Jen Johnson Bursary winners enjoy Congress 2019

Created in 2017 in honour of Jen Johnson, a former IBMS Council member who was passionate about IBMS Congress, and wished for more people in the profession to have the chance to attend the bursary supports the applications of 20 IBMS members to attend Congress, providing a grant of up to £1000.

Following Congress 2019, some of the bursary winners report back on their experiences at Congress:

Laura Willis LIBMS commented, “Attending Congress was an exciting, positive experience for me. I came away with much more up to date knowledge in the field of Microbiology and a renewed enthusiasm for biomedical science in general. I was so impressed with all the talks given by both scientific experts and laboratory professionals and really admired their passion for their careers. The technology on show in the exhibitions was amazing, and I took away so many ideas for improving the way we work in my own lab.

I really enjoyed learning what other labs do, and found the lectures invaluable as professionals from all levels shared their own experiences. I particularly enjoyed learning about Glasgow’s WASP lab implementation, its success and the challenges it brought. I would love to attend Congress again and I felt privileged to be able to go as a Jen Johnson bursary winner.”

Danny Gaskin LIBMS said, “It was both a privilege and an honour to attend my first IBMS Congress, facilitated by the award of the Jen Johnson Bursary. Over the four days I was in Birmingham, I attended talks by industry leaders in haematology, transfusion science and quality management. 

The event was brilliantly organised, and it was fantastic to meet up with many familiar faces from the online biomedical science community and enjoy learning and socialising together. Thanks again to the IBMS for awarding me the bursary.”

Nina Harrison LIBMS added, “I thoroughly enjoyed attending IBMS Congress for the first time, receiving the Jen Johnson Bursary provided me with a fantastic opportunity to explore everything congress had to offer over the three days. The lecture programme was extensive and left me spoilt for choice!

All talks and presentations given by the wide range of different speakers were really informative and valuable. It was great to learn about the latest research and developments from the experts. Not only were the discipline-specific lectures interesting, I also found the POCT lecture programme of great use and relevance in my new role as a scientist within primary care. The exhibition gave me the opportunity to develop professional contacts with various companies and was a brilliant showcase of the latest techniques and technologies available. Roll on the next congress!”

Cherie Beckett LIBMS said, “Winning the Jen Johnson bursary and being able to attend IBMS Congress 2019 in its entirety was an incredible opportunity for me. Not only to learn from experts in their field (primarily in virology for me!), but also to network with many of the like-minded individuals who share my passion for biomedical science, and who have each helped to grow our network. My mind is alive with ideas for future projects and collaborations!

It was also humbling to see the effect that #IBMSChat has had on our profession, not least to see its name up on the plasma screens, but also to hear it praised in lectures and in conversations. This week really cemented the feeling of community that I feel the IBMS brings, particularly putting faces to names (or profile pictures!) and meeting those of whom I have worked closely with online, but never previously met – including enjoying pizza in our hotel reception at midnight with our CEO and President!”

We are proud to have been able to make it possible for so many of our members to attend Congress and look forward to supporting our members more in the future.