The 66th Annual Drosophila Research Conference promises to be a meeting rich with the latest in Drosophila research as well as opportunities to advance your career and connect with a global community of 1,400+ scientists. The organizers Todd Nystul, Michelle Bland, Leila Rieder, Amanda Crocker, and Justin Crocker are hard at work, planning a conference that’ll cater to scientists of all career stages and creating an experience you won’t forget. We spoke with them about what they’re most excited for, both scientifically and on a more personal level, and what they think attendees will enjoy the most. 

Scientific program and abstract submissions 

With a scientific program like no other, the organizers are excited to see this year’s abstract submissions. Todd Nystul shared that for him, must-see sessions are always Stem Cells, Regeneration, and Tissue Injury and Reproduction and Gametogenesis, but this year, he’s really looking forward to Physiology, Metabolism, and Aging as well as Cell Division and Cell Growth. His lab is working on projects in these areas so he’s thrilled to get the chance to delve into the current state of science that he may not study in his day to day. “That is one of the great things about this meeting,” he stressed, “You can learn about the latest developments in your own field but there are also tons of opportunities to check out other areas you might not have thought much about before.” Meanwhile, Amanda Crocker approached her can’t-miss sessions list from a different but also important perspective, “As a faculty member at a small liberal arts institute, I am always interested in the education component and thinking about how to bring cutting-edge science to the classroom,” she said. Amanda explained that flies are a great model system for undergraduate students, and to keep them engaged, she looks forward to learning about new techniques, cool assays, or new flies for them to study. Michelle Bland is looking forward to Physiology, Metabolism, and Aging due to the increased sophistication of the use of Drosophila to study metabolism year after year and excited for Models of Human Disease as well as Techniques and Technology. Leila Rieder, a chromatin biologist, is a self-described “evolution fan,” so she’s looking forward to those talks—“Drosophila is so well suited for evolutionary studies for exactly the same reasons it’s well suited for all other fields,” she emphasized. See what we mean? This is definitely your go-to meeting for all things Drosophila! 

To make this scientific program as enriching as possible, the organizers are urging scientists of all career stages to submit abstracts in the many topic areas available. Todd sees it as a useful growing experience at any career stage. “There’s nothing like an upcoming presentation deadline to motivate you to organize your thoughts and data into the best story possible,” he remarked. He has some special advice for early career scientists though, “Getting exposure at a meeting like this is one of the most important things you can do as an early career scientist!” Amanda echoed the sentiment, “It’s a great time to network with more senior faculty—for grad students or postdocs, it’s a great way to highlight skills you might bring to the next step of your career.” And Todd shared several reasons why this is the case—first, you can get really insightful and constructive feedback on your work. He explained, “Drosophila scientists are generally very supportive of each other and get excited about good science. There’s a huge range of perspectives and levels of experience among attendees so, whether you’re looking for advice on the details of your next experiment or ways to frame the broader significance of your project, there’s a good chance you’ll get a lot of excellent feedback.” He added that getting the word out about your research results helps build excitement in the community and gives reviewers of your next grant or paper more context for your work, plus presenting your work is a great way to make new connections with scientists and broaden your professional network.

Todd mentioned it’s not uncommon for a presentation at the fly meeting to open doors for other professional opportunities, including invitations to meetings or to give a seminar, job offers, and others. Amanda explained the impact the meeting has had on her students, “There are activities and events where my students were able to network. They also felt very respected by the community when presenting.” She added that those experiences have helped her prioritize the conference when considering her own attendance as well as bringing her undergraduate students. Leila and Michelle commented on the benefits of early feedback for your research and urged scientists not to stress about having a publication-ready story. Leila mentioned many people are shy about presenting research before they have enough data, “when do we ever?” she quipped, “… or before they know the punchline. Sure, it’s so fun to be able to tell the whole story, but the GSA meetings more than any I’ve ever been to are opportunities to get expert help planning your experiments,” she explained, adding that “Everyone loves a good mystery, especially Drosophilists!” so you may get a rather unexpected “out-of-the-box” idea that takes your research to new heights. 

Collaboration and making connections 

Now, yes, learning about cutting-edge science across a range of fields and getting the word out about your work is very important for a researcher as are opportunities to advance the next stage of your career and improve your next paper or grant submission, but there are other benefits to attending a fly meeting—making lifelong connections. Todd highlighted opportunities to meet up with old friends and make new ones, and find your next mentor or trainee, sharing a story that exemplifies the importance of the human aspect of this conference. “About 15 years ago, I was at the meeting talking with several other young PIs I met there and we decided to go out to dinner together,” he recounted. The meeting was in Chicago so they followed a local who was also attending to an Italian restaurant she recommended. Some people in the group knew each other well but most had only just met or knew each other in passing. “But the dinner was magical,” Todd said. The group stayed at the restaurant chatting for hours about their science and the challenges of starting up a new lab and life in general, and most importantly, they stayed in touch after that. Now, the group continues the tradition of going out to dinner at the fly meeting every year and as the years pass, the group gets bigger and changes, “…but it has still retained the same spirit,” he stressed. “It is one of the highlights for me every year,” Todd shared, adding that this and similar experiences have created in him a strong loyalty toward the fly meeting, which led to his interest in becoming an organizer. “I want to carry on the tradition of showcasing excellent science and building community that has been such an integral part of this meeting for many years,” he stated. Leila’s fondest memory draws a parallel between her experience and her trainees’ – she shared that last year, she connected an acquaintance of an acquaintance with one of her lab trainees, both first gen and applying to graduate school. They ended up chatting for some time, creating a connection that made them feel less alone during the conference but also in the field. “I find this connection happens to me—and likely others—at almost every GSA conference I attend. The Drosophila field are my people,” she explained, adding that she sees deep consideration for mentoring and student wellbeing, which enriches the community and strengthens research.

It’s no surprise then that when asked what he’s most looking forward to this year, Todd responded “Do I have to pick just one?” explaining he loves this meeting for both the excellent science and the wonderful community. “I think this is the single best meeting for hearing about the latest developments in my field so I make sure not to miss any important talks. Additionally, I have made so many good friends there over the years, and I love that we have a chance to catch up with each other every year. Those annual reunions really help me stay grounded,” he explained. Michelle added, “This meeting has been my favorite science meeting since I started attending about two decades ago. The people, the science, and the ingenuity are unmatched.” And Leila shared, “I can’t wait to laugh with my colleagues and complain about grant reviewers—they’re the same people!” 

So, what are you waiting for? 

There’s still a chance to apply for travel funding through the Undergraduate Travel Awards, and to nominate someone for the Larry Sandler Award and the new Hugo Bellen and Catherine Tasnier Drosophila Neurogenetics Lecture (self-nominations welcome for the latter!). Make sure you register by the advance registration deadline of January 21 for discounted pricing. 

GSA and the Dros organizers can’t wait to see you in March in San Diego! 

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