Contact us

Interested in being a part of the club? 

Get in touch with us at doid.ecr.committee-wd@groups.imperial.ac.uk

About us

The Early Careers Researchers Club (ECR Club) is a forum for Early Career Researchers - PhD students, research technicians, Post Docs and clinical and academic fellows - from the Department of Infectious Disease that will allow us the opportunity to hear from and engage with speakers on a range of topics pertinent to our scientific careers, mental health and wellbeing as well as different facets of science, and network over food and drinks! 

Speakers will be invited to discourse on topics including: 'patient and public engagement in clinical research', 'fostering successful collaborations' and 'tips for a stress-free career break', among others. Some meetings will take the form of a 'Chalkboard Talk' where speakers present their research on a whiteboard and open up discussion on the scientific rationale, future direction and translational scope of their work. Meetings will also provide an insight into the range of career options available to ECRs working in medical research and offer the opportunity to hear first-hand the experiences of people on different career paths. The subject matter is deliberately chosen to be diverse and provoke thought and discussion that is distinct from more scientifically focused departmental seminars.  

Attendees are encouraged to network following the session. A major aim of the club is to bridge the gap between clinicians and non-clinicians with the department. Fostering collaboration at the early stages of our careers will lead to greater appreciation and understanding of each other’s work, culminating in better outcomes for patients with infectious diseases in the future.

Upcoming events

Past events

  • 2 November 2023: Chalk Board Talk Dr. Pat Kalemera, "HCV balances efficient entry and antibody escape by conformationally tuning its envelope protein"
    Thursday, 2nd November 2023, 5.30pm The Conference Room, Ground Floor Medical School Building St Mary's Campus
  • 1 February 2024: Chalk Board Talk Dr. Claudia Efstathiou, “Markers of Long Covid”
    Thursday, 1st February 2024, 5.30pm G64, Medical School Building St Mary's Campus
  • 7 March 2024: Dr. Thomas Peacock, “Effective Science Communication in a Room Full of Loud Voices”
    Thursday, 7th March 2024, 5.00pm G64, Medical School Building St Mary's Campus
  • 18 April 2024: Dr. Laura Martin-Sancho Dr. Lucy Thorne, “Collaboration in the Pandemic Age”
    Thursday, 18th April 2024, 5.00pm G62, Medical School Building St Mary's Campus
  • 23 May 2024: Dr. Carolina Rosadas, “Pathway to impact: how to use research to change policy”
    Thursday, 23rd May 2024, 5pm G65, Medical School Building St Mary's Campus

  • 3 July 2024: Dr. Ana Barradas-Pires, "Healthcare Economics” - Wednesday, 3rd July 2024, 5.00pm G64, Medical School Building St Mary's Campus

  • 2 November 2024: Prof. John Tregoning, “Popular Science Writing”

  • 4 December 2024: Dr. Michal Barski, “The Importance of Visualising Biotech Innovations”

  • 23 January 2025: Dr. Ines Perpetuo, Dr. Caroline Hargreaves, “ECRI”

  • 13 February 2025: Dr Jesus Rodriguez -Manzano, : “Setting Up Your Startup”

Meet the Committee

  • Goedele N. Maertens

    Personal details

    Goedele N. Maertens Professor in Molecular Virology

    Biography

    Goedele received her BSc in Chemistry and MSc in Biochemistry from the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (KUL, Belgium). During her PhD in Biochemistry in the laboratories of Yves Engelborghs and Zeger Debyser at the KUL, she trained for two years in the Alan Engelman lab at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute/Harvard Medical School (Boston, MA). Following a 4-year postdoctoral fellowship in molecular oncology at Cancer Research UK (London, UK), in the lab of Gordon Peters, she joined the Cherepanov lab at Imperial College London for 18 months. In 2011, she joined the Department of Medicine at Imperial College London as a Lecturer. She is now a Reader in Molecular Virology in the Department of Infectious Disease and since 2020 the Deputy Head of Section of Virology. Her research interests include mechanisms of retroviral integration with a particular focus on deltaretroviruses such as human T-cell lymphotropic virus.

  • Anita Meier

    Personal details

    Anita Meier Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Section of Virology

    Biography

    I am an MSCA postdoctoral research fellow in the single-molecule imaging lab of Prof. David Rueda. I study the intricate mechanism of HSV-1 genome replication on the single-molecule level. For this, I am using techniques such as smFRET, c-trap and cryo-EM. I really enjoy learning about the biology of different viruses from the molecular to the clinical level. When I'm not in the lab, I enjoy playing the piano or engage in outdoor activities such as kayaking.

  • Kate Slade

    Personal details

    Kate Slade PhD student

    Biography

    I am a PhD student in the Maertens Lab. Having completed the MSc in the Molecular Biology and Pathology of Viruses, I started my PhD in the Maertens lab focussing on the role of host factors in the requisite integration step of the δ-retrovirus HTLV-1 (Human T-cell lymphotropic virus type 1). Here, I am to characterise the molecular interactions between identified host and viral proteins to determine their role in integration and therefore establishing viral infection. Outside of the lab I enjoy cycling, camping and all things outdoors.

  • Alex McCarthy

    Personal details

    Alex McCarthy Reader in Bacterial Infection Biology

    Biography

    I joined the the Department of Infectious Diseases, Imperial College London in January 2019 as a Lecturer. I previously completed a PhD at the University of Leeds (2005-2009), a postdoc in the laboratory of Prof Jodi Lindsay at St George's University of London, London studying the evolution and host-pathogen interactions of S. aureus from 2009-2013, a postdoc in the laboratory of Prof Peter Taylor at University College London (UCL) School of Pharmacy, London studying the host-pathogen interactions of E. coli from 2013 to 2016. I was awarded an Intra-European Fellowship for Career Development by EU MSCA to join the laboratory of Prof Jos van Strijp at the University Medical Centre (UMC) Utrecht in 2016 to study the role of inhibitory receptors on neutrophils. I am now a Reader in Bacterial Infection Biology, leading a group studying the role of inhibitory receptors in antibacterial immunity and as targets of bacterial virulence strategies.

  • Rupali Dubas

    Personal details

    Rupali Dubas PhD Student, Institute of Clinical Sciences

    Biography

    I am a 4th year PhD candidate in Clinical Sciences at Imperial College London, specialising in developing polymeric nanoparticles for RNA delivery. My interest in nanomedicine was inspired by a BSc in Natural Sciences at UCL and an MRes in Drug Discovery and Development at Imperial, both of which fostered a sustained passion for multidisciplinary research, which I believe is crucial for driving scientific innovation. Alongside my research, I enjoy science writing, communication and making complex scientific concepts engaging for diverse audiences.

  • Alex Flint

    Personal details

    Alex Flint PhD Student, Institute of Clinical Sciences

    Biography

    I am a PhD student in Professor Graham Taylor’s research group, splitting my time between Imperial College London and the UKHSA. I hold a BSc in Biomedical Science, and a Master of Public Health. My research is within the field of epidemiology and public health, assessing the burden of Human T-cell lymphotropic virus type-1 (HTLV-1) within sexual health and HIV clinics, alongside common co-infections (blood-borne and sexually transmitted). This involves designing interventions to increase testing across five NHS trusts, analysing seroprevalence by sociodemographic determinants, conducting patient and clinician interviews, and culminating in a cost-effectiveness analysis of testing in high-risk groups on behalf of the NHS. Outside of research, I enjoy travelling (23 countries so far!), running, and cooking.