My first conference - as an undergraduate

It’s not too often that I walk into a room full of people who share my excitement for bacteria and other microbes, so attending the ECS Research Symposium last year I was definitely nervous about being surrounded by scientists who knew much more about microbiology than I did – and who had actual research experience under their belts.  However, as I began moving from poster to poster, tentatively chatting with people, I really began to enjoy myself.

Unlike the larger conferences where you are a face in the crowd of hundreds of delegates, the ECS Research Symposium provided an intimate, supportive atmosphere for students and early career scientists to network and share their work.  Even though I hadn’t yet done any research personally, I was still encouraged to submit a poster on a literature review I had written for a class, and that gave me experience in poster formatting and presenting.  I also thoroughly enjoyed hearing the oral presentations and keynote talks that were put on throughout the day and was inspired by a fellow undergrad who discussed the research she had done during an SfAM Student Placement.  All in all, this event helped me learn new skills, gave me a lot of insight into what I can do with a degree in microbiology and ultimately made me feel like a part of the wider scientific community.  I definitely recommend attending!

This year, SfAM's ECS Research Symposium is being held in Cardiff, on 18 March 2020. For more information, click here.

Hannah Brace-Thompson (ECS Undergraduate Member)