Exploring international opportunities for trainees

Welcome to the start of the 2014-15 academic year.  Welcome back to all ongoing graduate students and post-doctoral fellows and a warm welcome to all the new arrivals.

This newsletter brings together all facets of our graduate and postdoctoral programs, providing interesting student and faculty profiles, the latest funding news, recent student publications, and upcoming events. I trust you will find it of value and will take advantage of the opportunities to communicate with others in the program using its pages.

As we get back into routine following the summer holidays, I trust you had an opportunity to enjoy some relaxation and have come back refreshed and rejuvenated for a very productive year.

On the international front, I managed to travel to Brazil this summer, part of which was representing Canada as a Planning Committee member for the first Pan-American Physiological Congress (Physiology Without Borders) held in Iguassu Falls. It was both an excellent scientific program and, for anyone who hasn’t been there, a worthwhile experience.

The other reason for my trip was to investigate potential opportunities for research collaborations and student exchanges. We currently have agreements with the University of Sao Paulo’s campus at Bauru, and we have had students from there visiting Western University as graduate trainees and post-doctoral fellows. However, with a blossoming economy, Brazil's investment in research is impressive and provides some of the best infrastructure and opportunities for research collaborations.

This year we will be exploring additional agreements with research institutes affiliated with the Universities of Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. These potential agreements would provide an excellent opportunity for short, medium and long-term placements for trainees and faculty members, in addition to our collaborations in China. We are also exploring funding opportunities for our investigators and trainees.

I look forward to connecting with you on a regular basis through this newsletter. In the meantime, however, I want to wish you a productive start to this new academic year.  

All the best for a productive and rewarding program.

Doug Jones, PhD
Vice Dean, Basic Medical Sciences