Student joins organization of international society congress
A Student of the MCBiology Doctoral Program at the University of Porto, carrying out research at i3S, Óscar Fonseca has been selected to join the Junior Board of the Organizing Committee of the 10th Congress of the BioIron Society, which will be held in Montreal, Canada, in May 2025.
Organized by the International Society for the Study of Iron in Biology and Medicine (BioIron), the selection of Junior Board members was made based on applications and CVs submitted by young researchers from around the world working in the iron field. In the end, seven doctoral students were selected, including Óscar Fonseca, as well as six post-doctorates.
For the student, science communication is one of the areas that most stimulates him: “I have been working in the iron field for almost two years, having participated in two renowned international conferences in this community (the European Iron Club 2023 and 2024) and integrated the COST action ‘Iron-Sulphur (FeS) Clusters: from Chemistry to Immunology’ (FeSImmChemNet), so being part of the organization of the next BioIron congress, the largest and most important congress in the area of Iron Biology, was an opportunity that I couldn’t pass up”.
Furthermore, the doctoral project that Óscar Fonseca is developing is focused on the flow and metabolism of iron during infection, from an intercellular communication perspective. For these reasons, he explains, “applying for this position made perfect sense. And having been chosen to perform these roles, together with other members from all over the world, will allow me to meet new and important people in the field of Iron Biology, establish new collaborations and strengthen existing ones. Being part of BioIron will bring me unique experiences that will promote my scientific and personal development, increasing my teamwork and scientific communication skills”.
As a member of the Junior Board, Óscar Fonseca will help the senior members of the organizing committee in coordinating the international congress in Montreal, where he will actively participate in the preparation of the Educational Day, more specifically with suggestions for topics and/or speakers, and in the selection and organization of sessions of Career Development at the same congress. There will also be the opportunity to contribute ideas for carrying out virtual activities that may take place between BioIron congresses.
BioIron is a highly prestigious scientific society, which brings together researchers from all over the world, with meetings since 1973. BioIron Society congresses have been held every two years since 1997.