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SUMMER 2020
Message from Postdoctoral Affairs Director

Welcome to the second issue of Postdoc Parliament , a quarterly newsletter created for FAU postdoctoral fellows.

The Office of Postdoctoral Affairs and the Division of Research understand these are unusual times and recognize the impact on research and training. FAU is actively working on re-engagement plans and expect operations may not be quite the same. We will need to navigate anew, including the possibility of staggered work schedules, social distancing, face coverings and more virtual connections. However, be assured that safety is of utmost importance and every effort is being made to implement safety procedures. If anything is amiss, please connect with us immediately.

In response to this pandemic, we have moved some of our previous offerings online, such as the postdoctoral Career Talk. Postdocs are encouraged to call into these presentations and engage with the speaker. Career Talks, held the first Wednesday of the month, serve as a great preparation tool for next steps in career plans. In addition, postdocs are invited to schedule a virtual personal consultation with me, should you find it helpful.  

Your professionalism and vital contributions to the research at FAU are appreciated. Stay well and keep up the amazing work.


If you are interested in contributing to this newsletter, please email postdocaffairs@fau.edu .


- Karin Scarpinato, Ph.D.
Senior Associate Vice President for Research at FAU and Director of Postdoctoral Affairs
Derya Akkaynak, Ph.D.

Derya Akkaynak, Ph.D., an oceanographer and engineer at FAU Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute, has presented worldwide on her research of how vision works underwater.

FAU is Akkaynak’s third postdoc fellowship. Her first was in Eilat, on the shores of the Red Sea, Israel, developing the color reconstruction program called Sea-thru , a project that uses a physics-based approach to enhance underwater images, reducing the tedious and manual labor it takes to render a clear underwater image. READ MORE.
Lauran Brewster, Ph.D.

Lauran Brewster, Ph.D., a postdoctoral fellow in the Fisheries Ecology and Conservation Lab at FAU Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute, recently received a grant by the Save Our Seas Foundation to research the behavioral response of juvenile bull sharks to the harmful algal blooms (HABs) in the Indian River Lagoon.

Brewster is developing sensors and tracking devices to place on the sharks in an effort to monitor their behavior and movement. This data will assist Matt Ajemian’s, Ph.D., an assistant research professor at Harbor Branch, in the ongoing research on the HABs toxins.

Discover FAU's Clinical Research Unit

FAU’s Clinical Research Unit (CRU) is a state-of-the-art core research space specifically designed to conduct clinical research, clinical trials, longitudinal studies and patient-outcomes-oriented research projects.

In addition, the unit provides researchers with the facilities, tools, training, services and guidance to conduct high-quality clinical research.

Discover more about the CRU from Ximena Levy, MD, MPH, director of the CRU. READ MORE.
COVID-19 Resources

The National Postdoctoral Association provides resources and information to all members of the postdoctoral community, with sources from federal agencies, international resources, professional societies, universities and institutions.

Check out their regularly updated page for all COVID-19 resources here.

Also, check out the Division of Research's COVID-19 Impacts on Research page for additional resources, here.
Career Talk Webinar Series

In early June, the FAU Postdoctoral Association collaborated to launch the new Career Talk webinar series, a co-creation with the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs. This series serves as a career development resource to postdocs and as a way to keep in touch as a community during social distancing times. The series highlights a wide array of career paths for those with doctorate degrees with speakers from different fields sharing their experiences, career advice, tools and skills that could contribute to future success.

The series kicked off with the first speaker, Andia Chaves Fonnegra, Ph.D., who shared her journey towards a faculty position. Fonnegra is an assistant professor in the Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College.
Check out her talk from last month, here.

Here's a look at the upcoming speakers:
  • July 1 - Robert P. Mino, JD, MBA, MS, vice president, life sciences, Business Development Board of Palm Beach County, register here.
  • Aug. 5 - SooYoung Lee, Ph.D., founder and president, Cellucis Biologics
  • Sept. 2 - Panel discussion on grants, Office of Research Development, Division of Research
  • Oct. 7 - Rina K. Dukor, Ph.D., FSAS President BioTools, Inc.
 
If you have any questions regarding Career Talk, please contact Lorena Areal, Ph.D., president of the FAU Postdoctoral Association, at lbianchineareald@fau.edu , or Gina Niemi, director of Administrations and Operations, Division of Research, at gniemi@fau.edu .
Using Your IDP to Guide Your Trajectory

Self-reflection is a key component of your growth as a postdoc. That’s why FAU has implemented the Individual Development Plan (IDP), which allows you to reflect on your progress, where you want to be and how you’re going to get there.

But you’re not alone in the process. READ MORE.
New Office of Research Development Training Modules

A narrated powerpoint on National Institutes of Health K Career Development Awards is now available on the Office of Research Development’s Canvas site under the "Modules" section. There are also other training module series on the site, including a series called NIH Grants: A Primer, by Karin Scarpinato, Ph.D.

Access the videos, here .
Meet SparX at FAU:
Formerly FAU Research Hub

FAU Team SparX is a new "match-making" tool to create teams of researchers/scholars around projects. FAU Research Hub allows you to search for research mentors looking to recruit students to be part of their team, learn what others across campus are working on and more! Team SparX is now available through the app store/google play (via FAU login).

Visit their website here.
Reach Your Research Goals

So you're working from home – you must have lots of extra time to do research, or workout, or organize your closet, or maybe even make your first TikTok video. At least that's the illusion.The reality is, you don't have more time. In fact, you may feel even more pressured for time in this new world. That's why we've put together five easy things you can do to advance your research goals while working remotely

Watch video here.
Research Methodology Seminar

Tune in as Katherine Freeman, Dr.P.H., director of Biostatistic Collaborative Core and professor in the Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine, talks about the clinical trials in an era of epidemics.

Watch video here.
Core Conversations

Core Conversations is a new virtual webinar series that will introduce researchers to all the benefits of FAU's Cores, including current events, technology, new discoveries and more!

The first of this monthly series is slated for 4 to 5 p.m. on Aug. 26 via Zoom. Watch your inbox for your official invite!
Postdoc Career Talk:
by Robert Mino, JD, MBA, MS
4 to 5 p.m., July 1, Zoom

Upcoming: SooYoung Lee, Ph.D., founder and president of Cellucis Biologics
4 to 5 p.m. Aug. 5, Zoom
View list of upcoming talks, here.

Check out last month's Postdoc Career Talk with Andia Chaves Fonnegra, Ph.D., here.
Front Row Lecture Series:
Virtual lecture series on latest discoveries related to COVID-19
4 p.m., July 1, Zoom
Research in Action:
by Daniel Raviv, Ph.D.
1 to 2 p.m., July 2, Zoom

by Kate Detwiler, Ph.D.
1 to 2 p.m., July 9, Zoom

View all Research in Action talks here.
Virtual Workshop:
by FAU Office of Undergraduate Research and Inquiry
2 to 3 p.m., July 23, Webex
Meeting number (access code): 160 085 2228 Meeting password : PEhR3PU3EX5
*Have your resume/CV handy for the workshop
For postdoc affairs spotlight announcement inquiries email postdocaffairs@fau.edu.