Last Thursday, April 11, another edition of IDIBELL PhD day took place in IDIBELL in the Duran i Reynals Hospital. This scientific symposium, framed in the project of specialization and territorial competitivity IN’H – L’Hospitalet, ecosistema innovador de salut of the Hospitalet City Council, is organized by the predoctoral researchers of the Bellvitge Campus and aims to display the research carried out by this students and promote collaborations between the research groups of the Campus. This year, more than 200 people attended the various presentations, conferences and round table included in the program.
The opening speech was addressed by Dr. Josep Manuel Menchón , scientific director of IDIBELL, José Luis Rosa, vicedean of research from the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences of the Barcelona University, Ramon Salazar, as a scientific director from the Catalan Institute of Oncology, Fernando Fernández Aranda, as a president from the Research committee in Bellvitge Hospital, Lluís Traveria, director of Strategic Projects in the Hospitalet City Council, and Judith Llena as a representative of the predoctoral collective from IDIBELL.
Throughout the day, 10 oral presentations and 30 scientific posters were presented and evaluated by a jury specifically selected for the event. In the case of posters, in this edition the popular poster award category where all registered attendees chose and vote, was again taken into consideration.
Dr. Laura Soucek, head of the Antitumoral therapies Modeling in Mouse in the Vall d’Hebron Institute of Oncology (VHIO) and CEO of Peptomyc, gave the PhD day plenary lecture, ” Exploring undruggable targets: inhibiting Myc to treat cancer “, where she not only explained her discoveries but talked about her journey through the research world, motivating the young doctorate students to pursue their passions and learn from both: success and failure. In the afternoon a round table about Women in Science was held, with the participation of Laura Soucek (VHIO), Carme Plasencia (Aromics), Ruth Rodriguez (IDIBELL) and Mara Dierssen (CRG). During the table, the speakers debated about the actual situation of women in the science sector, mentioning life experiencies and calling the youngest researchers to fight for responsibility positions in science.
At the end of the day, the IDIBELL PhD day awards were given. David Quirós, councilor of culture and social innovation in the Hospitalet city council and Marina Rigau, head of strategy in IDIBELL, gave the awards for the best oral communication to Piotr Kobialka, Xènia Serrat and Giulia Carola; and to the best poster awards to Ania Alay, Ana Santos and Marc Aragó (popular poster award). Quirós and Rigau gave, as well, the closing speech of a day that they described as successful in terms of high participation and pointed out the scientific quality of the presented works.
Furthermore, they stimulated the young to keep organizing and participating in initiatives such as the PhD day, to bring added value to their talent and career.