June 30 @ 8:00 AM – 6:00 PM
The Charlie Dunlop School of Biological Sciences will be holding our first Graduate Student and Post-Doc symposium on June 30th at Applied Innovation. This symposium is an opportunity for Postdocs and Graduate students to share their research across departments. There is no registration fee for Biological Science Graduate Students, and Post-Docs are encouraged to register.
Event Details:
Date: Tuesday, June 30, 2026
Time: 8 a.m.
Location: UC Irvine Beall Applied Innovation
Attendees will have the opportunity to present their research through poster and oral presentations. Presenters will also have the chance to be considered for awards for best poster and speaker.
Awards:
$600 for best Grad Student Presentation
$400 for best Grad Student Poster
$600 for best PostDoc Presentation
$400 for best PostDoc Poster
Please complete this form by June 16th @ 11:59 pm to ensure your inclusion in the program as part of the poster presentations.
Keynote Speakers:
Aileen Anderson, Ph.D., Vice Chancellor for Research at UC Irvine
An accomplished researcher and campus leader, Anderson’s work focuses on advancing translational neuroscience strategies for spinal cord injury and central nervous system disease. Her research has helped move promising discoveries toward clinical trials, reflecting the power of interdisciplinary science to create new possibilities for human health. As Vice Chancellor for Research, she helps guide and support UCI’s broad research enterprise, making her perspective especially meaningful for graduate students preparing to shape the future of discovery.
Workshops:
Non-Academic Industry Job Search Strategies
Description: Most graduate students are trained for academic opportunities, but industry employers often evaluate candidates through a very different lens. In this workshop, participants will learn practical strategies for navigating the non-academic job market, including how to identify transferable skills, build professional networks, tailor application materials, and approach the job search with a targeted, industry-focused strategy.
Speaker: Jill Wells
After PostDoc: The Next Steps
Description: This Panel is aimed at PostDocs and Grad Students planning the next step of their career in academia and will consist of recently hired faculty members sharing their experience throughout the hiring process. This will be followed by a Q&A session.
Speakers: Dr. Ken Cho, Dr. Katherine Xue, Dr. SeungSoo Kim, Dr. Huixin Xu
Poster Details:
Recommended Size: 36”x 48”
Poster Sessions will last 1 hour each
Those who wish to participate in the poster session are welcome to bring a poster they have previously presented at another conference or research event.
Oral Presentations:
15 Minute presentation (10 minutes for talk, 5 minutes for Q&A)
Agenda
| 8:00 a.m. | Guests Arrival |
| 8:30 a.m. | Welcome Introduction |
| 8:45 a.m. | Keynote Speaker Aileen Anderson |
| 9:30 a.m. | Talks |
| 10:45 a.m. | Break |
| 11:00 a.m. | Poster Session |
| 12:00 p.m. | Lunch break |
| 1:00 p.m. | Talks |
| 2:15 p.m. | Workshop 1 |
| 3:15 p.m. | Workshop 2 |
| 4:20 p.m. | Keynote Close |
| 4:45 p.m. | Awards & Closing remarks |
| 5:00 p.m. | Reception |
Register for the 2026 Graduate Research Symposium
If you have questions about this event, please email biosci-events@uci.edu.