Researcher Speed Dating

They say two heads are better than one. And these days, research funding is increasingly based on the premise that interdisciplinary science brings about better results, faster. In an effort to help researchers form tomorrow’s dream teams, Tufts Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI) is hosting a networking event on Oct. 10, affectionately called Researcher Speed Dating. The name refers to a type of matchmaking event for people looking for the perfect life partners. Tufts CTSI’s event is designed to help Tufts scientists and clinicians find the perfect research partners.

It’s a scientific truism that important discoveries aren’t usually made by a lone scientist in a lab anymore. So event organizers are looking for researchers who have an idea and want to connect with someone with a specific area of expertise—and vice versa.

The day will kick off in the morning with a seminar, Exploiting the Molecular Signatures of Disease: Case Studies in Bench to Bedside Research, led by Graham Jones, chair and professor of chemistry at Northeastern University, who is also a Tufts CTSI associate director. This portion of the day will be webcast for those unable to attend.

After lunch and an informal chance to mingle, the speed dating will commence. Researchers with potential project ideas will be stationed around the room, while those with particular interests or areas of expertise will walk around in search of a match. To make this work, those interested in attending should pre-register for the event.

The Researcher Speed Dating event is open to anyone affiliated with Tufts CTSI’s member institutions. In addition to every school in the university, that includes 10 affiliated hospitals, nine community organizations, three academic partners and five industry partners. That’s a total of 39, ranging from Maine Medical Center in Portland to the Boston Chinatown Neighborhood Association to the pharmaceutical company Pfizer.

Established in 2008, Tufts CTSI is one of a network of centers funded by the National Institutes of Health in an effort to promote not only a wide range of cross-disciplinary research, but also community-engaged research, that is, research done in concert with leaders in industry and government as well as with community programs and religious, ethnic and other interested groups.

Researcher Speed Dating, Thursday, Oct. 10; 10:30 a.m.–1 p.m.; Arthur M. Sackler Center for Medical Education, Room 114, 145 Harrison Ave., Boston.

Pre-registration is required. Sign up today at http://www.tuftsctsi.org/Registration/researcherspeeddating.aspx

For more information, email info@tuftsctsi.org.

Jacqueline Mitchell can be reached at jacqueline.mitchell@tufts.edu.