https://doi.org/10.36866/pn.123.35

Reports contributed by The Society’s Early Career Theme Leads and an attending Society Member

Future Physiology 2021 was an exciting time for us as the Early Career Theme Leads, and we were pleased to share this conference with so many researchers from all over the globe. It was clear
from the high quality of research presented across all Themes that the future of physiology research is vast.

Hosting an online conference during the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic brought with it the challenge of re-creating the benefits of in-person conference. Our aim was to generate a supportive online environment where early career physiologists could share their research, network with peers, and attend career development workshops.

The online platform enabled attendees to ask questions about each presenter’s research, which prompted Q&A sessions after each talk; these Q&A sessions provided an opportunity to provide feedback, expand on points, and congratulate the presenters on their hard work.

ePosters allowed presenters to get creative, incorporating videos and additional information to present their research in a variety of formats in addition to the classic poster. The poster sessions allowed attendees to circulate between presentations and speak with peers. These facilitated two-way and small-group conversations, and hopefully re- created some of the social elements that an in-person conference provides!

In addition to the quality of research on show, some other highlights for us were the panel sessions at the end of each day. These gave us the chance to hear experts discuss topics such as how the pandemic has affected physiological function and how each respective Theme can move forward in terms of focuses and new techniques. They inspired us, and we hope it gave the attendees something to think about too.

It was great getting to know so many of you during the conference, particularly the networking sessions, and hearing about the variety of physiology research being conducted by early career researchers across the world.

Sana Yaar, University of Manchester, UK

Future Physiology 2021 has provided me with an amazing opportunity not only to present my work to an international audience, but also learn about a diverse range of topics from researchers all over
the world.

The Physiological Society team have done an incredible job in organising a conference that catered to the interests and needs of early career researchers. In particular I enjoyed and appreciated the
focus on the COVID-19 pandemic; it was encouraging to hear how different researchers have been dealing with some of the same challenges I have faced myself this past year. I really liked how the organisers included a panel to discuss the general impact of COVID-19 and lockdown on our work life, but also the specific panel discussing the science behind how lockdown could be affecting our
physiology.

I really enjoyed the wide range of topics covered in both the talks and ePosters; I not only increased my understanding of topics relevant to my PhD but had the rare opportunity to listen in on exciting research completely unrelated to my work. The talk by invited speaker Dr Evelyn Parr on the impact of the pandemic on our eating habits and how this could be realigning our circadian rhythms, was particularly fascinating for me.

The ePoster sessions were also enjoyable to attend; having access to the posters beforehand really allowed me to understand the research presented in a lot more detail, and therefore ask more relevant questions during the live ePoster sessions.

At this year’s conference I presented an oral communication during the Cardiac and Vascular Physiology session and was honoured to receive the Michael J Rennie prize for best talk by an early career researcher! Future Physiology 2021 is the first conference where I have presented an oral communication, and to have won this prize, knowing the high quality of talks presented by other researchers, has given me a great boost in confidence.

Following my talk during the Q&A session, where I received some wonderful feedback and tips for my research, I was able to engage in some interesting discussions regarding my work, which have led to new ideas for my PhD. I am incredibly thankful to the early career organising team for giving me this opportunity to present and discuss my work at an international scale.

Overall, I have thoroughly enjoyed both presenting and attending the Future Physiology 2021 conference and I am excited to take part in the conference again next year!