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IMS Weekly Digest - February 1, 2021

Highlights

  1. Events
    • Program Completion and Exam Preparation Workshop (Feb 12)
    • Black History Month: The Coromantee War (Feb 3)
    • Becoming a Parent while in Graduate School (Feb 4)
    • Community Talks (Feb 4, 9 & 12)
    • Design Thinking Experience Program (Mar 5)
    • I Need to Get a Job Club (Feb 23)
    • Flexible Futures Programming for Grad Students (Feb 5, 16 & Mar 4)
  2. Award Announcements: China Scholarship Council U of T Joint Funding Program
  3. Faculty news: Discount on article processing for PLOS Medicine and Biology
  4. Jobs: Medical Writer | Synapse Medcom
  5. Raw Talk Podcast: New Episode - Vaccines: Making History
  6. Health and Wellness
  7. Honours, Distinctions and Awards: 
    • Data Visualization Competition: Abeeshan Selvabskaran
    • Order of Canada/Ontario: Dr. Geoff Fernie, Dr. Michael Jewett, Dr. Heather Ross
    • Honours and Distinctions: Dr. Sandra Black, Dr. Ana Konvalinka, Dr. Zahi Touma
  8. Graduate Coordinators Office Hours

1. Events

Program Completion & Exam Preparation Workshop
Register online by February 10

Have questions about completing your program and exam preparation?

The IMS is hosting workshops for MSc and PhD students on February 12. Read the details below and register by February 10.


Workshop 1 - MSc

February 12, 10:00 - 11:00 am | Register

This workshop is for all MSc students nearing program completion and intending to defend or transfer this year. We will cover what you need to know as you finish writing up your thesis (or research proposal) and prepare to schedule your exam.


Workshop 2 - PhD

February 12, 11:00 am - 12:00 pm | Register 

This workshop is open to senior PhD students to help navigate the final phase of program completion after achieving candidacy. Interested students should be close to finishing the thesis and intending to schedule the Final Oral Examination this year.

1st and 2nd year Direct-Entry PhD students should refer to the website for details on completing your PhD Qualifying Examination

The Coromantee War: Charting the Course of an Atlantic Slave Revolt 
February 3, 7:00 – 8:30 pm 

To celebrate Black History Month, Dean Melanie Woodin, Faculty of Arts & Science, invites everyone to hear distinguished historian and Harvard Professor Vincent Brown on "The Coromantee War: Charting the Course of an Atlantic Slave Revolt". 

Register here.

Becoming a Parent While in Graduate School: Panel Discussion
February 4, 3:00 – 5:00 pm

Many students debate whether they should have a baby in graduate school or wait until their lives and careers are more established. This session will help you make a more informed decision about what it means to start a family. All U of T students are welcome to attend, registration required.

Community Talks

The Centre for Community Partnerships presents "Community Talks," a series of panels and interviews focused on how nonprofit organizations are responding to the pandemic and what we can learn from their experiences.  
  1. February 4, 6:00 - 7:00 pm: Engaging Youth During the Pandemic
  2. February 9, 3:00 - 4:30 pm: Advocacy through Education
  3. February 12, 12:00 - 1:30pm: Challenges and Opportunities in Virtual Education during the Pandemic

Design Thinking Experience Program

Apply online by February 12

Passionate about improving campus life and working with like-minded people? 
Interested in gaining real-life experience with Design Thinking methodologies?
 
Join the Centre for Learning, Leadership & Culture (LLC) and Innovation Hub’s 10-week Design Thinking Experience Program with fellow students and staff! In this series you’ll have the opportunity to learn design thinking methodologies geared towards enhancing life at U of T. Participants will prototype chosen and assigned projects.  Read more about how to join this unique Innovation Hub initiative here

I Need to Get A Job Club

Apply online by February 15

The Winter 2021 “I Need To Get A Job Club” is now open for registration. This is a 6 week, cohort based program designed to provide tools and support for recent graduates and connect participants with peers who are also job searching to maintain motivation and focus. The program runs for six weeks, every Tuesday, from 10:30 am -12:30 pm (Feb 23, Mar 2, 9, 16, 23, 30) through Zoom with recommendations for individual work activities outside of weekly classes. 

Flexible Futures Programming for Grad Students

Flexible Futures Programming for Graduate Students offers a wide range of career-related programs, workshops, customized sessions and consultations year-round for graduate students and post docs. Registration opens three weeks before the date of the session:

2. Award Announcements

China Scholarship Council U of T Joint Funding Program
Apply online by March 31

The China Scholarship Council (CSC) is seeking applications to award scholarships to outstanding Chinese students who will pursue a PhD degree at U of T under the China Scholarship Council – U of T Joint Funding Program. Each year, CSC aims to fund 20 new Chinese U of T students in its annual competition.
 
Student Deadline: March 31
Value/Duration: Living stipend for 4 years (see website for details)
Level of Study: PhD or PhD Direct Entry
Required Legal Status: International (Chinese citizens)
Results: June 2021 by agency

3. Faculty News

Discounts for article processing in PLOS Medicine and Biology
UofT affiliated researchers now qualify for article processing charges (APC) discounts when publishing in PLOS Medicine or PLOS Biology. This is due to a new 3 year agreement the University of Toronto Libraries signed with PLOS.
 
Who is covered? 
  • Corresponding authors who are affiliated with U of T are eligible for a 100% coverage of article processing fees. 
  • If you are a co-author on a manuscript and the corresponding author is not from an institution that is a member, affiliated U of T authors are eligible for a 25% discount on the article processing fees (referred to as “non-member fees” by PLOS). This discount cannot be stacked.  
  • This includes graduate students. 
Click here to learn how to apply this discount.

4. Jobs

Medical Writer | Synpase Medcom

IMS alumni and recent grads: Synapse Medcom is looking for a full-time Medical Writer.
For full details, check out our job board on Temerty Medicine Connect.

5. Raw Talk Podcast - New Episode Alert:

Vaccine technology has come a long way in terms of safety and understanding the underlying immunological principles. As the world prepares for the largest mass vaccination campaign in history with the COVID-19 vaccines, there are many people that are somewhat hesitant about the vaccination process but are curious to learn more. The emergence of mRNA vaccines has allowed for the fastest development of a vaccine in history and could be a sign of what’s to come in the future. In this episode, we spoke with many great guests including Dr. Derrick Rossi, the co-founder of Moderna. We discuss a variety of topics including the history of vaccine development, the COVID-19 vaccine, and the complexity of vaccine hesitancy in marginalized communities.
Listen Here

6. Health and Wellness

Health & Wellness Peer Support Service
Need real-time support from a peer? Want a safe space to chat? Now you can get it. 
U of T St. George students can access drop-in support from a trained Peer Supporter online on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday.


5 Ways to Wellbeing
Get access to a 20-minute video to learn how to apply five simple, evidence-based actions in a variety of ways to promote positive mental health and wellbeing while practicing physical distancing and managing new stressors related to COVID-19. Accompanying handouts are also available upon registration. 

7. Honours, Distinctions and Awards

IMS Student Named Top 3 in Data Visualization Competition
 
Tableau Software named Abeeshan Selvabaskaran, a first-year student in the IMS' Master of Science in Biomedical Communications program, one of the top three winners in "Iron Viz: Student Edition."
 
Selvabaskaran's winning interactive data visualization "Mapping Extinction with Climate Change" depicts the relationship between human activity and endangered species. The judges described his entry as a beautifully designed visualization. Get the whole story here.
IMS Faculty/UHN Scientists Appointed to the Order of Canada and the Order of Ontario
  • Dr. Geoff Fernie was elected a Member of the Order of Ontario for his pioneering work in rehabilitation engineering.
  • Dr. Michael Jewett was appointed a Member of the Order of Canada for his ground-breaking work in surgical oncology and  dedication to patient-centered care.
  • World-leading cardiologist Dr. Heather Ross was appointed a Member of the Order of Canada for her innovative solutions using artificial intelligence and digital technologies.

IMS Faculty Receive Prestigious Honours and Distinctions

  • Dr. Sandra Black was honoured with the 2020 Lifetime Achievement Award from the Society for Behavioral and Cognitive Neurology.
  • Dr. Ana Konvalinka received the CST Research Excellence Award from the Canadian Society of Transplantation.
  • Dr. Zahi Touma was one of seven recipients of the 2020 Lupus Innovation Award from the Lupus Research Alliance.

8. Graduate Coordinators Office Hours

Tuesdays from 9:00 - 10:00 am

The IMS Graduate Coordinators, Dr. Lucy Osborne and Dr. Vasu Venkateswaran, will be holding weekly virtual office hours.

You are invited to join the meeting to ask the Graduate Coordinators your program-related questions (you will be placed in a waiting room until they are ready to see you). If you would like to discuss more personal matters, please contact them directly to set up a meeting.

Join Zoom Meeting
Meeting ID: 878 6328 8088
Password: 900918

Post of the Week

Submit an item for next week's digest
Send us any IMS-related news, events or announcements by 9 am on Friday to be included in the following Monday's Weekly Digest. 
 
Missed a digest? Catch up on previous issues here

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