Postdoc Congress - Queen Mary Academy

Wednesday 18 June, 2025, The Octagon (Mile End Campus)

This year's congress theme is Postdoc Identity

We'll be exploring this theme by hearing from current and former Queen Mary researchers about different aspects of their Postdoc Lives, exploring different identities they align with during their time at Queen Mary.

As always, the Congress will give you the opportunity to commune with fellow postdocs, to hear about and discuss lived experience, and to amplify your voice by feedbing back about your experience as Queen Mary postdocs.

Programme

Download a pdf version of the programme here: Postdoc Congress Programme [PDF 142KB]

Time	Programme Element
09:00-09:30	Arrival and Registration
09:45-10:00	Welcome Addresses _{Conference Co-chairs: Dr Anastasia Prokopi (Blizard), Dr Pauline Simon (SPCS), and Dr Marjolaine Thomas (SEMS) \|}_{Research and Innovation Leadership \| Dr Anna Price (Head of Researcher Development)}
10:00-11:00	Session 1: Postdoc Life and Identity Current and former QM researchers speaking about different elements of their lived experience as QM postdocs; each highlighting different facets of the ‘postdoc identity’. _{SPEAKERS: Dr Zeinab Rekad (former BCI), Dr Sandra Jumbe (WIPH), Dr Charlotte Johann (History), Dr Keiji Ota (SBSS), and Dr Alena Vdovchenko (former SPCS)}
11:00-11:20	Break and Networking & Photo Competition
11:20-12:20	Session 2: Postdoc Development and Support QM researcher support staff presenting opportunities available for QM postdocs, and CEDARS 2025 – What have we learned from this year’s survey? _{SPEAKERS: Chris Mullin (Recognition and Reward Manager); Lucy Newman (Interim Research Culture Manager); Eleanor McDavis (Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion Manager); Rui Pires Martins (Researcher Development Manager); Anna Price (Head of Researcher Development); Leah Thompson (Associate Director Entrepreneurship)}
12:20-13:20	Session 3: Table Discussions Postdocs can participate in two discussions. Table discussions will be led by stakeholders in the university who can respond to postdoc feedback and drive change systems to better serve research community _{TOPICS: [1] Redefining ‘postdoc’ [2] Postdocs on the academic continuum/ as a specific career stage [3] Postdocs as “Staff” [4] Postdocs as Entrepreneurs [5] The Queen Mary Postdoc Experience [6] Postdoc as Representatives of other Postdocs [7] Postdocs and Research Culture [7] Postdocs as Members of Underrepresented Groups [9] Postdocs as Research Professionals}
13:20-14:20	Lunch and Networking & Photo Competition
14:20-15:20	Session 4: Careers Panel Former QM postdocs or Current researchers speaking about their career journeys from their postdocs. _{PANELLISTS: Claudia Lemus (OFGEM) \| Jonathan Ho(QMUL - Lab manager) \| Luca Franci (Senior Research Fellow, Northumbria) \| Rubina Aktar (Co-founder Elcella Ltd) \| Prarit Agarwal (Amazon)}
15:40-16:00	Closing Address - Prizes Announced
16:00-16:30	Closing Reception