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Postdoctoral Scholars
The Postdoctoral Assembly (PDA) is a great resource for SOT postdoctoral scholars for scientific growth, networking, and career advancement. All members of SOT who self-identify as a postdoc are included in the Postdoctoral Assembly, which is governed by the PDA Board. These leaders are elected by SOT postdoctoral members, and provide leadership for communications, strategic activities, and events of special interest to postdocs.
Who Is a Postdoc?
Characteristics that define a postdoctoral position…
- is temporary.
- involves substantially full-time research or scholarship.
- be viewed as preparatory for a full-time career.
- not be part of a clinical training program.
- be working under the supervision of a senior scholar or a department in a university or similar institution.
- allow and encourage the appointee to publish the results of his or her research or scholarship.
National Postdoctoral Association definition
About the Postdoctoral Assembly
What’s New
Nominations for the 2013–2014 PDA Executive Board
The PDA Board is currently accepting nominations for candidates to the PDA Executive Board for 2013–2014. We are seeking candidates for the positions of Vice-Chair, Secretary, Treasurer, and two Councilor positions. The duties performed by each officer are listed on the PDA Officers Responsibilities page. Deadline for nominations is December 7. (You may self-nominate.) For election details and qualifications check out the 2013 Election Flyer. Send nominations to Susan Simmons. Be sure to include nominee’s name, affiliation, email, and phone. Questions: contact PDA Treasurer Kelly Chandler.
PDA Webinar: “Finding Funding for Early Career Scientists”
See (and Hear) What You Missed!
If you missed the PDA Webinar “Finding Funding for Early Career Scientists,” or if you participated and would like to review the information, a recording of the event is now available. Webinar presenter was Dr. Donna Vogel, MD, PhD, Director of the Professional Development Office and John's Hopkins with extensive experience at NIH, shared valuable information that all trainees might like to access. The PDA sponsored the event in celebration of National Postdoctoral Appreciation Week.
PDA’s National Postdoc Appreciation Week Blogs
Doing What’s Right Even if No One’s Watching by Alicia Timme-Laragy, a postdoctoral fellow at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.
Exploration of the Government Sector by Gwendolyn Louis, postdoctoral fellow at United States Environmental Protection Agency.
Next Step: Private Industry? by Betina J. Lew, Scientist-Toxicologist at Procter and Gamble, former postdoc in Toxicology at University of Rochester Medical Center (New York) and PDA Chair (2009–2010).
PDA Celebrates National Postdoc Appreciation Week with Blog Posts and Webinar on Funding
In celebration of National Postdoctoral Appreciation Week (September 17–21), the PDA will host a webinar “Finding Funding for Early Career Scientists” Thursday, September 20 from 1:00 pm–2:00 pm Eastern Time. The webinar will feature Dr. Donna Vogel, MD, PhD. Dr. Vogel who has extensive experience inside NIH, serving various roles including Program Director. Outside NIH, she is currently the Director of the Professional Development Office of Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions. In this position, she provides courses, workshops and guidance on transitioning to independent careers in science. Call in information has been emailed to all SOT Postdocs.
In addition to the Webinar, the PDA will recognize the contributions of SOT postdocs with 5 blog posts written by current and former postdocs representing a variety of backgrounds. Bloggers will reflect on their personal experiences as a postdoc, or how their postdoc experience translated into their current position in industry. Bloggers include:
- Alicia Timme-Laragy, a postdoc Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute
- Melanie J. Fraites, a postdoc at NC State University in the Toxicology Department
- Gwendolyn Louis, a postdoc at US EPA
- Betina J. Lew, a former postdoc, recently employed with Proctor & Gamble
- Mamta V. Behl, former postdoc, recently employed by NIEHS
Blogs will be posted in the Communiqué and on the PDA Website.
The PDA Newsletter
Summer 2012 Post-y 
Congratulations 2012–2013 Officers!
Postdoctoral Assembly officers are Enrique Fuentes-Mattei, Chair; David Szabo, Vice-Chair; Ebany Martinez-Finley, Secretary; Kelly Chandler, Treasurer; Bethany Hannas, Councilor, and Marie Bourgeois, ad hoc committee member.
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Postdoctoral Assembly Board members (from left): Enrique Fuentes-Mattei, Marie Bourgeois, David Szabo, Bethany Hannas, Kelly Chandler, and Ebany Martinez-Finley |
Employment Benefits: A Primer for Postdocs
This year the PDA Career Task Force developed a paper entitled, “Employment Benefits: A Primer for Postdocs,” to provide young scientists with information about overall benefit options, questions that you should ask employers about benefits, and questions that are illegal for employers to ask of you. The PDA Board hopes you find it helpful in your job search.
2012 Best Postdoctoral Paper Award Recipients
PDA recognizes talented postdoctoral researchers who have recently published exceptional papers in the field of toxicology based on work conducted during postdoctoral training with the Best Postdoctoral Publication Award.
Maryse Lemaire,
McGill University, Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research
Exposure to Moderate Arsenic Concentrations Increases Atherosclerosis in ApoE-/- Mouse Model
Lemaire M, Lemrie CA, Milina MF, Schiffrin EL, Lehoux S, Mann KK
Toxicol Sciences, 2011 Jul; 122(1): 211–21
Xuefeng Ren, University of California, Berkeley
Involvement of N-6 Adenine-Specific DNA Methyltransferase1 (N6AMT 1) in Arsenic Biomethylation and Its Role in Arsenic-Induced Toxicity
Ren X, Aleshin M, Jo WJ, Dills R, Kalman DA, Vulpe CD, Smith MT, and Zhang L
Environ Health Perspect, 2011. 119(6): p. 771–777. PMID: 21193388
Nisha Sipes, US EPA
Predictive Models of Prenatal Developmental Toxicity from ToxCast High-throughput Screening Data
N.S. sipes et. al.(2011)
Toxicological Sciences.doi: 10.1093/toxsci/kfr220.
  
2011–2012 PDA Chair Michele La Merrill presents awards to
(from left) Maryse Lemaire, Xuefeng Ren, and Nisha Sipes
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