Concordia hosts a successful postdoctoral research showcase

Concordia held a research showcase dedicated to postdoctoral fellows on April 4. The School of Graduate Studies hosted the Postdoctoral Showcase to give postdocs an opportunity to present their research and build community.

Thirty postdocs attended the event to learn about each other’s research and forge new connections. All of Concordia’s 150 postdoctoral researchers were invited to submit an abstract, with three selected for oral presentations and 20 others chosen for poster presentations. 

Geoffrey Dover, associate dean of graduate student academic matters and postdoctoral studies at the School of Graduate Studies, spearheaded the showcase. 

“Postdocs contribute so much to research at Concordia, but they often lack a space to share their work or connect with peers,” Dover says. “We wanted to give them a platform of their own.” 

‘A rich multidisciplinary experience’

Alexandra Martin, a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Communication Studies, presented a poster at the showcase. 

Her research-creation project examines United States military simulations staged in mock Middle Eastern villages used to train soldiers for the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Through photographs taken during fieldwork, she explores the visual strategies used to prepare troops for armed conflict. 

“The highlight of the event was connecting with other postdocs from different disciplines and backgrounds,” Martin says. “As a social sciences researcher, I don't often interact with engineers or neuroscientists, for example, and the event was such a rich multidisciplinary experience.” 

Arsenio Páez, a postdoc at the School of Health, gave a presentation about how changes in sleep can help predict and possibly delay the onset of Alzheimer’s disease. He also examines how sleep can preserve brain-health and cognition in older age.

“This was such an inspiring and joyful event — research takes hard work and dedication, but also joy,” Páez remarks. “It built a shared sense of wonder and purpose in our Concordia community.”

Dover says the event was a great success, with postdocs highly engaged in one another’s work. He encourages all members of Concordia’s postdoctoral community, researchers and mentors to attend next year’s edition. 

Find out more about Concordia’s School of Graduate Studies.