A new hope – BLAM once again in real life

Some people are listning to a lecturer. Photo.

People sitting in a lecture hall listening. Photo. — The lecture hall was full of an expectant audience.

Last Wednesday and Thursday it was once again time for the Biology in Lund Annual Meeting (BLAM). One of the nicest events at the department and a great opportunity to meet people across units and research groups

A lecturer standing talking. Photo. — The plenary speaker Maria José Ruiz López started with a talk about ”Conservation and host-parasite interactions”.

BLAM is a departmental conference arranged by our PhD students each year. Or nearly every year more exactly, due to the pandemic. I think everybody had longed for this real-life meeting since 2019 when the last meeting on-site was held.

A person is giving a lecture. Photo. — The second plenary speaker, Felipe Cava, talked about ”D-amino acids shape the microbial biodiversity”.

All talks, except two invited plenary lectures, are done by the PhD students. They also make all the posters and are the host of the meeting. BLAM 2022 organising committee consisted of Sara Winterfeldt, Dániel Tájmel, Karla Iveth Aguilera Campos, Katie Laschanzky and Ashish Ashish. They had done an amazing job.

Some people are standing on a stage. Photo. — The organising committee Karla Iveth Aguilera Campos, Sara Winterfeldt, Dániel Tájmel, Katie Laschanzky and Ashish Ashish.

The only thing I can complain about is the weather. In former years it used to be great weather during BLAM and the breaks were usually enjoyed outside. Not this year, the rain did not make it tempting to go outside at all.

A person is talking in a microphone on a stage. Photo. — Besides organising the meeting, Ashish Ashish also gave a talk.

Two people are standing around a computer. Photo. — Sara Winterfeldt is helping Huy Cuong Tran with the computer.

Two people on a stage are looking at a computer. Photo. — Karla Iveth Aguilera Campos is preparing Dániel Tájmel’s presentation.

A person is standing beneath a presentation screen. Photo. — Marie Inger Dam talked described her research in a flash talk.

A person is standing beside a stage. Photo. — Katie Laschanzky confers with the other members in the organising committee.

One in the audience is holding a microphone. Photo. — BLAM is a great place to learn more about your colleagues research.

A person is explaining a poster. Photo. — The poster winner Etka Yapar is explaining his poster.

A person is pointing at a poster. Photo. — Ashish Ashis is showing his poster.

The talks and posters were of an extremely high quality, which made it a hard decision for the prize committee to decide who were the winner of the prizes for best talk, best flash talk and best poster.

A large dining room with a large cut-glass chandelier. Photo. — The chandelier at Grand Hotel is amazing, like the sound level when around 125 happy people are talking.

At the grand dinner at Grand Hotel Johan Kjellberg Jensen was announced the winner of the talk, Susana Garcia Dominguez the winner of the flash talks and Etka Yapar was the winner of the best poster. The prize money is 10 000 SEK each for the talk and poster winners and 5 000 SEK for the flash talk winner. The money should be spent on travel or literature in accordance with the winners’ PhD projects.

People talking and smiling. Photo. — BLAM is a lot more than just talks and posters. The social bit is as important.

Last night I went home with happy voices ringing in my ears and a good feeling in my body. And to quote Johannes Rousk “There is a new hope when we meet at BLAM”.