Sometimes it is easy to look at a conference/symposium program and all too readily dismiss talks as ‘not relevant’ or ‘unrelated’ to your own research. The talks covered a range of topics from the evolution of viral resistance in rabbits (‘The rabbit strikes back: myxomatosis and the evolution of viral resistance’ – Joel Alves, University of Cambridge) to understanding the development of genitalia in Drosophila (‘Genetic and developmental basis of male genitalia evolution in Drosophila’ – Maria Daniela Santos Nunes, Oxford Brookes University). The symposium program had 15 talks scheduled through the day. As a group we had decided that we would travel to the symposium and back in a single day – which made for a very early start and a late finish! This symposium was sponsored by the Genetics Society and provides an opportunity for researchers to share ideas and present their work. On the 15 th of March, I and a few of my lab colleagues travelled to Cambridge University for the Evolutionary Genetics and Genomics Symposium (EGGS). Over the past few weeks I have had many of these opportunities. It’s often said that most real science is conducted in the pub! Sometimes this arises in a more formal setting such as during seminar, conference presentation or training workshop but equally as often it occurs by chance meetings or discussions over coffee. One of the great things about studying for a PhD is the opportunities it presents for meeting new people, being exposed to new ideas and learning new things. These events have so far provided training in mathematical modelling, GIS, field sampling, experimental design, paper writing and presentation skills. From an induction day during November to a week at the Scottish Centre for Ecology and the Natural Environment (SCENE – ) in cold January, training opportunities are plenty. The second great advantage of being part of IAPETUS is the training opportunities it provides. Because of IAPETUS, I realise that no matter what discipline a PhD student is working in we all go through similar trials, frustrations and successes. Above all this creates a reassuring feeling of not being alone. Instead we talk about the generalities of being a PhD student – of the struggle with samples, of frustrations with departments and maintaining a balance with regular life outside the PhD. The great positive of being brought together from such a wide range of backgrounds is that it is almost hard to talk in detail about our specific projects together, something that is often covered by laboratory colleagues. My IAPETUS cohort is split over the five partner institutions – Durham University, Newcastle University, St Andrews University, Glasgow University and Stirling University – and all studying in a range of scientific disciplines from oceanography to geology to glaciology to ecology and archaeology. In each funding year IAPETUS supports around 15 PhD students and these have all become firm friends. I’m lucky because my PhD studies are funded by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) through one of their Doctoral Training Partnerships or DTP’s (in my case IAPETUS – Being part of the IAPETUS DTP has many advantages.įirst and foremost is the supported feeling provided by being part of a cohort.

Iapetus the long road home 2017 metal