Early Career Microbiologists’ Forum update
It is my pleasure to introduce myself as the new Chair of the Early Career Microbiologists (ECM) Forum Executive Committee. On behalf of the Committee, I would like to welcome you to the ECM perspective. Each time, we will have a different member of the ECM Forum Executive Committee writing this update, so you will have the opportunity to get to know many of us!
M y name is Jo Kite, and I am a virologist by training. I completed my PhD on herpes simplex virus at the University of Surrey in the UK. Currently, I am a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Cambridge, UK, working with Professor Mike Weekes on investigating human cytomegalovirus evasion of the innate immune response. This recent transition from PhD to postdoc has given me a different early career perspective, and I hope to use it to further support the views of the ECM Forum.
The ECM Forum provides a platform for early career microbiologists to have a significant impact on the activities of the Microbiology Society. Over the past few years, the Society has released a position statement on Safeguarding the Future of the Microbiology Research and Innovation Workforce ( microb.io/33Pk6YG ), and the ECM Forum has organised the flagship ECM Forum Summer Conference to showcase early career research and encourage networking among members. The ECM Forum is open to anyone who considers themselves an early career microbiologist, regardless of whether they are in academia, industry or any other field. During my term as Chair, I am particularly focused on promoting the voices of all our early career members, no matter where they are in the world or in their early career paths. I encourage members to reach out to me with their ideas and opinions at any time. It was fantastic to meet so many of you at the Annual Conference in Birmingham. I would like to encourage everyone to sign up to the EC forum by logging into their MI Society, going to the update details section, selecting the tab for Get involved and then selecting the box for ECM membership. Joining the forum allows us to represent you better and makes you eligible for a number of prizes and events. Finally, I would like to express my gratitude to Colman O’Cathail for his leadership of the ECM Forum over the last few years. His hard work and contributions have been greatly appreciated, and we wish him the best of luck in his future endeavors.
Jo Kite ECM Forum Executive Committee Chair and Postdoctoral Researcher at the University of Cambridge, UK
jk867@cam.ac.uk @kite_joanne
30 Microbiology Today May 2023 | microbiologysociety.org
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