By Gemma Vidal-Pedrola (3rd PhD student)
Join Immunology North East (for free!) to get involved in the immunology happening around you and in the world.
Immunology North East (INE) is a Regional Group of the British Society for Immunology (BSI). Our members are generally researchers, undergrads and postgrad students based at one of several universities and hospitals in the North East of England including Durham, Newcastle, Northumbria, and Sunderland.
Our aim is to promote discussion and collaboration between all those interested in immunology. We organise a monthly seminar programme with national and international speakers presenting on all aspects of immunology.
Immunology North East Symposium
Every June we have a one-day symposia where immunologists of the North East present their projects and results as posters or oral presentations.
The venue changes each year, rotating between all the universities which are part of INE. It is a great opportunity not only for networking (making contacts) but also to know what research is going on in the area.
INE Journal Club
We also organise a monthly Journal Club event here at Newcastle University (open to any INE member). A willing volunteer presents a journal paper and everyone is welcome to comment or ask any questions they have. Pizza, fries and refreshments are sponsored by the British Society for Immunology – undergrads absolutely welcome!
The aim is to stimulate friendly discussion and the informal development of analytical skills (which you will need throughout your degree). To get details of the forthcoming seminar programme and journal club dates click here.
If you are new to Newcastle or just aren’t familiar with that area of the campus, there is a map here.
Why would an undergrad be interested in INE?
- INE monthly seminars are a fantastic opportunity to hear from and meet many renowned immunologists from all over the world.
- These seminars also allow you to have access to a network that can provide opportunities to gain experience.
- The information can support lecture material and may allow you to provide evidence of critical thinking and extra reading during your University assessments.
- It looks great on your CV.
- The Journal Club is a great opportunity for students to practice their analytical skills and to boost their confidence in reading scientific papers.
- Once you become more confident, you may even wish to present a paper yourself.
A Pint of Science – Public Engagement
As part of our public engagement activities, we organised an event as part of the Pint of Science Festival. With numerous talks taking place across Newcastle, our event took place in the Old George pub.
The session focused on autoimmune diseases and how the immune systems starts attacking its own body. The tickets were sold out and the feedback received was very positive. Check out Pint of Science for details of next year’s event.
How do you join INE?
We are always on the lookout for motivated UG and PG students. If you would like to get involved, join our mailing list (from the Newcastle University Mailing List Service – join imm-club@newcastle.ac.uk). We keep all our members up to date via the email list, so you will be informed of the seminar speakers’ and the Journal Club events that you may wish to attend. You can also keep up to date with Immunology North East via Facebook and Twitter.
You can also join the British Society for Immunology – Undergrad membership is free!
We hope to see at next year’s INE and BSI-associated events, new members are always welcome!