The Spinal Cord Research Centre hosts or participates in several seminar series, as well as two neuroscience-related journal clubs. These all provide great training opportunities to broaden your skill set, see what your colleagues are working on, and learn about progress in the field of neuroscience research. Trainees are strongly encouraged to take in as many of these seminars as they can.
- SCRC Journal Club
- The SCRC runs a Journal Club from fall through spring every year. It is a great learning opportunity for trainees at our centre. We meet most Fridays, and feature both invited speakers and trainee presentations. The objectives of our journal club are to: 1) develop and hone critical thinking skills, 2) develop a breadth of knowledge in the sciences related to spinal cord injury, and 3) create a platform for trainees and PIs to interact and get to know some possible collaborators.
- Neuroscience Rounds
- The Health Sciences Centre and the UM Dept. of Internal Medicine organize weekly Neuroscience Rounds. These two-hour sessions each Friday begin with a case presentation from a resident in neurology or neurosurgery, followed by a short break, then a Didactic Lecture or Seminar by an invited speaker. While primarily targeting clinical trainees, these lectures cover a broad range of neuroscience-related topics, and all trainees are welcome. The Rounds also coordinate with the Manitoba Neuroscience Network’s series of Seminars and Visiting Speakers, so that the last didactic lecture each month is the MNN’s seminar or invited speaker.
- Manitoba Neuroscience Network Seminar Series
- The Manitoba Neuroscience Network organizes one or two seminars per month as part of the MNN Seminar and Visiting Speaker Series. These seminars are presented in co-operation with University of Manitoba Clinical Neuroscience Rounds, with the final Friday of each month from fall to spring featuring an MNN seminar as the rounds lecture. The MNN also hosts about six visiting speakers each year, and follows these lectures with a trainee lunch where students can meet the guest lecturer for further discussion. Two of these invited scientists are the keynote speakers in the local SfN chapter’s Brain Awareness Week activities in March, and the MNN Annual Scientific Meeting in June.
- Dementia Journal Club
- An SCRC Affiliate Faculty member in the Division of Neurodegenerative Disorders coordinates a Dementia Journal Club. It covers neuroscience topics related to Alzheimer’s Disease and other neurodegenerative disorders. This journal club was started several years ago with the goal of uniting researchers across Winnipeg, across faculties, and across departments. The club began with a focus on Alzheimer’s dementia, which has expanded to include all forms of dementia. Currently the group meets monthly at various Winnipeg locations, but with many meetings occurring at the University of Manitoba, Ft. Garry, HSC, and St. Boniface.
- Biomedical Engineering Seminars
- The Graduate Program in Biomedial Engineering hosts a BME Seminar Series. It runs bi-weekly through the fall and winter sessions. Seminars are held on the Fort Garry Campus, in the Engineering Complex. PIs and trainees hold presentations on a broad range of bioengineering topics, many of which cover areas of interest to trainees in the fields of neuroscience or spinal cord injury.