Journal Club and Research-in-Progress Information
Human Genetics Department Journal Club & Research-In-Progress Guidelines
The weekly Journal Club (JC, Tuesdays at noon) and Research-in-Progress (RIP, Fridays at 3:30) meetings are central and integral to the intellectual environment of the Department of Human Genetics. All graduate students are expected to attend and participate in these weekly meetings throughout the year. Attendance by postdocs and faculty is strongly encouraged. For speakers, JC and RIP provide a wonderful opportunity to learn how to present science, interact with your colleagues, get valuable suggestions for experiments, and receive insightful feedback from faculty. For all participants, this provides a terrific series of meetings to hear about cutting-edge science, learn about the research in our Department, chat about science, and socialize with members of our community.
JC presentation requirements: All graduate students are required to present at least once each academic year for three years. Presentations are encouraged after this time, particularly for students who are considering a future career in teaching. Presenters should email the article and title for their presentation to Erin Hawley one week before their talk so that it can be sent out to the department.
RIP presentation requirements: All graduate students are required to present at least once a year. Graduate students are not required to present their final year, although they are encouraged to do so.
Postdocs are encouraged to present their research; this is a great way to get outside feedback, especially prior to going on the job market.
Snacks and Drinks: Snacks for the pre-RIP social are stored in the Department office.
Scheduling of JC and RIP: Scheduling for the upcoming academic year will occur in June, soon after the first year graduate students join their labs in the department. First year graduate students will be given initial access to the lists to pick dates for their presentations. It is the responsibility of students to ensure that their advisor can attend during the scheduled time. Students who do not sign up by the deadline will be assigned an open date. Please note that all sign-up dates are FINAL. It is the obligation of students that they present during their scheduled time.
Acceptable reasons for changing a scheduled JC or RIP:
Death in family
Serious illness (e.g. flu)
Unacceptable reasons for changing a scheduled JC or RIP:
Your advisor is out of town or otherwise unavailable.
You are busy preparing for a meeting, paper submission, or grant submission.
You are not prepared to present - no new data, can’t find an interesting article, etc.
If you have a valid excuse and must re-schedule your JC or RIP:
Get permission from your advisor and the Director of Graduate Studies (Charlie Murtaugh).
Reschedule your presentation by switching with another presenter or identifying an open date on the Department event calendar.
Notify Erin Hawley so that the Department calendar and announcements can be updated with the change.
Tips on Preparing a Journal Club Talk
A key aspect of graduate student training in the Department of Human Genetics is regular participation in the weekly Departmental Journal Club and Research-In-Progress (RIP) meetings. Journal Club meetings are held every Tuesday at noon during the academic year, in the 6th floor conference room. RIP meetings are held each Friday at 3:30 PM in the same location. Both of these meetings are fairly informal and are characterized by an active exchange of comments and questions between the audience and the speaker. In addition, faculty stay behind at the end of these presentations to discuss the science and provide the speaker with critical feedback on their presentation. Overall, these meetings provide ideal training opportunities for the students, allow us to educate each other on recent breakthroughs in genetics, and keep us current with regard to research being conducted in our Department. They also provide unparalleled training in presenting scientific talks – a key determinant of future success as a scientist. Below are a few guidelines that students might find useful in preparing their scientific talks.