CRS members attend Illinois Symposium on Reproductive Science

On October 11^th, after a two year hiatus due to the pandemic, the CRS community once again was able to attend, in person, the Illinois Symposium on Reproductive Science (ISRS). Hosted this year by the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, faculty, staff, and trainees from all over the Midwest engaged in scientific discourse and networked face to face. Kelsey Andersen, 2^nd year MS-RSM student and ISRS planning committee member, summed up the palpable excitement during the meeting this year, “ISRS was a really exciting opportunity for the CRS community to gather together after the pandemic and for many of us to showcase our hard work for the first time during our graduate career. It was also very motivational to hear what other schools were doing with their science careers and to meet in person rather than over zoom.” And Dr. Hoi Chang Lee expressed his gratitude for having such a well-organized and well attended local conference, “I think we are fortunate for this regional meeting of reproductive biology. Although it was only a day, It was a great opportunity to meet potential coworkers and learn more information such as latest research and career development."

The over 25 strong contingent of the CRS community in attendance at ISRS brought their exemplary science to the broader reproductive science community and heard feedback on their research, engages in new and cutting edge topics during oral presentations, and formed connections and collaborations with our peers at all levels of training. "ISRS provides an excellent experience as a trainee at all stages. You get to receive feedback from faculty and peers on your research in a much more trainee-oriented meeting along with talks that focus not only on research but also the paths you can take after graduate school. I personally got a lot of useful feedback for developing my work alongside potential collaboration opportunities by presenting my research at this year's conference” reflects Nathaniel Henning, a 5^th year DGP student, and 1^st place winner of the poster presentation competition.

 Indeed this event was the first time some of our MS-RSM trainees were able to attend a reproductive science focused meeting, in person or virtual. With high caliber invited speakers and alumni bring inspirational and aspirational research and career path stories, the audience was excited to engage in person rather through the computer screen. 1^st year MS-RSM student, Pooja Devrukhkar’s summary of the meeting expresses our collective voice, “Attending the ISRS in person, and meeting pioneers and stalwarts in our field was an incredibly enriching experience. Not only did it provide a wider insight into the ongoing research in Reproductive Science, but also gave me an opportunity to connect with my peers, for which I am immensely thankful. The highlight of the conference for me, were the presentations given by the Alumni and the Senior scientists. Witnessing the earnest passion for Reproductive Science and Medicine, in people who have been in this field for so long, reassures the aspiring scientist in me that I indeed chose the right field.”

This year reminded us that the ISRS meeting is a cherished event for our CRS community and we all look forward to continuing the tradition of scientific excellence that our community brings every time we convene. See you all next year!