IUBMB Trainee Initiative

Welcome to the website of the International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (IUBMB) Trainee Initiative! Our goal is to bring together scientists around the world through initiatives and events covering educational, technical, and professional development. Our initiative is run by trainees for trainees – whether you are a student in a high-school, undergraduate, master’s, or PhD programme or a post-doctoral researcher, we hope that our activities and resources will help you navigate your journey into the wonderful world of biochemistry and molecular biology!

Who We Are

Our leadership committee represents all geographical regions, by including committee members from all four regional IUBMB member societies: FAOBMB (Federation of Asian and Oceanian Biochemists and Molecular Biologists), FASBMB (Federation of African Societies of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology), FEBS (Federation of European Biochemical Societies), and PABMB (Pan American Association for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology). Our current trainee representatives include our chair, Élyse Fischer (FEBS/PABMB); Ryan C.V. Lintao, Marta Orlowska, and Jessie Wong Ling Ai (all from FAOBMB); Oswald Yedjinnavenan Djihinto, Tatenda Murigo, Victoria Patten (all from FASBMB); Nefeli Boni-Kazantzidou, Mihaela Jovanović, and Patrick Penndorf (all from FEBS); Brianna Bibel, Cathy Cozma, Sunnie Kong, Hannah Pletcher (all from PABMB). You can find more about us by visiting our Trainee Leadership Committee page.

Our Aim

The aim of the IUBMB Trainee initiative is to provide opportunities for emerging researchers of all levels. That entails access to our network and opportunities for skills development, training resources and a supportive team to help them in their professional and scientific journeys! Accessibility, diversity, and inclusion are most important to us. Whether you have limited access to resources, are a first-generation scientist trying to navigate the world of academia, or face visible and invisible barriers – we want to make the “invisible curriculum” open to everyone who wants to explore the world of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. So, whether you are trying to build a career in academia or outside of it, advance your learning or just explore, we hope to have something for you!

A Message from IUBMB President Professor Alexandra Newton

“Trainees are our future and the best investment we can make is to nourish their interests, provide opportunities for their research, education, and career development, and engage their passion in biochemistry and molecular biology. I am thus thrilled to welcome the leaders of tomorrow to the international biochemistry and molecular biology community. The IUBMB Trainee Initiative is run by trainees for trainees, with the full support of the IUBMB. I thank every member from Africa, Europe, the Americas, and Oceania/Asia for volunteering their time, energy, and ideas to engage trainees around the world and wish them much success as they rise to the challenge of building and shaping the initiative.”
– Alexandra Newton, January 2022.

A Message from our Chair Élyse Fischer

“We are all scientists because someone else influenced us. This might be someone who we admired, mentored us, or simply a person who created a good feeling about doing science. I believe that we early career researchers now have so much power and energy to pay forward from what we have learnt from others. We can be the change we wish to see in science.

The goal of this initiative is to provide a platform by which early career researchers can immerse themselves in the beauty of research, make connections with other passionate scientists, and collectively create a platform to both be inspired and to inspire others. As chair of this leadership committee, I strongly believe this group of incredibly passionate scientists can accomplish this and make a positive impact on not only trainees but the entire scientific community.”
— Élyse Fischer, February 2023.

Messages from our Regional Leaders

“As the regional leader for Asia and Oceania on the IUBMB Trainee Initiative (Tl) Leadership Committee, it is my aim to create and support equal opportunities for Asian countries and bridge the ocean between Oceania and other continents in scientific knowledge and networking. We are planning to organize events, which will enhance confidence, promote different scientific fields and shed a light on obtaining international recognition and opportunities. I am certain that with our initiative’s encouragement, knowledge and international support network, there is much that we can achieve.”
— Marta Orlowska, FAOBMB, February 2023.

“As the leader of the African region on the IUBMB Trainee Initiative (TI) Leadership Committee, my hope is that we strive to make a difference in the accessibility and availability of learning, especially throughout Africa. Our IUBMB TI is an extraordinary platform for emerging researchers to network and foster a love and appreciation for biochemistry and molecular biology. We aim to encourage our followers to continue to explore the unknown through research and collaborations, and through our global online events we endeavor to showcase, promote and celebrate international talent and expertise in biological research. I am encouraged by the hope that we can inspire the next generation of young scientists to enter into STEM fields with excitement and without hesitation.”
— Victoria Patten, FASBMB, February 2023.

“The IUBMB TI is a magnificent organization that gives young, passionate scientists a platform to make their innovative ideas a reality. Truly from scientists, for scientists. Our focus in the FEBS section is to connect with various research associations and initiatives not only within Europe but worldwide. We want to reach an even wider audience of young scientists and leverage the knowledge of all of us. More specifically, we aim to show how interdisciplinary communication can improve our understanding of science and engage people with sustainable practices to reduce their environmental footprint in their research. Being allowed to work with such an excellent group of members to share what we have learned is truly exhilarating.”
— Patrick Penndorf, FEBS, February 2023.

“As the regional leader for the PABMB Region of the IUBMB Trainee Initiative (TI) Leadership Committee, it is my hope to unite trainees in our region and internationally by providing opportunities to grow scientifically and professionally. Access to resources and connections is vital for engaging in science, and we hope to improve that access for trainees in our region and beyond. With the passionate members of the IUBMB TI Leadership Committee, we will host events to supply a platform for discussions of scientific research, allow experts to instruct trainees on skills useful in and outside the laboratory, and interact with trainees to support them the best we can. Together, training scientists will truly have an impact on each other and the world.”
— Hannah Pletcher, PABMB, February 2023.