In this Postdoc Appreciation Week we want to say a big thank you to all our postdocs for the brilliant contributions they make to the Department!
We are very pleased that three of our postdocs have been recognised by the Cambridge Postdoc Academy. David Russell (Bonfio Group, pictured left) and Lisa Breckels (Lilley Group) are winners of the Level-Up Legend Award. David's citation reads:
'David received numerous nominations crediting his knowledge, patience and generosity in helping others. His deep understanding of and passion for science, combined with his approachable demeanour, has clearly made a lasting impression on many of his colleagues. He always takes the time to support students and fellow postdocs with their scientific techniques, as well as with preparing presentations and manuscripts.
One nominator described him as keeping the essence of science alive amidst the chaos of modern academia.
David has also developed an acetone recycling system for the lab, helping his colleagues cut out 25 litres of acetone waste. He truly embodies the spirit of collaboration and scientific mentorship.'
Lisa's Level-Up Legend Award citation is:
'Through sharing her knowledge of R, Lisa has had a profound impact on countless students and postdocs, in Cambridge, nationally and internationally. She goes above and beyond to teach her colleagues how to use R and to build bespoke packages that they can use.
Taking her impact further afield, she runs courses in collaboration with the Bioinformatics Training Centre and regularly teaches researchers from groups around the world. She has even empowered many researchers with the pedagogical and technical skills to run their own courses in R.
Lisa shows great generosity of spirit in her willingness to come to the aid of her colleagues – often prioritising helping them over her own work and providing analysis at short notice.'
Álvaro López-Acosta (Bonfio Group, pictured right) received an extra mention:
‘Again, Álvaro’s contributions span almost all of our categories, embodying the spirit of community leadership. His energy and creativity have driven cross-lab networking, communication training, and empathetic representation. He is a postdoc representative on several committees, a sought-after advisor, and an instigator of events that bring researchers together.’
Very well done to all three of them and you can read more about the Postdoc Academy awards here.