Innovation and Technology Take Center Stage at
2024 MAD SSCi Annual Meeting
The 2024 MAD SSCi (Mid-Atlantic Directors and Staff of Scientific Cores) Annual Meeting will be held on August 14-16 at the Heldrich Hotel, adjacent to Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick campus. The meeting promises to be a stimulating event, with three parallel sessions on a wide range of topics, from management of core facilities to the use of AI in clinical research, spatial biology, microscopy, genomics, and animal care, among others.
"Beginning with the keynote address, the focus of the meeting is on emphasizing how cores are on the cutting edge of research," says Deborah A. Lazzarino, M.A., Ph.D., Associate Dean for Research, Assistant Professor in Microbiology, Biochemistry & Molecular Genetics, and Administration Director of the Research Core Facilities at New Jersey Medical School. Two pre-conference workshops--one on leadership development within cores and a second on challenges in developing specialized animal- related cores (gnotobiotic, patient- derived tumor xenograft cores, etc.) will launch the event.
"The conference and workshops are tailored to meet the needs of core directors and core facility staff on leadership of cores, best management practices, and challenges leading cores," explains
Jeetendra Eswaraka, D.V.M., Ph.D., DACLAM (Diplomate, American College of Laboratory Animal Medicine. "For researchers, this session will bring together developers of novel cutting-edge technologies and experts in the use of these technologies, who can share their experience leveraging these technologies to advance translational science."
The Complex Business of Managing a Core Directing core facilities requires a special skill set combining high scientific knowledge with business and communication skills, along with balancing the needs for compliance with Federal guidelines. The conference will have two sessions dedicated to improving these skills among attendees. One will focus on corporate partnerships and the second will be on conducting audits. "Corporate partnerships are essential for deploying advanced technologies for research," explains Dr. Eswaraka. "Keeping the dialogue open among core staff, researchers, and sponsors ensures that instruments and systems are being assessed and improved as needed."
In addition to issues surrounding cost, there are also concerns about underutilization of cores, which could be attributed to lack of awareness and a need for more formal outreach/marketing to the research community both within and outside their Institutions.
"We'll have multiple audiences at the meeting," says Dr. Lazzarino. "We can reach out to all of them and inform them about the emerging role of core facilities as a distinct branch of research."
For more information about registration and hotel reservations, click here.
See you in New Brunswick!
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