As their numbers at the University of Lethbridge continue to grow, postdoctoral fellows took the time last week to hold the first ever Postdoc Appreciation Day. The U of L Postdoctoral Association (ULPA) was formed about a year ago and boasts a membership of around 45.
“Postdocs have finished their PhD and then they go for training for three to four years. They are one of the important cogs in the wheel of research for the University,” says Senthilkumar Kailasam, president of ULPA. “What we’re trying to do on this Postdoc Appreciation Day is to recognize their contributions and to increase awareness among community members.”
Post-doctoral fellows conduct research and some also have teaching duties. The majority are international postdocs and the association hopes to help recruit the brightest minds to the U of L. Kailasam is a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and part of the Alberta RNA Research and Training Institute. After completing his PhD in computational biology in India, he wanted to work in RNA research and Dr. Hans-Joachim Wieden’s lab was the best place to do that work. Wieden and Dr. Ute Kothe encouraged him to form ULPA and he’s grateful for their support.