The virtual ERS International Congress 2020 has now ended, however, session recordings are available for registered participants to watch again until 30 December, 2020.
To access session replays, log in to the Congress platform with your myERS credentials.
If you did not register for Congress, you can still access replays by registering now.
The European Respiratory Society (ERS) has an active and growing community of respiratory professionals who are in the early stages of their career within our Society’s membership. We are committed to supporting early career members to reach their potential by providing opportunities that are tailored to the needs of professionals at the start of their career, which are supported by the important contributions of the ERS Early Career Member Committee.
During the virtual ERS Congress, we maintain this commitment by offering training, networking opportunities and professional development guidance for early career members, alongside the exciting scientific sessions on offer.
Hear from the ERS Early Career Member Committee
Dr Niki Ubags is Chair of the ERS Early Career Member Committee and is the early career representative for the ERS Basic and Translational Sciences Assembly.
She is a senior scientist within the Division of Pulmonary Medicine at the Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois in Lausanne, Switzerland.
Her research interests include host-microbe interactions in the onset and progression of respiratory diseases and the effects of dietary intake on immune function and consequent development of respiratory diseases.
A: The ERS Congress is the ideal platform for early career professionals to share their research findings and interact (albeit, in a virtual way this year) with fellow respiratory professionals. Attending the ERS Congress provides a unique opportunity to learn from experts in the field about hot topics and the latest new advancements in respiratory medicine. Attendance of the ERS Congress also provides early career professionals with the possibility to enhance their professional skills in different formats (skills workshops and professional development workshops).
Networking opportunities are very important for early career professionals, and the ERS Congress and the activities organised for early career professionals during the Congress are one of a kind. Although the Congress takes place in a virtual format, and the networking will take place at a different level, the platform provided by the ERS Congress will allow for stimulating interactions that will benefit our early career professionals.
A: If you want to be up to date on the activities of your Assembly, make sure to attend the Assembly meetings which will take place on Sunday 6 September. This is also a good opportunity to get involved with the Assembly activities as an ECM and get to know your Assembly leadership.
On Wednesday 9 September (9:30–10:30 CEST), we will host a session dedicated to the early career members in which we will discuss opportunities for ECMs to become involved in ERS activities, and there will be an overview of the ERS fellowships. During this session we will also award the Early Career Member Award and the awardee will provide the Mina Gaga Lecture, and you will have the opportunity to learn about motivation and leadership in science. At the end of the session there will be an opportunity to ask any questions related to the ERS ECM Committee.
Lastly, the professional development workshops offer excellent learning and development opportunities for ECMs. In these sessions, you will be provided with practical tips and guidelines on how to use new skills and knowledge and how to apply them in a practical setting.
Professional development
The ERS Congress programme includes a number of sessions focused on professional development that aim to provide practical advice and guidelines on non-scientific topics such as ethics, communication, education principles and teamwork.
These include several professional development workshops that are relevant for early career professionals, which will be available as pre-recorded materials from 24 August. Our top picks include:
Do not miss the ERS Early Career Committee symposium, 'Early career member: activities, opportunities and motivations', scheduled for Wednesday 9 September at 9:30–10:30 CEST.
