CPCB 20th Anniversary Research Symposium showcases success in PhD training
The CPCB 20th Anniversary Research Symposium was held on Aug. 20 and 21. This event celebrated two decades of excellence in training and discovery for the Joint Carnegie Mellon University – University of Pittsburgh PhD Program in Computational Biology (CPCB).
The two-day symposium brought together current students, alumni and faculty to reflect on a program that provides interdisciplinary training in computational biology.
“We wanted to bring alumni back and celebrate the milestone of having such a prestigious program for 20 years,” said Associate Professor David Koes, co-director of the CPCB program. “It was also a great opportunity to provide a perspective to students of what life is like after their PhD.”
The event featured student talks, poster sessions, a picnic and an alumni career panel.
The CPCB program provides students with training by leading experts at two of the foremost computer science and biomedical research institutions in the world. More than 90% of graduates have entered biomedical fields and built lasting careers there.
Alumni from a variety of different industries delivered talks and answered student questions about their careers. Current students had the opportunity to hear from professionals who are working in fields such as biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, academia and nonprofit organizations.
In addition to highlighting research and career paths, the symposium also had moments of connection and camaraderie. The CPCB Olympics tried attendees’ skills with activities like Pittsburgh trivia and building a 3D structure from spaghetti and marshmallows. Evening receptions gave alumni and students the chance to engage in meaningful conversations over dinner.
“The 20th anniversary symposium was such an amazing reminder of what makes CPCB special. Seeing alumni return, reconnecting with former students and faculty, and watching our current students share their work really brought the history of the program to life,” said Kelly Gentille, academic programs director.
The department would like to thank the staff, faculty and students who made this event a success. We would also like to thank the donors who contributed to the CPCB 20th Anniversary Symposium fund. As a result of contributions from donors across Pitt and CMU, we were able to raise $1,009 for our fundraising campaign.
“CPCB has always been a community effort, and we look forward to continuing to leverage the strengths of our two universities in upcoming years,” Koes said.