Trainees

Travel Awards

2013 OSCI Travel Award Winners

  • Sonam Bhatia, Draper lab, McMaster Stem Cell & Cancer Research Institute
  • Chitra Venugopal, Sheila Singh lab, McMaster Stem Cell & Cancer Research Institute
  • Dylan Dieters-Castator, Postovit lab, University of Western Ontario
  • Ayesh Seneviratne, Hess lab, University of Western Ontario
  • Nadia Sachewsky, Morshead lab, University of Toronto
  • Sabiha Hacibekiroglu, Nagy lab, Samuel Lunenfeld Research Institute
  • Ahmed Fahmy, van der Kooy lab, University of Toronto
  • Catherine Frelin, Iscove lab, University Health Network
  • Angela McDonald, Rossant lab, Hospital for Sick Children
  • Chris Sturgeon, Keller lab, University Health Network

 

If you are planning to submit an abstract to the ISSCR meeting in Boston from June 12-15, 2013, you may qualify for OSCI’s new travel award. There will be 10 awards available ($1,000/award) for OSCI trainees who have their abstract accepted for ISSCR 2013 (podium or poster). There will be four awards available to Toronto trainees and two each for Ottawa, Hamilton and London. Funds from the travel award can go towards meeting registration, flight, hotel and meals.

Abstracts are due at ISSCR on Thursday, February 14, 2013 at 5:00 pm; see guidelines for more information.  ISSCR will announce abstract winners by April 5, 2013. Those selected by ISSCR to present an abstract at the meeting in Boston 2013 (podium or poster), must submit the following to sandra.donaldson@ontariostemcell.ca by Monday, April 15th (midnight):

  1. Your name, phone number and address
  2. The name of your OSCI PI
  3. Copy of the ISSCR abstract acceptance letter
  4. Copy of the abstract accepted by ISSCR
  5. Declaration of any other travel awards awarded or applied for at the Boston 2013 ISSCR Meeting

Once submitted to OSCI, we will forward to your centre (Hamilton, Ottawa, London and Toronto). Each centre will be responsible for selecting the winners from their centre by Tuesday, April 30th.

Please forward any questions to sandra.donaldson@ontariostemcell.ca

 

Overview for Trainees

The incredible scientific breakthroughs in stem cell biology require now, more than ever, investment in translating our strengths in stem cells biology and bioengineering to ensure that the highly qualified and sought after trainees emerging from our academic institutions have opportunities to stay and work in Ontario. The Ontario team all has well established and internationally reputed training programs for postdoctoral fellows, graduate students, technicians and others. The team has a demonstrated track record of training Highly Qualified Personnel (HQP), many of who have continued on to hold leadership positions in both industry and academia.

Trainees looking for undergraduate and graduate (MSc and PhD) with one of OSCI’s scientists, please review the scientist’s profile on our website and apply directly to them.  OSCI is in the process of applying for funding in support of a graduate training program in stem cell biology and bioengineering.

OSCI launched its International Postdoctoral Fellowship Program in 2011 with three postdoctoral fellowship awards, followed by three additional awards in 2012. We have launched year III with two awards available in 2013.

We have recently launched a Travel Awards program for those OSCI trainees who have been accepted for an abstract (podium or poster) for the ISSCR meeting in Boston.

The OSCI External Seminar Series features distinguished speakers from around the world. As part of our provincial initiative, these lectures are webcasted to all of our centres to ensure that over 80 stem cell research programs, networked across Ontario, receive the benefit of these seminars.

OSCI Stem Cell Rounds features monthly seminars and debates within the fields of stem cell and bioengineering research.  Rounds are presented at the University of Toronto campus and available through webcasts.

OSCI's newly launched Translation Talks seminar series that links stem cell biologists with clinicians doing translational work in regenerative medicine. Talks are presented at the University of Toronto campus and available through webcasts.

In 2013, OSCI will be hosting its second annual meeting in collaboration with the Till & McCulloch Meetings that encompasses OSCI, Stem Cell Network, CCRM and TheCell. The meetings will run in Banff from October 22-25, 2013. It’s the perfect opportunity to network with other trainees and see what our leading-edge scientists are doing in their labs.

What’s more, we host holiday poster parties for trainees at all of our centres, pub nights in conjunction with the Centre for Commercialization for Regenerative Medicine and a solid website and social media presence to communicate all of our activities. With over 90 stem cell and bioengineering research programs across Ontario, that’s a network of over 650 scientists, postdoctoral fellows, graduate and undergraduate students and technicians – imagine the possibilities!

Trainees

OSCI Postdoctoral Fellowship Program Competition

The 2013 OSCI Postdoctoral Fellowship Program Awardees

Congratulations to our 2013 competition winners!

  • Thomas Gonatopoulos Pournatzis from the Blencowe lab at the University of Toronto whose fellowship will focus on, “Identification and characterization of alternative splicing events that regulate translational output in embryonic stem cells”.
  • Danny Jeyaraju from the Schimmer lab at the University Health Network whose fellowship will focus on, “Characterizing and targeting the metabolic and redox vulnerabilities in AML and AML stem cells”.

A special thanks to our review committee for their hard work: Michael Rudnicki (Ottawa Hospital Research Institute); Eric Deneault (Université de Montréal), Brad Doble (McMaster University), Connie Eaves (Terry Fox Laboratory), and Lynne-Marie Postovit (University of Western Ontario).

Stem cells have the potential to transform medicine, with the promise to treat, manage and perhaps cure some of the most debilitating and costly disease in the world today. Canada has a long and distinguished history of ground breaking discoveries in the stem cell field, dating back to the seminal discoveries of Till and McCulloch, who proved the existence of blood stem cells in the early 1960s. These successes continue today with a world-renowned group of stem cell scientists who have come together to form the Ontario Stem Cell Initiative (OSCI). OSCI has received funding from the Ontario Innovation Trust (OIT) in support of an international postdoctoral fellowship program.

OSCI Postdoctoral Fellowship Awardees:

2011

Joel Ross, Ellis Lab, SickKids

Adam Johnson, Miller Lab, Sickkids

Lamis Hammound, Rossant Lab, Sickkids

2012

Natasha Chang, Rudnicki Lab, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute

Weijia Wang, Zandstra Lab, University of Toronto

Crystal Ruff, Fehling Lab, University Health Network

2013

Thomas Gonatopoulos Pournatzis, Blencowe Lab, University of Toronto

Danny Jeyaraju, Schimmer Lab, University Health Network

 

Highlights include:

PDF Application Guidelines

Details
  • Two postdoctoral positions are available for our 2013 competition, with more opportunities available in coming years
  • Each position will receive $50,000 CDN per year for three years
  • The host institution will supplement funds to cover travel costs and health benefits
Eligibility
  • We are seeking the very best candidates with outstanding potential to be independent leaders in stem cell research
  • Be within 2 years from the finish of their PhD program
  • Sponsored by an OSCI Principal Investigator (PI)
  • Applicants may be enrolled already in a postdoctoral program with an OSCI PI or may be new applicants
  • There is a limit of one candidate submission per OSCI PI
  • PIs who have a current OSCI postdoctoral fellow in their lab are ineligible
  • We welcome applicants from anywhere in the world
Process
  • Complete the application form
  • The research project must be prepared in collaboration with an OSCI PI
  • The OSCI PI must be prepared to host the successful applicant in their lab for the duration of the training
  • All documentation must be submitted in one PDF (max 8MB), if not possible, 2 PDFs (max 8MB each) can be submitted
  • The PI will forward the application to OSCI for peer review
Deadline

The PI of interest must submit applications to OSCI by February 1, 2013

Decision Process

An independent peer review committee will review potential candidates during the spring of 2013 and select the two successful applicants

Decision Announcement

The two successful applicants and PIs will be contacted directly with the good news. The funding decision will be posted on the OSCI website on May 6, 2013.

Responsibilities of Successful Applicants (Fellows)
  • Fellows will be required to attend the OSCI annual meeting (part of the Till & McCulloch Meetings) in Banff from October 22-25, 2013
  • Fellows must start their postdoctoral program during 2013
  • Fellows who hold additional awards may be topped up by the OSCI PDF award up to a maximum of $50,000 per year
  • Fellows who leave their postdoctoral position for full time employment will no longer be eligible for the remaining award funds
  • Fellows will be required to present their research at annual OSCI meetings
  • OSCI requests that Fellows acknowledge their funding support in all written and oral presentations including scientific articles, news releases, news conferences, public lectures, and media interviews
  • Foreign Fellows are required to obtain their own Canadian entry visa

Designed by Jayeson Earl.