SPC President’s Message

Warmest greetings, SER students and postdocs! It’s a new year, and we’re manifesting positivity in 2021 in the form of high impact journal acceptances, models that converge, single-digit percentile grant scores, and COVID vaccines for all. Basically, epi self-care.

I’d like to thank all who participated in our virtual annual meeting this December, which had the highest registration in recorded SER history! While we were missing the community of our in-person annual meeting, we managed to come together virtually during these unprecedented times to share our important scientific work. I also want to thank everyone who participated in the Student and Postdoc Committee (SPC) annual survey. We are working hard to use the feedback provided to ensure that future programming is tailored to best suit the needs of our members.

Because of the postponement of the 2020 meeting, it already seems like SER 2021 is rapidly approaching. The meeting will be held June 22-25 in San Diego, California. At this point, it seems likely that we will be holding either another virtual conference or a hybrid-style meeting, depending on public health guidance in the coming months. If you haven’t already, please consider submitting an abstract. This year, the late breaking abstract window, open February 2 through March 2, will be available to submissions on any topic in order to accommodate those who missed the January deadline. Regardless of whether you are planning to present an abstract, please consider joining us at SER 2021 in whatever form it may take. As a small perk, the registration fees will be lowered for student and postdoc attendees this year in the hopes that the meeting may be a rewarding and accessible learning experience to all who would like to attend. And as always, renewing your SER membership is an excellent way to gain access to lower meeting registration fees, SER journal clubs, and other educational opportunities throughout the year.

If you’re curious about upcoming programming in the Spring, keep an eye on the calendar where you can find registration information for upcoming SER-sponsored events. And as always, the SPC would love to hear from you. If you are interested in becoming more involved in the organization, have suggestions for topics you would like covered in an educational event or journal club, or you just need to share your thoughts on the most recent season of the Mandalorian, please don’t hesitate to reach out. I am proud to serve this remarkable organization full of intelligent, dedicated epidemiologists, and I’m excited to see what we can accomplish together in 2021.

Catherine Lerro
SER SPC President