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Looking back at the Clinical & Health Sciences Day 2023

June 8, 2023

On May 9, 2023, the first edition of the Clinical & Health Sciences Day took place; a symposium organized by Erasmus MC Graduate School. We take you back to this fantastic day in this article.

More than 250 visitors, consisting of PhD candidates, supervisors and research master students, gathered in congress center De Doelen in Rotterdam. The program consisted of 10 presentations and 20 pitches by PhD candidates, poster walks during the breaks, two keynote lectures, a catered lunch, classical music entertainment and, to conclude the day, a reception and dinner.  

 

Keynote lectures  

Matching the theme of the day, “Diversity in Science,” we welcomed two keynote speakers. None other than prof. dr. Joost Gribnau and prof. dr. Semiha Denktaş spoke about diversity within research and within society.  

The first keynote lecture, by prof. dr. Joost Gribnau, Head of the Department of Developmental Biology at Erasmus MC, covered gender differences in disease prevalence, etiology and modeling. A topic that has gained increased interest within the health care domain in recent years.  

In contrast to the first keynote lecture, regarding a more research-oriented topic, prof. dr. Semiha Denktaş, Chief Diversity Officer at Erasmus University, spoke about what it takes for an organization to achieve an inclusive, diverse, equitable and accessible organization. An inspiring story and important topic that is receiving increasing attention in 2023 and future years. Not just for research, but also for our society.  

 

Getting acquainted 

Symposia like the Clinical & Health Sciences Day do not only give researchers the chance to be inspired, but also the possibility to connect with other researchers. Consequently, networking was an important component of the Clinical & Health Sciences Day. Especially the posters in the foyer were the topic of conversation for many visitors. 

 

For and by PhD students  

The organizing team of the Clinical & Health Sciences Day was supported by a scientific committee who advised on the content of the program and the keynote speakers. In addition, an abstract committee of mainly PhD candidates was formed, who read and reviewed all submitted abstracts. The best reviewed abstracts formed the program of presentations, pitches and posters. In other words, an event for and by PhD students.  

 

Diverse, interesting and well organized  

Not only the organization of the Clinical & Health Sciences Day thought it was a successful day, but also the visitors were very satisfied with the event, as the evaluation showed. The event was rated with an average grade of 8 and was described as interesting, diverse and well organized. Over 80% of respondents said they made new connections and gained new insights.