Session 13: The skillsets needed today and for the future: Developing the next generation of research infrastructure leaders 

Wednesday, 4th December 12.00PM AEST | Plenary session

How do you prepare a skilled workforce to meet the evolving needs of future Research Infrastructures? This session aims to highlight effective recruitment strategies and career pathways that promote innovation and excellence, whilst ensuring a sustainable and vibrant future for the global research infrastructure ecosystem.

Through a Global Café format, the session will feature speakers presenting various international training initiatives and programs, fostering a shared understanding and potential for collaboration. Attendees will have the opportunity to discuss this with colleagues and gain further insights into how research infrastructures worldwide are cultivating the next generation of leaders. 

Moderator

Lisa Yen is the CEO of Microscopy Australia, established in 2007, to enable access to advanced microscopes and experts through the Australian Government’s National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy (NCRIS). She has nearly 20 years of experience in collaborative research activities, focussed on enabling research and innovation, both nationally and internationally. She is currently Co-Chair of Global BioImaging, an international network of cutting-edge bioimaging facilities to share best practice and support career pathways for imaging scientists around the world. 

Panellist

Antje Keppler is Director of Euro-BioImaging ERIC Bio-Hub and leads an international team to coordinate the pan-European services for biological imaging. She is Chair of ERIC Forum, where 28 ERICs together represent their common voice towards key stakeholders. Antje also is coordinator of the Global BioImaging network, which promotes open science and access to imaging services in over 62 countries.

Panellist

Dr Graham Wright combines an interdisciplinary PhD from The University of Edinburgh with an MBA from the Warwick Business School and 16 years’ experience leading advanced microscopy core facilities. As the Director of the Research Support Centre within Singapore’s Agency for Science, Technology & Research (A*STAR), Graham is a passionate proponent of core facilities to enable and enhance scientific research, by providing world-class, operationally optimized, expert-run facilities, sustainably. With partners from Singapore’s research ecosystem, Graham founded SingaScope – a Singapore-wide microscopy infrastructure network, part of Global Bioimaging (GBI). Together with Kerry Thompson (Galway), Graham co-chaired the GBI Working Group on Imaging Scientist Career Paths.  

Panellist

Emeritus Professor Joe Shapter held academic positions at Flinders University and the University of Queensland. He was the Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Research Infrastructure) at the University of Queensland. He served on the boards of several national infrastructure facilities. He is a member of the National Research Instructure Advisory Group and is also Chair of the National Digital Research Infrastructure Working Group.

Panellist

Professor Marialuisa Lavitrano is Professor of Pathology, Director of Molecular Medicine Unit and Director of the Executive Masters in Management of Research Infrastructures (EMMRI) at the Milano-Bicocca University. Prior to this, she was Pro-Rector for International Affairs [2006-2013] at the same university. Over the years, she contributed to the international strategies of the Ministries of Research and of Health and coordinated the Italian participation in the BioMedical Sciences ESFRI Roadmap. In 2013 she was appointed BBMRI Node-Director.  Professor Lavitrano has long experience in research, management and in bioethical aspects of science, being co-Director of BBMRI-ERIC Common Service ELSI and participating at Bioethical Commissions of the Council of Europe, of the Vatican, and of the Italian government.