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The First Annual ECSA Scientific Day was launched on April 11th, 2014. The major objectives were to highlight the work conduced by ECSA members at IARC and to provide a forum to discuss several career paths in science.

ECSA would like to thank all the speakers for sharing their knowledge and expertise. ECSA would also like to thank all the members who came to join us. YOUR participation is the reason the Scientific Day was a great success!

ECSA Scientific Day

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EARLY CAREER SCIENTISTS ASSOCIATION (ECSA) IA

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V o l u m e 2 , I s s u e 2

Joseph Rothwell (NME/BMA) Rachel Hanisch (ENV) Elisenda Renteria (CIN)

Hana Huskova (MCA/MMB) Anya Burton (ENV) Yan Song (MCA/MMB)

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A p r i l , 2 0 1 4 EARLY CAREER SCIENTISTS ASSOCIATION (ECSA)

Stéphanie Monnier (Project Manager, French National Cancer Institute, Paris), Dr

Cornelius Schmaltz (Deputy Head of Unit for Infectious Diseases and Public Health,

European Commission, Brussels), Dr Nathalie Cohet (Crealys Incubateur, Lyon), Dr

Servaas Morré (Head of the Laboratory of Immunogenetics, Dept. Pathology, from the

VU University Medical Center Amsterdam), and Dr Olaf Kelm (Grants Office, IARC,

Lyon) provided insights in their own careers paths during the Career Panel Session.

(from left to right)

C a r e e r P a n e l S e s s i o n

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During the subsequent panel discussion, ECSA members had the opportunity to ask for

career advice and get answers from different fields through our guests. Career-

defining moments as well as challenges and pitfalls that early career scientists face in

research today were discussed. ECSA members can find the presentations given by our

external speakers on the ECSA inti drive (see page 4 for details).

C a r e e r P a n e l D i s c u s s i o n

E C S A S c i e n t i f i c D a y : O r g a n i z a t i o n

Planning and implementation of the Scientific Day was led by the ECSA Organizing

Committee and with the help of our amazing Volunteers. The Scientific Day was kindly

supported by IARC management and ETR.

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A p r i l , 2 0 1 4 EARLY CAREER SCIENTISTS ASSOCIATION (ECSA)

V o l u m e 2 , I s s u e 2 IA

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I was very pleased to open, on behalf of the Director, the First ECSA Scientific Day. This

event represented the essence of what ECSA is about: bringing together early career scien-

tists at IARC for networking, peer support, sharing of expertise, and career development.

This impressive and successful event came after more than one year of intense involvement

of a small group of highly motivated scientists who initially shaped the Association’s mis-

sion and lines of activity. All trainees, students and postdocs were then invited to collective-

ly reflect and identify ECSA’s main areas of work. The first group was soon joined by other

enthusiastic members who developed the bylaws of the Association, prepared the ground

for the activities and launched them as from Summer 2013. From the early stages, a proac-

tive and constructive dialogue was built up between ECSA and ETR, which enabled IARC to

recognize and support the Association.

I would like to extend my warmest thanks to the first ESCA Organising Committee, who

managed to capture the needs expressed by current and former scientists and address those

needs by setting up very concrete activities. They have invested considerable energy in this

initiative and I am sure that this has been a very rewarding adventure. Due to the intrinsic

nature of early career scientists, the initial Organising Committee will soon hand over the

leadership to other motivated ECSA members in order to ensure that current and future

scientists benefit from the same type of activities and opportunities. I look forward to con-

tinuing our collaboration with current and future ESCA Organising Committee.

Anouk Berger

Head, Education and Training Group

A N o t e f r o m t h e E d u c a t i o n a n d T r a i n i n g

G r o u p ( E T R )

It has been a great pleasure to see ECSA established and become so active over the last year. This is thanks in no small part to those individuals who have taken a lead and given their time and energy for the benefit of all early career scientists at the Agency. This generosity is an important feature of ECSA, given it is driven not by the administration or ETR but by you as early career scientists, for your own benefit.

Moving forward I see ECSA as a vital part of the overall training experience here in Lyon. I warmly congratulate all who have helped us reach this point and pledge my own support to future developments. ECSA is a marvellous addition to our broader efforts to ensure the Agency provides an excellent training environment and one where, as early career scien-tists, you can make your contribution to the IARC mission.

Dr Christopher P. Wild Director

A M e s s a g e f r o m D r W i l d , I A R C D i r e c t o r

We have been really happy to serve as Co-chairs since the creation of ECSA but now it is

time for us to move forward. We needed volunteers to continue the mission of the Associa-

tion. With your help, we have achieved a lot but today WE NEED YOU. We need your new

ideas and energy for the benefit of all early career scientists. We urge you to volunteer for

any of the leadership positions for the next term.

Rachel Denholm & Simon Ducarroz

A M e s s a g e f r o m t h e C o - C h a i r s

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A p r i l , 2 0 1 4 EARLY CAREER SCIENTISTS ASSOCIATION (ECSA)

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ECSA has had an excellent first year thanks to the work of the Organizing Committee and all our amazing volunteers. ECSA has reached several milestones since discussions began to form the Organization in 2012. In the Summer of 2013, ECSA conducted a survey to deter-mine training needs, had its first general meeting and voting of bylaws, and launched the first career development seminar, and ECSA was officially recognized by the IARC Director. In the Fall of 2013, ECSA launched the first series of the newsletters, round tables, exper-tise seminars, and the ECSA Scientific Day. To date, ECSA hosted 4 career development seminars, 3 round tables, and supported ETR by identifying training needs and by advertis-ing generic courses. Also ECSA has organized several monthly-social events with the goal of meeting new members and networking.

U p d a t e s

ECSA has its own a inti dive and HUGO drive!

In the ECSA inti drive you will find meeting minutes, photos, presenta-tions, and more. To gain access to the inti drive you have to map it and type: \\inti\ecsa\

Be sure to check the inti drive for photos and presentations from this year’s Scientific Day!

S u m m a r y o f E C S A ’ s F i r s t Y e a r

F a r e w e l l t o O u r D e a r F r i e n d

Rachel Denholm (ENV) has actively worked with ECSA since 2012. She has served as a Co-chair since ECSA was officially recognized at IARC. Rachel’s outstanding dedication and service to ECSA made her a valuable asset to the Association. The Organizing Committee will miss Rachel’s strength and leadership. ECSA wishes Rachel the best in her future endeavours.

T h a n k Y o u E C S A V o l u n t e e r s

Akram Ghantous (MCA/EGE)

Anya Burton (ENV)

Caroline Dickens (ENV)

Charlotte Le Cornet (ENV)

Cong Li (MPA)

Davide Degli Esposti (MCA/EGE)

Elisenda Renteria (CIN)

Friederike Erdmann (ENV)

Hana Huskova (MCA/MMB)

Joseph Rothwell (NME/BMA)

Melina Arnold (CIN)

Mónica Sierra (CIN)

Rachel Hanisch (ENV)

Rachel Denholm (ENV)

Simon Ducarroz (ENV)

Vitaly Smelov (INF/ICB)

Yan Song (MCA/MMB) I f y o u w o u l d l i k e t o s e e a n y p a r t i c u l a r t o p i c i n t h e

E C S A N e w s l e t t e r , p l e a s e l e t u s k n o w ! e c s a @ i a r c . f r

CONSIDER VOLUNTEERING

ECSA would like to highlight the work of all our volunteers especially Akram Ghantous

(MCA/EGE) and Vitaly Smelov (INF/ICB) for their active participation within ECSA and

their involvement with the Scientific Day.