It’s that time of the year at NuNano when we sit down and decide which microscopy conferences we want to attend during the year ahead.
The UK RMS AFM & SPM Meeting 2020 is a conference that we are particularly excited about. It’s an opportunity for all great minds working in AFM and SPM to meet and discuss new developments.
What we particularly love about RMS meetings is that they have an open and informal feel. It’s a friendly and inviting environment that welcomes and encourages all researchers,, irrespective of their experience, to confidently discuss their work.
In addition to rubbing shoulders with world-leading experts in the field, the RMS AFM & SPM Meeting is a chance to build and grow your network in the UK, as well as keep up to date with the #AFMcommunity!
We think it’s the perfect place to hang out, especially for newer or younger researchers which is why we’re excited to be offering sponsorship for a student to attend the meeting! Click below for more information.
Attending conferences can be a bit overwhelming and there’s a real skill to be able to navigate them effectively. We asked four previous RMS meeting attendees for their advice on getting the most out of microscopy conferences.
Dr Andrew Lee is a research fellow at Leeds University who works with High-Speed Atomic Force Microscopy.
Dr Alice Pyne is a lecturer in soft matter at the University of Sheffield who specialises in high resolution biomolecular AFM.
Laia Pasquina Lemonche is a PhD student at the university of Sheffield. She received a prize at the RMS Meeting in 2018 for her talk: ‘Molecular resolution of Bacteria Cell Wall Using AFM’.
Dr Kislon Voitchovsky is an associate professor of physics at Durham University.
What’s the best thing about RMS meetings that, in your opinion, make them worth attending?
Andrew - The best thing about the UKSPM meetings is the open and informal feel. As a young researcher I always felt comfortable, welcomed and at ease discussing my work in that setting. The UK AFM community has always seemed interested, inviting and offered constructive criticism and interesting discussion.
Alice - The RMS meetings are a great chance to catch up with or meet the UK SPM Community, at a smaller, friendly meeting, whilst getting to hear talks from world-leading experts in the field.
Laia - The best thing about the RMS meeting was the focus on microscopy and the opportunity for early career researchers to interact with some of the most important researchers in the field. The meeting I attended in 2018 was really relevant to my line of work and I had interesting conversations that might lead to collaborations in the future.
Kislon - Mainly networking and getting a general update on what your colleagues are up to and presenting some of your latest results. It is also a good place to get some sense of the UK SPM community.
Would you encourage students to give a talk and why?
Andrew - Absolutely. One of the most important things a researcher can learn to do is to communicate their research in a clear, concise and exciting way. Being able to tell people a story accompanied by beautiful visuals, in my case HS-AFM videos, is what microscopy is all about!
Alice - Talks are a great chance to speak about your research in a supportive environment. The atmosphere is very constructive and it’s a chance to get feedback from experts in your field, which can be invaluable in interpreting your data or helping design your next experiments - I would encourage everyone to try it!
Laia - Giving a talk was an absolute pleasure. It was really exciting for me, a second year PhD student at the time, to be able to present my research and share it with other researchers interested in microscopy. I would encourage all researchers to apply for a talk, no matter your previous experience, because it can give you the opportunity to share your research in a safe and dynamic environment.
Laia receiving a prize for her talk at the 2018 RMS Meeting
Kislon - Absolutely, I always do. It is a good place to get started and gain some experience in front of a friendly audience. It is also a good place to get noticed for a career in the UK.
How do you make sure to get the most out of any conference you attend?
Andrew - Talk to people! Conferences are a melting pot of exciting ideas and different perspectives. You don’t need to take a million notes, it’s not a university lecture. But if there’s something that excites, talk to the speaker, there might be some spark of inspiration that could lead to a fruitful collaboration.
Alice - I try to check out the programme in advance, especially if there are multiple sessions at the same time, and pin down talks I definitely want to attend, often those by early career researchers. I also make sure I get time to take a walk or go for a run and clear my head to try and avoid overload!
Laia - The most important part about attending a conference is networking. If you leave the conference knowing someone new and fostering a potential collaboration you can feel satisfied. In general, I always try to make new friends and connections; learning something new from other peoples research.
Kislon - If I have specific research questions or problems where I would like advice or input, I try to link up with the relevant people at a time I expect they will be happy to chat (poster sessions, drinks, breaks etc.). It is a good idea to join social events as people are more prepared to open up in a relaxed atmosphere.
Any other advice, especially to first timers, you’d like to share?
Andrew - Big conferences can be overwhelming, particularly if you attend on your own and are a long way from home. Remember that people are generally very friendly, and the best way to get emended with a community is to engage with it. Take your time and enjoy the science.
Allice - I was given the advice: try to use conferences to build a supportive network of peers, and I think its really true. Having peers to collaborate with is really fun and having peers in your network to ask questions, and for support has been really invaluable for me. If I can meet one new great person at a conference, I consider it a success!
Laia - Try to exchange contact details, it is really easy to forget names after a while. Before the conference, make a list of all the people you would like to talk to, either if they are early career researchers or Professors, don’t be afraid to introduce yourself and mutually share your ideas.
Be open to listen to talks that might seem distant to your topic, you never know, you might learn something new that can even be applied to your research in the future.
Kislon - Be confident and don’t feel that you are being tested when you present. tough questions often result from people being genuinely interested in your work and thinking ahead of specific applications or further steps, not doubting your working abilities.
Try to relax, enjoy, and make the most of it!
What are your top tips for choosing and managing your time and energy at conferences? Which is the best AFM/SPM conference you’ve attended to date and what made it great in your mind? Join the discussion by popping your comments and sharing your thoughts below!
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