CSI News

TEC Quebec 2023

The members of 2023 QC TEC would like to share the recently published article “A trainee’s perspective on scientific conferences.”, which was written by Vanessa de Carvalho Oliveria, Lauralie Short and Stefanie Valbon.

This article shares many of the initiatives implemented by the CSI to foster a great environment for the growth of the next generation of scientists.

IMMspire UofT was awarded the Best Newcomer Campaign for the 2023 IUIS-EFIS Day of Immunology Awards! This prize will help support IMMspire UofT to hold future events! Congratulations!!

TEC 2023 March Update:

With the 35th annual CSI conference around the corner, the trainee engagement committee (TEC) has been hard at work organizing the #CSI2023 trainee events! This last month the TEC has been putting together various opportunities for trainees to network and get to know fellow immunologists across Canada at this year’s CSI conference. On top of the trainee mixer and career round table talks, which were well received last year, we are introducing a new trainee welcome coffee event and an opportunity to connect recruiting PIs with trainees. Our goal with these events is to foster relationships among trainees, as well as trainees and PI/Industry professionals, while also providing a space for trainees to gain insights into career development. As we get closer to the CSI conference, the TEC will share more details regarding events. We look forward to seeing you all there! CSI 2023 TEC

CSI 2022 Review from our TEC group:

Check out this excellent review of the 2022 meeting authored by members of our Trainee Engagement Committee and published in the Journal of Leukocyte Biology - https://academic.oup.com/jleukbio/advance-article/doi/10.1093/jleuko/qiad002/6995012?login=false

Teamwork against the Coronas! Issue #3 - this is a followup to a science education effort for kids, featuring many Canadian scientists including several CSI members. Issues are available in both English and French and focus on vaccines, viral variants etc.

CSI Election Results
The election results for the CSI Council and Executive were announced at the AGM on June 7/21. We thank all those that agreed to stand for election. Your willingness to contribute to CSI is greatly appreciated. We would like to welcome our newly elected 2021 - 2023 Council and Executive:

We would like to thank our outgoing President, Dr. Kamala Patel and Councillors, Dr. Jeanette Boudreau, Dr. David Brooks, Dr. Sherri Christian and Dr. Sam Kung, for their dedicated service and support of the Canadian Society for Immunology.

Dear CSI Members,

Protests against anti-black racism and structural inequities have erupted in the US and spread globally. Anti-Black racism is not confined to the US, but is also pervasive in Canada. Systemic inequities are faced every day and in every aspect of life by Black, Indigenous, racialized and marginalized people in our communities.

The CSI commits to confronting racism and inequity directly and specifically. This begins by acknowledging that Black researchers, trainees and staff face systemic racism. That Indigenous, racialized and marginalized groups face systemic racism. That our academic systems must change, and that we will use our resources and yes, our privilege, to take action and work towards change.

We have four specific actions we are taking immediately, with further initiatives to be rolled out in the weeks and months to come.

1. We are asking for a few people to step forward and co-lead and facilitate a conversation with our community about anti-black and anti-indigenous racism in Canadian academia.
2. With our increased activity in social media during the pandemic and beyond, we will invite leaders and participants to step forward for a conversation on race in academia. Along with this, we will amplify the work and twitter voices of Black, Indigenous and racialized people.
3. We are establishing a Travel award for trainees from these under represented groups to participate in the CSI annual meeting.
4. We commit to increasing the diversity of our symposia and workshops to include people from racialized and marginalized groups in addition to the gender balance that we have been achieving.

When we are complacent, we are complicit. When we are silent, we are complicit. We must join the voices of those impacted by racism and structural inequity, and work to make change.

CSI Council

CSI will be advertising a variety of University Seminar Series from various institutions through our Members only login page. If you are interested in advertising your University series on our website, please send details to info@csi-sci.ca . Visit the University Seminar Series for more information.

Science education piece on COVID19 for older kids (featuring a few CSI members) called "No Mercy for the Coronas". Quite packed with info including immunology and vaccine development. Available in both French and English Visit: https://www.lalibertesciencesmagjunior.ca/

Dr. Ninan Abraham of The University of British Columbia: 

Peter Wall Institute @WallInstitute New Ways of Knowing podcast episode: @KalinaChristoff and guest @ninan_abraham1 (@UBCMicroImmuno & @ZoologyUBC), an expert on immunity to respiratory tract pathogens, discuss how the immune system protects us from pathogens like SARS-CoV-2. Listen here: https://pwias.ubc.ca/podcast/ways-knowing-episode-6-ninan-abraham

https://twitter.com/WallInstitute/status/1248372632807825410/photo/1

https://www.cbc.ca/radio/thecurrent/totally-irresponsible-to-expose-yourself-to-covid-19-in-hopes-of-immunity-warns-immunologist-1.5516366