Liam Cheeseman
University of Liverpool, PhD student and event organiser

https://doi.org/10.36866/pn.87.17

29 March 2012

On 29 March, the first Liverpool–Manchester Inter-University Postgraduate Symposium took place at the University of Liverpool. Over 150 students and researchers from both universities attended this one-day symposium which focused on physiology and cell biology.

The event was tailored to the needs of postgraduates. The meeting aimed to offer PhD students a platform to practise their presentation skills in front of peers in an environment less intimidating than a national or international conference.

Ten PhD students were selected to deliver oral presentations, and a further 50 postgraduate students presented their work through a poster exhibition. In addition, two exceptional guest speakers attended: Erik Sahai (London Research Institute), who described cancer cell invasion in complex environments; and Sir Michael Berridge (Babraham Institute, Cambridge), who gave an overview of calcium as a signalling molecule in health and disease. Their presentations described the cutting-edge of research in their fields and outlined the challenges facing the younger generation of scientists.

The symposium was very well received by all attendees, who particularly enjoyed the broad topics of the presentations which remained within the scope of physiology and cell biology.

The prize for best talk was awarded to Alexander Ryan from the University of Manchester. The prize for best poster was awarded to Hayley Dingsdale from the University of Liverpool.

We are very grateful for the financial support of our sponsors, including The Physiological Society, without which this meeting could not have taken place.