2023 lab retreat re-cap
Wednesday, October 18, 2023 at 11:15AM We just completed a very successful lab retreat, this year held at St Catharine's College, Cambridge. It was perfect timing, with our new students starting and getting to meet the entire team, not to mention getting incredible feedback from everyone on their new projects. I'm so proud to be a part of such an amazing team of scientists!
I started by recapping the successes of the lab in 2023 - and there have been plenty! 16 papers published so far this year (and another 12 submitted!), ~£1.5m brought into the department in grants and fellowships, our spin-off company Aila Biotech getting into an accelerator program, and successful alumni moving on to great things! But we run the lab retreat for the future, not the past. Two full days of exciting science, from projects right at the conceptual phase through to projects that have matured and need the finishing touches. Of course it wouldn't be a lab retreat with the presentation of the Golden Pipette! This year's went to Amy Dashwood, a talented scientist and a positive influence on team culture.
We had great team building exercises too! We had to guess each person's pathway to becoming a scientist, picking out baby photos and origin story, matching up role-models to teenage pictures, and picking out the motivation for each lab member to be in science today. Plus a set of AI-generated limericks for each person, and social activities from a pub lunch to walks through the Cambridge botanic gardens and museums.
I also really appreciated having our external guests come in to give their wisdom to the team, and it was especially nice that many of our external experts are lab alumni!
Liston lab
Reader Comments (1)
Congratulations to you and your team!
You are young and talented scientists. I believe that you will bring great benefits in the future.
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