Molecular Toxicology & Neuroscience Group

The Molecular Toxicology and Neuroscience group provides students with an opportunity to discuss their research findings and provide a forum for feedback from investigators. Laboratories representing the Molecular Toxicology and Neuroscience group are as follows: P. G. Wells, J. Uetrecht, J. Henderson, D. Hampson, M. Piquette-Miller and R. Bonin.  Students are asked to present their current research findings in the format of a formal seminar setting, allowing participants to enhance their oral communication skills and promote group discussion of areas of common research interest.

Upcoming Seminars

Seminar Coordinator

Dr. Jeff Henderson
Associate Professor
jeff.henderson@utoronto.ca
(416) 946-5571

Policies and Procedures

Purpose

The primary aim of these meetings is to:

1. Enhance trainees’ ability to discuss and defend their research results,
2. Expose trainees to new insights relevant to their field of research,
3. Improve the design and interpretation of their studies,
4. Broadly disseminate details, results and implications of their research to peers within the Faculty, thereby enhancing the overall research environment.

Requirements

Monthly participation in this seminar series is expected by both supervisors and graduate students from participating laboratories. See above for current schedule of seminar speakers.

All students in the toxicology and neuroscience group are expected to present one seminar within this program annually. Postdoctoral fellows are also strongly encouraged to participate.

The following trainees are not required to give a seminar during the year indicated:

• Students in the first 12 months of their respective program
• Students whom give an oral presentation at GRIP in that year (though not required, such students are still encouraged to present a seminar in addition to their GRIP talk).
• Students giving their Ph.D. exit seminars within that calendar year.

Full-time graduate students are expected to attend at least 75% of seminar meetings annually as a condition of graduate funding. Part-time graduate students may request for a reduction to the Graduate Chair.

Schedule

Seminars will be held monthly, typically the second or third Wednesday of the month from 2:10 – 3:30 pm in Room PB 850 or PB 1210, with two trainees presenting at each meeting.

UPDATE: Seminars will be held online via Quercus until further notice

Once the schedule is established, trainees who wish to change their presentation date are responsible for finding a substitute with whom to exchange presentation dates, and for notifying the seminar coordinator of the changes in their presentation dates. Such changes should be arranged as far in advance as possible.

Format

The two trainees presenting are responsible for having their computer and projector set up in advance, with the slides for both seminars downloaded prior to the beginning of their scheduled presentation. The first seminar will begin at 2:10 pm, allowing ~30 minutes for each seminar with 10 minutes for questions at the end of each presentation. The chair will strictly limit the length of the seminars and question periods as at a scientific meeting.

By the Wednesday before their presentation (one week in advance), speakers will e-mail Lisa Jack (phm.grad@utoronto.ca) information with the headings listed below:

• Title of their presentation (underlined)
• The trainee’s full name
• The names and departments of any co-authors, excluding their supervisor
• The name of supervisor
• For graduate students, the names of their advisory committee members
• An abstract of their presentation

The abstract should adhere to the following format:

• The body of the abstract (not including the title) should be approx. 250-300 words
• Within the abstract, detailed information similar to that required for a national scientific meeting (including a rationale, approach, techniques employed, results and interpretation of outcome) should be provided. Terms like, “the results will be discussed” are not appropriate.
• All non-standard acronyms should be spelled out upon their first use either in the title or body of the abstract;  universally standard acronyms (e.g. DNA) need not be spelled out
• The source of any and all funding should be included in parentheses at the end of the abstract.

 

Speakers

• Speakers should bring a print copy of their respective abstracts on the day of their presentation. They should prepare for this opportunity similar to a faculty member giving an invited seminar.
• It is advised that two speakers should meet several weeks prior to their seminar to decide who is responsible for bringing and setting up the computer and projector and bringing a laser pointer.
• Those not familiar with the room and/or equipment should do so prior to their presentation, ideally a day in advance, or at least the morning before your seminar. This allows you to anticipate potential problems like a malfunctioning plug or the need for an extension cord.
• Plan to arrive at least 15 minutes prior to your presentation to ensure that everything is set up and working before the start time. Slides for both seminars should be loaded on the computer at least a half-day prior to the seminar, and tested to make sure they display properly.
• At least several days prior to their seminar, the speaker should practice their talk at least with their supervisor, and if possible with a larger group, to optimize the quality of their presentation and to ensure that it is within the 30-minute limit.
• Seminars will run on the format of a national meeting. The chair will advise the speaker when there are five minutes remaining, and will end the presentation after 30 minutes.