]edu) and scng [at] partners.org (scng[at]partners[dot]org)). References may be requested post-interview.   

SEVERAL PROFESSIONAL POSITIONS OPEN - GERBER LAB - HMS/BWH

Post-doctoral Fellow, Deep Learning for the Microbiome at Harvard Medical School
Post-doctoral positions available (with flexible start dates) to develop novel deep learning approaches to further understanding of the microbiome--the trillions of microbes living on and within us. This fascinating, complex and dynamic ecosystem is crucial for human health, and when disrupted may contribute to a variety of diseases including infections, arthritis, allergies, cancer, heart and bowel disorders. Over the past decade, sequencing and other high-throughput methods have provided data about the microbiome at unprecedented scale.

We are looking for talented and highly motivated post-docs with strong mathematical backgrounds (computer science, computational biology, statistics, mathematics, ecology, physics, etc.) who want to develop and apply novel deep learning methods that will further understanding of the microbiome.  Applications include forecasting microbial population dynamics in the gut for rational design of therapies, predicting the impact of the microbiome on the onset or progression of human diseases, predicting interactions with the host immune system, elucidating host-microbial metabolic interactions, and discovering functions of uncharacterized microbial metabolites and proteins. From the machine learning perspective, areas of interest include:

  • Fully-differentiable interpretable probabilistic models based on relaxations and variational inference
  • Deep Bayesian, dynamical systems and other structured models
  • Neural topic models
  • Deep learning models using sequence information

The position could be a good fit for either someone with a strong machine learning background who wants to get domain-specific research experience, OR someone with a strong mathematical background who wants to get more machine learning experience.

Applicants should have a high level of interest in:

  • Applying new deep learning technologies to biomedical problems.
  • Advancing knowledge of the microbiome and its role in human health and disease.
  • Having your work make an impact on healthcare outcomes.
  • Working on an interdisciplinary team and collaborating with computational, wet lab and clinical scientists.

The candidate is expected to engage with the broader machine learning and computational biology communities by presenting work at top conferences, as well as publishing applications of new methods in high impact journals. Although some experience modeling biological or other complex systems is required, microbiome specific knowledge is not required.

About the lab: the Gerber Lab (http://gerber.bwh.harvard.edu) develops novel statistical machine learning models and high-throughput experimental systems to understand the role of the microbiota in human diseases, and applies these findings to develop new diagnostic tests and therapies. A particular focus of the Gerber Lab is understanding dynamic behaviors of host-microbial ecosystems. Our work in this area includes Bayesian statistical machine learning methods for discovering temporal patterns in microbiome data, inferring dynamical systems models from microbiome time-series data, or predicting host status from microbiome time-series data with human interpretable rules. We have applied these methods to a number of clinically relevant questions including understanding dynamic effects of antibiotics, infections and dietary changes on the microbiome, and designing bacteriotherapies for C. difficile infection and food allergy. We also apply our methods to synthetic biology problems, to engineer consortia of bacteria for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes.

Environment:  the Gerber Lab is located in the Division of Computational Pathology (http://comp-path.bwh.harvard.edu), which Dr. Gerber heads, at Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH) at Harvard Medical School (HMS), and the Massachusetts Host-Microbiome Center (http://metagenomics.partners.org), which Dr. Gerber co-directs. BWH, an HMS affiliated teaching hospital is adjacent to the HMS main quad and is the second largest non-university recipient of NIH research funding. The broad mandate of the BWH Division of Computational Pathology is to develop and apply advanced computational methods for furthering the understanding, diagnosis and treatment of human diseases. The Division is situated within the BWH Department of Pathology, which houses over 40+ established investigators, 50+ postdoctoral research fellows, and 100+ research support staff. In addition, BWH is part of the greater Longwood Medical Area in Boston, a rich, stimulating environment conducive to intellectual development and research collaborations, which includes HMS, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston Children’s Hospital and the Dana Farber Cancer Institute.

Qualifications:

  • PhD in computer science, computational biology, ecology, mathematics, physics, statistics, or other quantitative discipline.
  • Excellent publication track record.
  • Strong mathematical background with track record developing novel models and methods.
  • Solid programming skills in Python, with PyTorch experience desirable.
  • Experience modeling biological or other complex systems required; microbiome experience desirable, but not required.
  • Superior communication skills and ability to work on multidisciplinary teams.

Email single PDF including cover letter, CV, unofficial transcripts, brief research statement and list of at least three references to Dr. Georg Gerber (ggerber [at] bwh.harvard.edu (ggerber[at]bwh[dot]harvard[dot]edu)). In your CV, indicate whether you are a U.S. citizen/permanent resident or visa holder (and list visa type).

Research Scientist, Machine Learning for Microbiome at Harvard Medical School
The Microbiome AI/Deep Learning Lab in the Massachusetts Host-Microbiome Center and Division of Computational Pathology at Brigham and Women’s Hospital/Harvard Medical School is seeking a scientist with experience in machine learning. You will develop, deploy, and apply machine learning approaches, with a special emphasis on deep learning, to a variety of microbiology data sources. Applications will include forecasting microbial population dynamics in the gut, predicting impact of the microbiome on host phenotype, tracking infections in human populations, elucidating microbial metabolism, and discovering functions of uncharacterized microbial metabolites and proteins. An important component of the position will also include engagement with the broader research community to identify new application areas.

Applicants should have a high level of interest in:

  • Applying new deep learning technologies to biomedical problems.
  • Advancing knowledge of the microbiome and its role in human health and disease.
  • Having your work make a direct impact on healthcare outcomes.
  • Working on an interdisciplinary team and collaborating with computational, wet lab and clinical scientists.
  • Engaging with the broader research community to advance applications of AI/deep learning for the microbiome.

Required qualifications:

  • PhD in Computational Biology, Computer Science, Physics, Statistics, Quantitative Microbial Genetics, Quantitative Ecology, or related quantitative discipline, with demonstrated experience in machine learning.
  • Strong publication track record.
  • Programming experience in Python.
  • Experience with Unix, shell scripting, and high-performance computing environments (e.g., SLURM/LSF).
  • Experience with bioinformatics methods and pipelines for next generation sequencing data analysis.
  • Experience with organizing and managing large multi-omics datasets.
  • Strong written and oral communication skills.

Desired qualifications:

  • Experience with PyTorch.
  • Experience with microbiology/microbiome applications and metabolic modeling tools.

Email single PDF including cover letter, CV, and list of at least three references to Dr. Georg Gerber (ggerber [at] bwh.harvard.edu (ggerber[at]bwh[dot]harvard[dot]edu)). In your CV, indicate whether you are a U.S. citizen/permanent resident or visa holder (and list visa type).

About the environment: The Microbiome AI/Deep Learning Lab is a newly established initiative within the Massachusetts Host-Microbiome Center (MHMC) and the Division of Computational Pathology (DCP) at Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH)/Harvard Medical School (HMS). With recent funding from the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center, the Lab is building a state-of-the-art compute cluster with extensive GPU and CPU nodes, with the objective of making advanced deep learning technologies broadly available to microbiome researchers. The MHMC is a research and core facility that has worked with 100+ groups in the US and internationally to promote understanding of host-microbiome interactions in health and disease, emphasizing a focus on function to define causative effects of the microbiota and to harness this knowledge in developing new therapies, diagnostics and further commercial applications. The DCP is a research division with a broad mandate to develop and apply advanced computational methods for furthering the understanding, diagnosis and treatment of human diseases. BWH is an HMS affiliated teaching hospital, adjacent to the HMS main quad, and the second largest non-university recipient of NIH research funding.

GEORGE CHURCH LAB POST-DOCTORAL FELLOW POSITION AVAIALBLE

We have a Post-Doctoral Fellow opportunity within the group at the Wyss Institute to work on engineered cell-based therapeutics. Ideal candidates should have a background in either immunology, cancer biology, synthetic biology, or genetic engineering.

As a Northpond Labs funded project, this is a unique and fully-funded opportunity for those interested in working on research with translational and commercial potential.

Interested individuals may apply directly or contact the lab at church_lab_admin [at] hms.harvard.edu (church_lab_admin[at]hms[dot]harvard[dot]edu) with any questions

MEMORIAL SLOAN KETTERING CANCER CENTER - RECRUITING POSTDOCS - APPLY NOW

Postdoctoral training opportunities are available in Biological, Biomedical Sciences, Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology.

Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) is actively recruiting talented researchers to join us for the next phase of their career. MSK is a top-ranked cancer center that consistently produces innovative research aimed at preventing, controlling, and ultimately curing cancer among other diseases. We write to actively invite your graduating or recently graduated PhD students as well as postdocs seeking more experience to apply to be a part of MSK. We’d greatly appreciate your help in spreading the word amongst your students.

At MSK, postdoctoral trainees are embedded in a scientifically invigorating environment in the heart of NYC, an exciting hub for biomedical research. Postdocs would join a vibrant community of nearly 500 others pursuing a fertile range of scientific topics, all the while developing their skills and professional potential among a diverse mix of talented colleagues.

MSK provides postdoctoral researchers with a highly competitive salary and benefits package with yearly increases; full medical, dental, and vision coverage for themselves and any eligible dependents; low-cost housing options, affordable childcare, and minimum of 12 week paid parental leave.

To learn more about the diverse laboratory specialties in SKI and in Memorial Hospital and to peruse currently open positions, please visit our Postdoctoral Opportunities page HERE and the Career portal HERE, where candidates can also upload their CV to be contacted about future opportunities.

PRINCIPAL SCIENTIFIC RESEARCHER POSITION AT GENENTECH INFECTIOUS DISEASES

The Department of Infectious Diseases at Genentech is seeking a highly motivated Principal Scientific Researcher to participate in discovery research and drug development in the area of host-microbe interactions. The candidate will help drive our efforts in understanding dysregulated host pathways in infectious disease, including (but not limited to) sepsis, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), pneumonia, and COVID-19. This is a laboratory-based position that requires hands-on experience in immunology, microbiology, and cell biology. The successful candidate will be a member of a dynamic and highly motivated team committed to discovering novel therapies in infectious disease.

Qualifications

  • PhD in Immunology, Microbiology, Cell Biology, or related field

  • Track record of independent research and creativity, as demonstrated by high impact publications

  • Excellent communication skills and experience working in a highly collaborative environment

  • Familiarity with immune cell culture and/or in vivo models, multicolor flow cytometry, cellular immunological assays, single cell genomics, and gene perturbation technologies (CRISPR ko/i/a)

Preferred Expertise

  • Strong background in cellular immunology and experience studying gene function in primary immune cells, particularly myeloid cells

  • Previous experience in modeling and studying interactions between immune and non-immune cells (endothelial, epithelial cells, or fibroblasts) is desirable

  • Background in systems immunology and experience with computational analysis of -omic datasets is a plus

Find a link to the job posting here.

POST-DOCTORAL POSITION – CAROLINA CANCER NANOTECHNOLOGY T32 TRAINING PROGRAM

The Carolina Cancer Nanotechnology Training Program is an NIH funded 24-36-month mentored training program offered at The University of North Carolina Chapel Hill with focus area of research on cancer nanotechnology. Join an elite group of scientists and innovators using multidisciplinary concepts and skills to improve cancer diagnosis and therapy based on tools and discoveries made in nanoscience and nanotechnology.

All applicants must be either US citizens or permanent residents.

Strong emphasis on cancer biology and clinical medicine in addition to nanotechnology. Program focus areas include: drug delivery, polymers, chemo- and immunotherapy, RNA vaccines, computational chemistry, PK/PD, and translational research. Curriculum of seminars and workshops developed to broaden understanding of all areas of cancer nanotechnology. Physical and material scientists, pharmaceutical scientists, biomedical engineers, and clinician scientists all strongly encouraged to apply.

Apply Now!

Educational Requirements:
Trainee will have completed highly relevant doctoral training in medical, pharmacy, chemistry, biomedical sciences, or related area and was awarded PhD, MD, or MD/PhD.

Please refer to the program website for additional details. Any questions or inquiries can be directed to Amy Fry at amy_fry [at] unc.edu (amy_fry[at]unc[dot]edu).

POSTDOCTORAL OPPORTUNITY - RAKESH JAIN LAB - MGH

Tumor Microenvironment, Vascular Biology, Matrix Biology, Immunology, Molecular  & Cellular Biology, Metabolism, Intravital Microscopy and Biomedical Engineering

The JAIN LAB (https://steelelabs.mgh.harvard.edu/rakesh_jain/pi_bio) in the STEELE LABORATORIES OF TUMOR BIOLOGY (https://steelelabs.mgh.harvard.edu) at the Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School invites applications for Postdoctoral Research Fellow positions. Multiple positions are available in tumor microenvironment, vascular biology, matrix biology, immunology, molecular/cellular biology, metabolism, intravital microscopy and biomedical engineering. Ideal candidates should have a strong academic background, peer-reviewed publications, strong English language proficiency and writing skills. Candidates with a strong background in single-cell-sequencing, bioinformatics, Python, and R statistical computing are also encouraged to apply.

The Steele Labs have a diverse faculty and offer a lively and supportive environment in which to perform cutting-edge interdisciplinary research. Our research goals are (i) to understand how the abnormal tumor microenvironment confers resistance to various cancer treatments (e.g., molecular therapeutics, nanotherapeutics, radiation and immunotherapy), (ii) to develop and test new strategies to overcome this resistance, and (iii) to translate these strategies from bench to bedside through multi-disciplinary clinical trials. This tight integration between bench and bedside and application of engineering/physical science principles to oncology is a hallmark of our research.

Responsibilities: We seek creative thinkers who take risks in defining and addressing important problems, and who use quantitative molecular, genetic, cellular, and computational approaches in their work. Research fellows are encouraged to apply for post-doctoral fellowships and to write their own transition grants to launch their independent research careers following their training period. Salary will be commensurate with qualifications and experience with additional funding for conferences and training seminars.

Requirements: A PhD or MD/PhD is required. To apply, please send your CV, a career statement, a summary of your most significant research accomplishments (300 words) and the contact information of three references to: Steele Labs Recruiting jobs [at] steele.mgh.harvard.edu (jobs[at]steele[dot]mgh[dot]harvard[dot]edu).

MULTIPLE POSTDOCTORAL FELLOWSHIPS IN PHYSIOLOGICAL SIGNAL PROCESSING AND MACHINE LEARNING - MGH

Organization: Massachusetts General Hospital, Cardiovascular Research Center
Location:
 Boston, MA
Deadline: till the positions are filled

Description:
The projects involve the development of novel signal processing algorithms and hardware to improve health care delivery in:

(1) the Intensive Care Unit 

(2) smart-phone based diagnostics 

The interested individual(s) will function as part of a multi-disciplinary team of life scientists, engineers and clinicians.  

Environment:
The mission of the laboratory is to develop advanced computational approaches to study the mechanisms of cardiac arrhythmias from the myocyte to the whole organ level. Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) is a major research center, affiliated with Harvard Medical School and the Brigham and Women’s Hospital. Collectively, these institutions represent one of the largest aggregations of biomedical researchers in the world. Opportunities exist for scientific interaction and collaboration with an extensive program of seminars, symposia and other organized meetings focused on a large array of topics. These seminars are weekly and include local, national, and international speakers on topics of general relevance for cardiovascular science and medicine. The Cardiovascular Research Center (CVRC) has an internationally recognized research program in cardiovascular, vascular, and pulmonary disease and development. The CVRC is home to over 100 researchers, in two locations - the Charlestown Navy Yard and the new Richard B. Simches Research Building. The MGH Division of Cardiology and the CVRC have a proven track record in training leaders in the fields of applied cardiac electrophysiology, pulmonary and vascular biology.

Qualifications:
The ideal candidate should have a PhD in biomedical engineering or other relevant areas of biomedical sciences. She/he should possess excellent written and verbal communication skills, be independent, self-motivated, and should have solid knowledge of machine learning and signal processing, and significant programming experience in MATLAB and Python. 

Contact:
Antonis A. Armoundas, PhD
Massachusetts General Hospital/Cardiovascular Research Center
149 13th Street
Charlestown, MA 02129

TEL: 617-726-0930, FAX: 617-726-5806

Email: aarmoundas [at] partners.org (aarmoundas[at]partners[dot]org)

SALK FELLOW POSITION AT THE SALK INSTITUTE

The Salk Institute is currently accepting applications for a Fellows position from a variety of disciplines, from biology, physics and mathematics to engineering, statistics and computer science.   

The Salk Fellows Program is a path for exceptionally talented early-stage career scientists to embark on fully independent research programs as an alternative to traditional postdoctoral studies. We seek bold leaders who are passionate in exploring new frontiers in science and pursuing innovative solutions to fundamental questions in biology. Candidates or recent PhD or MD graduates, ideally no more than one year from graduation with two at the most, with demonstrated excellence in research and leadership ability are appointed as Principal Investigators for an initial term of three years with the possibility for an extension of one to two additional years for a maximum of five years. Salk Fellow appointees are eligible for consideration for promotion to Assistant Professor.

Salk fellows are interdisciplinary scientists who integrate diverse approaches (e.g. computer science, mathematics, imaging, computational biology, physics, machine learning, molecular modeling, synthetic biology or engineering) to address fundamental biological questions. Areas of interest include, but are not limited to, all aspects of health and disease (e.g. human, plant and global health/disease), adaptation and evolution, host-pathogen interactions, neurobiology, physiology, translational medicine and genomics, biophysics and bioengineering. 

Prospective Fellows’ proposed research should not be simply an extension of their graduate work but should pursue bold and uncharted frontiers. The work should be exciting, combining originality and risk, two factors that often lower the chances of obtaining support through traditional channels but can lead to truly groundbreaking discoveries.

Candidates must complete an application online through Interfolio at http://apply.interfolio.com/102486 and include a current curriculum vitae, research statement, and three recommendation letters from scientists who are distinguished leaders in their fields, including one from their research advisor.  Selected referees should be able to comment in depth on candidates’ accomplishments and potential and describe the impact of their proposed research programs on their fields. Research advisors should explain how candidates’ research is distinct from previous work conducted in their labs. Referees should also address candidates’ readiness to start and operate an independent lab and their potential to benefit from an accelerated path to an independent research career.

Applications with all required materials will be accepted until the position is filled.

TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES AT THE NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH (NIH)

The National Institutes of Health’s Office of Clinical Research Training and Medical Education offers an extensive range of clinical research training opportunities to prepare the next generation of clinician-scientists. Brief descriptions of the programs are provided below. As world’s largest biomedical research agency, the NIH encourages future clinician-scientists and medical researchers to consider adding an NIH experience to their portfolio.

Graduate Medical Education
NIH currently sponsor 17 medical specialty or subspecialty programs which have been accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME). We also jointly sponsor clinical training programs with extramural training partners, to include Johns Hopkins, University of Maryland, and the National Capital Consortium. In addition, we sponsor numerous "one of kind" translational medicine fellowship training programs. https://cc.nih.gov/training/gme/programs1.html

Clinical Elective Programs
Short term—4 to 12 week—clinically oriented elective rotations for senior medical and dental students; unique mentored specialty/subspecialty clinical research rotations are also available for combined program students (i.e., MD/PhD, DO/PhD). https://cc.nih.gov/training/students/clinical_electives.html

Postdoctoral Research Training Awards
Provides the opportunity for recent doctoral degree recipients to enhance their research skills in the resource-rich National Institutes of Health (NIH) environment, which consists of more than 1200 laboratories/research projects. https://www.training.nih.gov/programs/postdoc_irp

Graduate Partnerships Program
This program is designed to bring PhD graduate students to the NIH Intramural Research Program for dissertation research. https://www.training.nih.gov/programs/gpp

IIE EU - U.S.  EDUCATION COOPERATION FOR RESEARCHERS

For information on EU – U.S. cooperation in doctoral and postdoctoral education opportunities for U.S. researchers and organizations. Visit IIE online at www.iie.org. Please contact the programs directly for additional information or with any questions you may have.

A quote from a recent Fulbright U.S. student, "My advice to Fulbrighters of the future is that which was given to me. Go at it with an open mind; your experience will not be anything like you predicted and will mark you indelibly, but it will be great."

Career & Financial Guidance Programs

CAREER AND RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES AT JIO INSTITUTE IN INDIA- LUNCHEON

  • Tuesday, October 25, 2022
  • 12:00-1:00 pm ET
  • 33-206
  • Register here

Dr. Ravi Ravichandran, Provost, and Professor of Engineering, will make a presentation about Jio Institute, including its vision, structure, research programs, and faculty hiring plans. He was previously the Otis Booth Leadership Chair of the Division of Engineering and Applied Science at Caltech. Prof. Ravichandran is also a member of the National Academy of Engineering since 2015. Jio Institute is a multi-disciplinary higher education institution located in Navi Mumbai, India, which was set up as a philanthropic initiative by Reliance Industries Ltd. and Reliance Foundation (news). The Institute is dedicated to the pursuit of excellence by bringing together global scholars and thought leaders, and providing an enriching student experience through world-class education, and a culture of research and innovation.

MIT PhD students and postdocs who are interested in faculty careers at Jio Institute or in collaborations with the Jio Institute are most welcome. Lunch will be provided.

If there are additional questions, please contact Dr. Suhas Prameela (suhasep [at] mit.edu (suhasep[at]mit[dot]edu))

CAPD GRADUATE STUDENT CAREER EXPLORATION GRANT

CAPD Graduate Student Career Exploration Grant 

Funding, of either $1000 to $1500, is available to offset the cost of domestic underfunded internships over IAP 2023. Example industry areas can include but are not limited to: non-profit, local government, startups, communication, creative fields, education or sustainability. Priority will be given to applications where the proposed opportunity extends beyond the scope of their current academic research trajectory and enables the applicant to make meaningful connections in industry.

Funds can be used to offset expenses students incurred by completing the experience. Examples of expenses include: travel, transportation, housing, food or other living expenses during IAP 2023. 

What do I need?   

  • Offer letter from the host organization that fits within the industry areas outlined above
  • Responses to short answer questions which includes an explanation of how the funds will help you complete the experience
  • Resume 

Application deadline: Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until funds have been allocated or until November 15th, whichever is first. If you would like to apply for the grant after November 15th, contact Tavi Sookhoo  (tsookhoo [at] mit.edu (tsookhoo[at]mit[dot]edu)).   

Learn more and apply. Questions? Contact: Tavi Sookhoo, Assistant Director of Career Prototypes, tsookhoo [at] mit.edu (tsookhoo[at]mit[dot]edu) 

GSAS HARVARD BIOTECH CLUB INCUBATOR SEEKING COMPANY APPLICATIONS

The Harvard Biotech Incubator is seeking company applications for the Fall 2022 – Spring 2023 academic year!

Whether the state of your project is a great idea based on solid science or a pre-existing company, The Incubator can accelerate the translation of your technology into a commercializable product or venture-backed start-up!

Benefits of The Incubator:

Within this year-long program, a team of graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, residents, business students and other members of the Harvard/MIT community will work directly on developing your company. Guided by a panel of academic and industry advisors, The Incubator will…

  • Brainstorm all potential product-related applications.
  • Perform due diligence/market analysis.
  • Gain insight from key opinion leaders.
  • Develop investor pitch decks.
  • Create integrative business plans to help guide your company.

Throughout our program, you will have unparalleled access to our panel of advisors and team of Harvard/MIT affiliates as we work together to realize the full commercialization potential of your business.

Company Requirements:

  • Affiliated with Harvard/MIT.
  • Early-stage company (e.g., pre-IND) OR well-developed science-backed idea.
  • Technology or therapeutic target with multiple potential applications/indications.
  • Applications are not restricted to healthcare. Biotechnology applications beyond the realm of healthcare are also encouraged to apply.

Apply Here

Get further information at The Incubator website here

For questions and inquiries, please contact hbincubator [at] gmail.com (hbincubator[at]gmail[dot]com)

Advisors

  • Dr. Fred Mermelstein, Entrepreneur in Residence at Dana Farber Cancer Institute (DFCI).
  • Dr. Carl Novina, Associate Professor at DFCI and serial entrepreneur.
  • Dr. Robert Distel, Special Advisor for Technology Development at DFCI.
  • Dr. Kelly Griskis, Research Analyst, Tekla Capital Management.
  • Dr. Yije Ma, Director of Global Business Development and Corporate Gene Therapy Strategy Lead, CANbridge Pharmaceuticals Inc.
  • Dr. Pushkal Garg, Chief Medical Officer, Alnylam Pharmaceuticals.

Interested in staying up to date and being the first to hear about our events??

Sign up to our mailing list here

Get more information on the club here at our website

Follow us on social media!

Twitter: @thebiotechclub

Facebook: GSAS Harvard Biotech Club

CAPD'S NEW FACULTY JOB SEARCH SERIES - PATH OF PROFESSORSHIP WORKSHOP

Join us for CAPD’s New Faculty Job Search Series and prepare yourself to strategize, anticipate, and effectively execute a faculty job search. These workshops will help you understand the conventions and expectations for required documents (CVs, cover letters, diversity statements, teaching statements, and research statements); revise, polish, and perfect your application materials; develop interview skills; and be ready to negotiate salary, benefits, research provisions, and more. These workshops are open to MIT Graduate Students and Postdocs, and you may register for all the workshops or just the few that you need.

You’ll find the latest updates on upcoming workshops in your CAPD Newsletters or you can always check the CAPD Events page. Sign up for our newsletters and automated emails by updating your uConnect profile and preferences.

Have questions? Contact us.

Upcoming Workshop:

  • "Path of Professorship"
    • Friday, November 18 - Sunday, November 20
      The Office of Graduate Education is pleased to offer an annual multi-day workshop designed for attendees who personally align with the unique experiences of women-identifying people. The Path to Professorship Workshop prepares MIT Graduate Students and Post-Doctoral researchers to enter careers in academia and is open to all women-identifying and non-binary graduate students and postdoctoral researchers.

      The workshop’s aim is to provide information about academic scientific careers and the application process. Approximately 25 women-identifying and non-binary professors from MIT and a diverse range of colleges and universities share about their experiences in academia in an exciting and informative weekend. We aim to be inclusive in our event programming; we also recognize that the nuanced experiences of all gender minorities may not be fully represented. If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to pofp2022 [at] mit.edu (pofp2022[at]mit[dot]edu).

      Attendees learn:
  • Key strategies for applying and interviewing for academic positions
  • The importance of networking and how to manage networking with peers and superiors
  • Insights from deans and department chairs about what to negotiate for once ​you have the offer
  • Advice from faculty on things you can do now and during your hire to make your tenure-track years as smooth and successful as possible
  • Characteristics of different types of universities
  • Advice on maintaining a balanced life, in light of rigorous demands of a career in academia

    **Note: materials and networking opportunities will be provided

    Path of Professorship will be held in a hybrid format. All sessions on Friday, November 18th and Saturday, November 19th will be held in-person in the Samberg Conference Center on MIT’s campus with options to attend virtually if there is a COVID-related concern. Snacks will be provided on both days and breakfast and lunch will be provided on Saturday in person or remotely. Topics covered will range from “What Type of Institution is Right for You?” to “The Tenure Process”.

    Find more information and apply here. (The application deadline has been extended to October 23, 2022)

MIT ALUMNI ADVISORS HUB - ADVISING OPPORTUNITY FOR MIT STUDENTS

The MIT Alumni Advisors Hub is an online platform that students can use to ask for advice when they need it—from MIT alumni around the world. Students can get advice on their job and internship search, conduct a mock interview or informational interview, explore career paths and future entrepreneurial pursuits, and navigating life at MIT.

Sign up to gain access to a community of alumni who are eager to share their advice at https://alumniadvisors.mit.edu/.

Find an advisor today!

UPCOMING MIT CAREER FAIRS

MIT has a diverse range of career fairs, only a few of which are run by Career Advising & Professional Development. Others are managed by student organizations or academic departments. MIT students are also welcome at some fairs hosted by companies, professional organizations, and other universities.

To get the most of your career fair experience, see our Tips for Career Fair Success. You can also view the CAPD events calendar for career fair workshops.

Find out more about career fairs at MIT.

MIT'S IGRAD FINANCIAL LITERACY & CAREER RESOURCES PORTAL

The OGE sponsors MIT's iGrad financial literacy portal, with resources to help with financial support.

The iGrad Financial Literacy platform (offered for free to the entire MIT community in collaboration with the MIT Federal Credit Union) is customized for MIT with videos, articles, games,  job board, searchable scholarship database, and interactive modules on a wide range of topics, including emergency-funding, credit card management, identity protection, spending smarts, etc. it is a great financial literacy tool for students and the MIT community in general.

More information can be found at oge.mit.edu/finances     

GRADUATE STUDENT CAREER EVENTS - WEBSITE & CALENDAR

For those who are looking for other resources, recordings of career related workshops and sessions for grad students available here: http://capd.mit.edu

The CAPD Event calendar can be found here. 

Sign up for the Graduate Student Career Advising mailing list here.

CAPD OFFERS THE VERSATILE PHD RESOURCE TOOL

MIT Career Advising & Professional Development (CAPD) is pleased to announce MIT’s subscription to The Versatile PhD, a web-based resource for PhDs considering careers beyond academia. Our subscription, generously supported by OGE, can be accessed by students and alumni via CAPD’s webpage and student CareerBridge accounts. Once students register, they can simply log in to the site directly (www.versatilephd.com)

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