Finally, a return to in-person conferences: our bursary winners’ perspectives

PhD student, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso, Nigeria

EACR conference attended with meeting bursary: EACR Early Career Researchers Virtual Conference
Research: The topic of my research is “the Immunomodulatory effects of different extracts from Phyllantus amarus in Benzene-induced Leukemia in Wistar rats.” In this ongoing research, we prepare and administer different extracts of the herb Phyllantus amarus to Wistar rats subjected to a leukaemic condition using benzene, with the aim of identifying any potential anti-tumourigenic activity that this plant might possess. 

What was a personal highlight of the conference for you?

I was highly impressed with the session on CV writing and got the opportunity to see the mistakes in my CV and make appropriate amendments from suggestions given by the speakers. 

How was this conference different from others you have attended?

The organisation of the conference was top-notch, and there were no hitches throughout the conference. The organizers also communicated all activities to the participants, and the programme of events was strictly adhered to. 

How has the conference inspired you in your career?  

I learnt how to create an elevator pitch when preparing to present my posters, how to expand my network, dealing with feedback after a poster presentation, dressing appropriately for a presentation, practising before presentations, and also important skills and points to note in grant writing, combining research with catering for the family etc. 

Did you gain any specific knowledge that has benefited your research?  

I learnt that if I went for an interview and I was asked a question I don’t know the answer to, I can tell the interviewer that I don’t know the answer but that I will find it out and get back to them. I also learnt that I have to put up a smile before my interviewers and be confident, as nervousness will likely mess up my performance. 

Postdoctoral Clinical Researcher, Insitute of Cancer Research, London, UK 

EACR event attended with meeting bursary: Liquid Biopsies 
Research: Cancers spreading to brain cause serious neurological symptoms and limit patient survival. Detecting brain metastasis earlier could lead to improved survival and prevent onset of neurological decline. My research focuses on using liquid biopsies – from cerebrospinal fluid, and blood – to detect and characterise secondary brain tumours.  

What was a personal highlight of the conference for you? 

The talks by Dan Landau and Sarah Dawson were truly groundbreaking and inspiring.  

Were there any social/networking highlights you want to tell us about?

The poster session with the drinks reception on the first evening was a wonderful event. The posters selected were of great relevance to the audience and attendees, and the conversations regarding the work were very engaged and lively. I connected with a senior researcher with whom I hope to collaborate, and attending this conference gave me the opportunity to connect.    

How has the conference inspired you in your research? 

This conference has really been key in moving my research the next stage. During the conference, I discovered numerous liquid biopsy methodologies and analytes that I previously hadn’t explored eg. cfDNA fragmentomics, exosomal nucleotides, circRNA; and novel applications such using non-tumour cfDNA to infer immune cell dynamics. All the talks were thought-provoking and inspired new avenues in my research.  

Have you brought back any specific knowledge that has benefited your research? 

Upon return from the conference, I have worked on a funding application incorporating the novel methodologies I learnt about at the conference, and have also been selected to join a ctDNA working group in my local Genomics hub. I feel this conference has brought my knowledge of liquid biopsies up to date, and I feel equipped to work on the translation of these advances to clinical practice. 

PhD Fellow in Medical Sciences, University of Antwerp, Center of Medical Genetics Edegem, Belgium

EACR conference attended with this meeting bursary: Cancer Genomics
Research: DNA methylation alterations have already been linked to cancer, and their usefulness for therapy and diagnosis has encouraged research into the human epigenome. Several biomarker studies have focused on identifying cancer types individually, yet common cancer and multicancer markers are still underexplored. We used The Cancer Genome Atlas to investigate genome-wide methylation profiles of 14 different cancer types and developed a three-step computational approach to select candidate biomarker CpG sites. We identified 4 pan-cancer markers and 20 tumor-specific CpG markers which could accurately differentiate tumor types (AUC = 0.87–0.99) with specificities and sensitivities above 85% for the different cancer types. 

What was a personal highlight of the conference for you? 

My personal highlight was the talk by Dr. Rozenfeld about cancer detection biomarkers in liquid biopsies. This topic is something my research team and myself work extensively on and I was so inspired by the data shown by Dr. Rozenfeld and his group, especially that they have already moved to implement a 1-blood drop assay for testing out their identified markers. I was also inspired by the new bisulfite-free methylation profiling method that they have developed which could be useful in the research we are already conducting. 

Were there any social/networking highlights you want to tell us about?

Overall, the whole conference was a good opportunity to meet and speak to interesting people and renowned scientists. During the poster presentation sessions, I met two fellow researchers, one from Sweden and the other from Portugal, both working on similar topics as me. I also had the chance to meet Dr. Rosenfeld in person during those sessions. I connected with him and had several interesting chats about DNA methylation markers in cancer. I opened up links with him for possible collaboration between his research team and ours. Finally, during the social dinner, I spent some quality time talking to fellow researchers from different but still interesting fields of cancer research.  

How was this conference different from others you have attended? 

Apart from the excellent scientific content of the conference and the inspiring keynote speakers and research that were presented, I can describe this conference as “cozy” or “intimate”. What I really liked about it and found it different is that after the second day, all the participants kind of got to “know” each other and there was a lot of social and scientific exchange. Even the organizers and the speakers were very sociable, chatty and down-to-earth. They really mingled with all the participants and had genuine interest in conversions and for me, that felt really special and empowering. 

Did you take part in any interesting local/cultural activities in your free time outside of the conference? 

Yes, after the conference I was able to visit Oxford city with my lab colleagues. We visited the University of Oxford colleges and the Oxford University Museum of Natural History. We also went for a river cruise and saw many of the famous city sites from the water. We were lucky with the warm sunny weather as we could comfortably walk around the city streets and stop at every point of interest that we fancied. 

PhD student, University of Ibadan, Nigeria  

EACR conference attended with this meeting bursary: Early Career Researchers’ conference 

Research: My research project is on anti-cancer effects of Calliandra portoricensis (CP)- a known antitumor plant used to treat breast related diseases in Nigeria. I investigated and established the anti-cancer properties of CP against the development and spread of breast cancer cells to distant organs in vivo and in vitro. Furthermore, the active constituents of this plant responsible for its anti-cancer activities will be investigated and developed into a new treatment for early stage breast cancer and its progression. In general, this would help improve the quality of life for patients with breast cancer. 

How was this conference different from others you have attended?  

I found the conference very engaging, educational, and well-organized. The speakers were tremendous with their presentation by sharing their personal experiences, which opened my eyes to what academic life is really like. Additionally, I found the breakout sessions to be very beneficial since we got to talk about our academic challenges and how to deal with them 

How has the conference inspired you in your career?   

I have been inspired by all the speakers, but Professor Neta Erez’s presentation on finding a good work-life balance in academia has particularly struck a chord with me. During her talk, she discussed how she managed having a family while still maintaining her career, particularly when she travelled to the United States for her post-doctoral position. 

Is there anything from the conference that you immediately wanted to tell your colleagues about?   

Yes! How to apply for research grants, guardians and tips for early investigators by Ellen Wilson and how to find your calm in the storm by maintaining your mental and professional health in a chaotic world. 

Did you gain any specific knowledge that has benefited your research?   

Yes. I learned how to manage my time effectively between family and career without having them conflict. Additionally, learning how to write a successful grant application is important to my research and career in general and Ellen Wilson’s presentation on the topic was interesting. Writing and packaging my research on CV by Chapin Rodriguez also enlightened me on how to sell myself well in my curriculum vitae. 

PhD student, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece 

The EACR event you attended with this meeting bursary: Liquid Biopsies 
Research: As a PhD student at the ACTC lab, I’m working on liquid biopsies in the field of cancer research.  Identifying possible biomarkers and therapeutic targets in blood samples of cancer patients is the major target of my project. My future hope is that all patients could completely respond to therapies and end cancer. 

What was a personal highlight of the conference for you? 

I am really thankful to the organizing committee for the opportunity to attend and present my work at the 2nd EACR Conference on Liquid Biopsies, held in Bergamo. It was a great experience and pleasure to meet renowned scientists from all over the world. Outstanding mind-opener! The greatest moment for me at the conference was when I received the bursary award from the president of the EACR committee Prof. Caroline Dive, who I admire the most as a person and a great scientist too. 

Were there any social/networking highlights you want to tell us about?

It was an excellent opportunity to meet colleagues from various countries and exchange news on recent developments in the field of liquid biopsies. Quite edifying even for university professors, not to mention young scientists. Very encouraging reports by young researchers, who showed excellent professional skills. Attending the Conference was a real pleasure thanks to outstanding help from the Organizing team, which obviously put in a tremendous effort and helped all early career scientists. I really enjoyed presenting my poster. There were questions, comments, and genuine interest in what I presented. The opportunity to share results on an international level provides me not only with a new perspective but also an appreciation for all the challenges that exist in providing excellent care to all cancer patients throughout the world. It was a pleasure to share some of my work at this conference and learn from others regarding their work. It was a nice meeting in Bergamo and I had an opportunity to learn about a number of research projects and make a number of professional contacts. 

How has the conference inspired you in your research? 

The level of expertise and knowledge of the presenters were excellent. In addition, I appreciate their positive attitudes, willingness to explain concepts, and opportunities to ask questions. Great educational experience, I’m soaking it all in! I’ve learned a lot that I will take home with me and ingest, teach and use. I feel the exposure I gained will aid me in collaborating with other scientists and provide a foundation for groundbreaking research in the field of liquid biopsies.

The poster sessions were very interactive.  The oral presentations gave me a lot of new insights and ideas. I compliment the organizers for their excellent work and wish to participate in future events. Also, I learned a lot from attending the lectures and listening to the great scientists who were invited. 

Did you take part in any interesting local/cultural activities in your free time outside of the conference? 

I didn’t know much about Bergamo before visiting it. Most of the action takes place in the upper town of Bergamo Alta. It’s small enough that it can be explored by foot in a few hours but has enough side streets and hidden gems to keep you entertained for days.  Among the things to do in Bergamo, you can’t miss a walk along the Venetian Walls. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Venetian Walls were erected in the sixteenth century by the Republic of Venice to defend the city from enemy attacks. One must also enjoy the trip on the funicular, which for over 120 years connected the new and the old Bergamo. Once there, one can continue the journey with the second funicular from Bergamo old town to the San Vigilio hill. From San Vigilio, where more beautiful views are waiting to be discovered. 

PhD student, Garvan Institute of Medical Research (Australia) 

The EACR event you attended with this meeting bursary: Cancer Genomics 
Research: Most cancer-related deaths occur as a result of a process called “metastasis”, whereby cancer spreads around the body – most frequently to the skeleton, lungs, liver and brain. Individual cancer cells spread to these tissues and can remain there for decades before the secondary tumours appear, which are often therapy-resistant and untreatable. My project looks at how cancer cells are able to remain hidden for so long, and what factors make certain tissues more prone to hosting these cells. Understanding this process is crucial to developing new treatments that target cancers before the secondary tumours can develop.

What was a personal highlight of the conference for you? 

This was a very fun and highly useful conference! It was my first in-person conference since before the Covid-19 pandemic and I really enjoyed attending. My personal highlight was the Meet the Expert session with Dr Mireia Crispin-Ortuzar, during which she discussed her career path and how she came to run her own lab. Dr Crispin-Ortuzar has followed a rather unusual route to running a medical research group, coming from a physics background and getting involved in multiple companies and committees. For an early-career researcher, this was a fascinating insight into the various options following postgraduate studies, and was a very interesting addition to the science sessions! 

Were there any social/networking highlights you want to tell us about? 

The conference also provided many great opportunities to meet and interact with other researchers in the cancer genomics field. My personal favourites among these were the poster sessions – this was the first time I had presented a poster in my career and I really enjoyed the opportunity to discuss my results with people in a personal, face-to-face setting. This included people working from all around the world (England, Japan, Hungary, France and more) with varying areas of speciality. This diversity led to many fascinating discussions and gave me some great new perspectives on my project! I also got to hear about and discuss many other people’s projects, which was an awesome way to learn a lot of new things in such a short space of time! 

How has the conference inspired you in your research? 

The quality of the talks was absolutely outstanding – I learnt so much and it will undoubtedly influence the next steps of my project. We heard about many of the latest, cutting-edge techniques and models being developed, such as the Watermelon model (for simultaneous lineage and proliferative state tracing and from Dr Yaara Oren and the MIBI-TOF imaging platform from Dr Leeat Keren, which stood out to me immediately as being potentially highly useful tools for my own work. The talk that inspired me most however was Dr Nicola Aceto’s talk on circulating tumour cells, in which he talked about the heterogenous characteristics of these cells and the factors that appear to influence how likely they are to successfully grow into a metastatic tumour. This talk was directly relevant to my own work looking at the transcriptional activity of dormant tumour cells and the microenvironmental factors that influence dormancy.  

Did you take part in any interesting local/cultural activities in your free time outside of the conference?

I had a great time exploring Oxford, which I found to be a beautiful city with some lovely architecture! There are plenty of great pubs (we enjoyed a small pub crawl at the end of the conference in celebration and had a great time!) and some lovely places to eat. My favourite hidden gem though was going to see “Lyra and Will’s bench” – a standard–looking bench at first glance but readers of Phillip Pullman’s “His Dark Materials” trilogy (my favourite books as a child!) will appreciate the reference! 

MSc Candidate, Dokuz Eylul University, Turkey 

The EACR conference attended with this meeting bursary: EACR Early Career Researchers’ Virtual Conference 2022 
Research: I am currently working on sodium channels that affect cancer aggressiveness, and their relationship with nerve growth factor (NGF) on cancer cell proliferation and metastasis. This relationship is not studied on breast cancer, and I’m currently at the end of the studies of this project which is also my thesis. I am planning to make a contribution on literature for the relationship of NGF and sodium channels on breast cancer aggressiveness. 

What was a personal highlight of the conference for you? 

As a master student that was going to graduate in one month and didn’t know what to expect after graduation, this conference was really helpful to keep calm and prepare the best that I can for the next steps in my career.  

Were there any social/networking highlights you want to tell us about? 

I’ve met Chapin Rodriguez last year and this year I had the chance to discuss with him about studying abroad and how to expand my network. 

How has the conference inspired you in your career? 

I learned that everyone is struggling to some extent in their career and on their academic path. Therefore one should not feel alone in this, but rather should search for the people who can help take a deep breath and move on in this environment. 

PhD student and clinical researcher, Intermed Hospital, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia 

EACR event attended with this meeting bursary: Liquid Biopsies 
Research: Our research topic is connected to the cardio-oncology and involvement of the cardiovascular system in cancer therapeutics. We investigate the interaction between programmed cell death protein-1 expression and immune cell activity in head and neck squamous cell cancer and demonstrated that the prognostic effect of programmed cell death protein-1 expression is highly dependent from CD8+ T cell enrichment. In the second phase of this research, we will investigate how the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) will interact in this process. Altogether, we are looking at the role of RAS in various cancer therapeutics.  

What was a personal highlight of the conference for you? 

It was my first time attending a conference  related to cancer research. The highlight of the conference was the first in-person gathering after long pandemic restrictions. Therefore, it was very exciting to have in-person discussions with researchers who are actively working in cancer-related research.  

How was this conference different from others you have attended? 

My previous experiences were related to domestic conferences and the EACR Conference on Liquid Biopsy was the first international conference at which I shared my research. It was very fruitful to have comments and opinions from international experts in cancer research.  

How has the conference inspired you in your research? 

My inspiration from the conference was having innovative ideas from the international key leaders. Having a discussion with those experts was very fruitful to expand our research direction.  

Is there anything else you’d like to mention? 

It was nice to see young researchers who were actively participating in the conference. I think that the EACR meeting bursary is very supportive of the younger generation of researchers. 

Postdoctoral researcher, University of California, San Francisco, USA 

EACR event attended with this meeting bursary: Cancer Genomics 
Research: Using publicly available information on cancer patients, I identify genes that are erroneously regulated in cancer and for which high expression levels are linked to poor prognosis of cancer patients. I study the mechanisms that cancer cells use to upregulate the expression of candidate genes, as well as the effect of high expression levels of these genes on cancer cell phenotypes. This knowledge can lead to the identification of novel targets for anticancer therapy. 

What was a personal highlight of the conference for you? 

I received a lot of helpful feedback during the poster session, including advice from journal editors on how to improve my work for more impactful publications. 

How was this conference different from others you have attended? 

All oral presentations were excellent, so were the posters I had the chance to look at. I was impressed by the quality of the works and by the computational approaches shown to handle data on cancer patients. 

Did you take part in any interesting local/cultural activities in your free time outside of the conference?  

Yes, I visited some of the colleges at Oxford University, I have no words to describe the beauty of these amazing architectural icons.  

When you got home, is there anything from the conference that you immediately wanted to tell your colleagues about? 

Yes, I told my lab about Dr. Aceto’s presentation on the link between circulating tumor cells and sleep. I really enjoyed his talk even though it was virtual. 

Is there anything else you’d like to mention? 

I really enjoyed attending the Cancer Genomics conference. Since many of the speakers are leaders in their fields, I was expecting a high-quality conference, but it really exceeded my expectations.