Message from DNNSB Leadership
James Newcomb, Chair, (chair.dnnsb@sicb.org); Jamie Theobald, Program Officer (dpo.dnnsb@sicb.org); Jessica Fox, Secretary (secretary.dnnsb@sicb.org); Loranzie Rogers, Student/Postdoctoral Affairs Representative (loranzierogers@fas.harvard.edu)
Greetings from the DNNSB Leadership! We are looking forward to seeing you at the upcoming SICB meeting. If you will be attending the meeting, please join us at the Members Meeting, Divisional Social, and Best Student Presentations in Seattle!
Election Results
This year, divisional members elected Megan Gall (Vassar College) as our next Chair. Congratulations Megan! She will be taking over this spring for Jim Newcomb. Thank you, Jim, for your service to SICB and DNNSB!
Last year we voted to change the makeup of the DNNSB Executive Committee, adding three new positions (Chair-Elect, Secretary-Elect, and Program Officer-Elect). This spring, we had our first ever election for DNNSB Secretary-Elect, and Dan Speiser (University of South Carolina) was elected as our inaugural person for this position. Dan will join the Executive Committee over the next year, and learn the ropes in preparation for taking over from our current Secretary, Jessica Fox, in spring of 2025. Congratulations, Dan!
Upcoming Elections
After the Seattle meeting, in the spring of 2024, we will be electing our first Program Officer-Elect. This person will start in the spring of 2025 and shadow our current Program Officer, Jamie Theobald, to eventually take over this position in spring of 2026. A committee will be soliciting nominations for this position. Please consider serving if you are contacted by the committee, or reach out to any of the current DNNSB executive officers if you are interested. Volunteering service to SICB is a great way to give back to the society.
Call for Volunteer Judges for Best Student Presentation
We have a slate of both talk and poster presentations that will be participating in our annual DNNSB Best Student Presentation competitions at the SICB conference. As always, we are looking for your support in judging these presentations. For those that have already volunteered to judge presentations during registration, thank you! You will hear from us as we approach the meeting. For others, you can declare your interest when you register for the conference or by contacting DNNSB leadership. We thank you in advance for your help!
2024 SICB Meeting
The SICB Program Committee met in early October to prepare the meeting schedule for Seattle 2024. DNNSB was represented by our Program Officer, Jamie Theobald. We are looking forward to 72 posters and 104 talks for DNNSB!
Best Student Presentations
This year our division received 36 applicants for best student poster presentations, and 29 applicants for best student talks. Eight talks were selected for the DNNSB BSP talk session to take place on Wednesday, January 3, 1:30 to 3:30 PM in Room 606. These presentations are the best of the conference, so we encourage you to attend and check them out. ALL of the posters are in contention (as we voted last year not to limit poster competitors), which means we will need judges! Postdocs are eligible to judge, and we strongly encourage you to help.
Symposia for 2024
DNNSB is cosponsoring three symposia at the 2024 meeting: including “Pollinator-plant interactions in a changing landscape: embracing integrative approaches across scales,” “Cnidarian sensory systems as comparative models for the evolution of complexity,” and “Cities as a natural experiment: how organisms are finding different solutions to the same urban problems.” Please keep an eye out for symposium details.
Symposia for 2025 (and 2026)
For SICB 2025, we are very excited about the lineup of DNNSB-related symposia! If you have an idea for a symposium, please reach out to Jamie Theobald for help. Symposia related to neurobiology, sensory biology, and behavior are always well-received and nearly always make the cut. If you have an idea for a symposium, please submit a proposal. Moreover, please contact Jamie Theobald or Jim Newcomb if you want feedback about your ideas.
For Students and Post-Docs
SPDAC is hosting a few events and programs during the SICB 2024 meeting in Seattle.
Academic job market workshop: This workshop will cover how to prepare to enter the academic job market. It will briefly cover components of job applications from a range of academic positions and connect you with individuals who are also entering the job market!
Computational approaches to research: SPDAC will be hosting a booth during the meeting that will be covering a range of code, AI, and software based approaches that can be incorporated into your research. Check out the booth for new lessons and experts sharing examples!
Social with the social: Whether you are new or returning, join other students and postdocs at the ‘Social with the social,’ following the opening plenary talk. Details for where to find folks will be posted in the meeting program.