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Early Career Events

PNIRS recognizes the vital role of trainees in PNI and offers several dedicated events at the Annual Meeting as well during virtual meetings to support their development. These include a speed mentoring session, a trainee social, poster blitz, poster sessions, the Education Short Course and PNIRS Virtual Spring Trainee Events.

What is Speed Mentoring?
Speed Mentoring is a fast-paced, interactive session designed to connect trainees with experienced professionals in science and psychoneuroimmunology (PNI). Trainees have the chance to ask questions—ranging from practical career advice to broader discussions about the field—in a series of brief, focused conversations.

What is a Poster Blitz
The Poster Blitz showcases trainee poster presenters through a series of rapid-fire talks, each highlighting a brief snapshot of their research. This fast-paced session offers attendees a quick and engaging preview of some of the most exciting work featured in the poster sessions at each Annual Meeting.

What is the Education Short Course?
The Education Short Course is a pre-conference session held at the PNIRS Annual Meeting, designed to provide in-depth training on key topics in psychoneuroimmunology (PNI). Led by expert faculty, the course offers foundational knowledge and emerging insights for trainees, early career researchers, and anyone looking to deepen their understanding of the field.

Each year, the course focuses on a different theme or set of skills, making it a valuable learning opportunity for both new and returning attendees.

 

2025 PNIRS Virtual Spring Trainee Event Recap

The 2025 PNIRS Virtual Spring Trainee Event successfully returned, welcoming PNI trainees from around the world — both members and non-members. The event provided doctoral students, master’s students, and postdocs with the opportunity to submit an abstract and present their research in 5-minute talks, followed by engaging discussions with peers, PIs, and members of the PNIRS Training Committee.

In preparation, two virtual training seminars were held to help participants sharpen their science communication skills. Awards were given for the best presentations, and individual feedback was provided by senior PNIRS members after the event.

This virtual event complemented the in-person PNIRS 2025 Annual Meeting in Bordeaux, France, and contributed to the Society’s year-round training initiatives for the next generation of PNI scientists.

Congratulations to our 2025 Spring Trainee Event Winners:

Genevieve Craig, Emory University​
Maya Matinko, University of Pittsburgh​
Rafael Gonzalez-Ricon, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign​
Giulia Borgonovo, Scuola Normale Superiore​
Monica A. Tschang, University of Washington​
Jenna L. Hansen, University of Miami​
Elisabeth Mancz, University of Cincinnati​
Ashley Otero, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign​
Sophie J. Fairweather, University of Bristol​
Michael Patton, Duke University

2024 PNIRS Virtual Spring Trainee Event Recap

Career Path Diversity in PNI

This two-part virtual program was designed for trainees exploring diverse career paths in psychoneuroimmunology (PNI). Attendees had the opportunity to engage with established PNI researchers working in a variety of professional settings, from academia to industry and beyond.

The interactive sessions included brief trainee introductions, short career talks from invited speakers, and small-group breakout discussions focused on career development. Participants were encouraged to come prepared with questions about career options (rather than research topics) and enjoyed the chance to connect with each speaker in a rotating breakout format. The program wrapped up with informal breakout room networking and open Q&A.

This session highlighted the broad range of opportunities available to those pursuing a career in PNI and provided valuable guidance and inspiration for the next generation of researchers.

2023 PNIRS Virtual Spring Trainee Event Recap

The inaugural PNIRS Virtual Spring Trainee Event took place in February 2023, offering a unique opportunity for PNIRS trainees around the world to connect and present their research. Open to master’s students, doctoral candidates, and postdocs, the event featured 5-minute presentations followed by discussion, providing a dynamic and supportive platform to showcase trainee work in the field of psychoneuroimmunology (PNI).

Designed to strengthen science communication skills, the program included two virtual training seminars prior to the event. Presenters received feedback from senior PNIRS members, and awards were given for the best talks, as determined by online voting and evaluations from session chairs.

Each session featured small breakout groups facilitated by trainees, PIs, and members of the PNIRS Training Committee. Presenters were grouped into teams, with a maximum of 25 participants per parallel session, encouraging visual interaction and active discussion.

Congratulations to the group winners:
Group 1 - CNS Disease/Immune Profiling: Michelle Chen
Group 2 - Immune Challenge: Estherina Trachtenberg
Group 3 - Immune-brain communication: Stephan Leisengang
Group 4 - CNS Disease/Immune Profiling: Tabatha Green
Group 5 - Nutrition/Gut-brain/Drug Use: Adriano Chaves-Filho and Erika English
Group 6 - Immune-brain communication/immune challenge: Makenzie Patarino