The Graduate Biomedical Student Outreach’s mission is to bridge the temporal and disciplinary divides between doctoral trainees, faculty, staff and the greater scientific community at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). GBSO serves to enhance the well-being of all students in the Graduate Biomedical Sciences (GBS) themes, associated programs and departments through coordinating events that provide counseling and emergency support resources, enrich the academic and social environment, stimulate productive collaboration and foster a climate that is inclusive of all graduate students in biomedical sciences.
Who is eligible to join/participate?
Membership is open to currently enrolled graduate students in good academic standing as defined by UAB. Additionally, members must be entered into a GBS theme (Biochemistry, Structural, & Stem Cell Biology; Cancer Biology; Cell, Molecular & Developmental Biology; Genetics, Genomics & Bioinformatics; Immunology; Microbiology; Neuroscience; Pathobiology & Molecular Medicine), associated program or department. The organization consists of two representatives from each of these themes.
What does GBSO do?
GBSO organizes multiple events every year in addition to collaborative events with other organizations on campus. One of our bigger events is the Annual GBS/JHS research symposium. The symposium gives our current students an opportunity to present their research and for our incoming students to discover laboratories whose research they might be interested in. We also work together with the Graduate Student Government to put together the Spring BBQ during graduate student appreciation week. We host useful events such as grant writing workshops and international student webinars. There are fun social events like socials and trivia nights. Finally, we are particularly proud of our newly established GBS travel award, which is now available to our students.
What are the benefits of joining?
Being a member of GBSO is incredibly fulfilling. It allows GBS students to have a platform through which they can inspire change and be a voice for graduate students. Finally, it allows for excellent networking opportunities with graduate school leadership.
Who are some well-known alums who were part of the organization?
Just a few of our previous members: Hisham Abdelmotilib, Nathan Boyd, Kyle Brawner, Rose Creed, Alex Dalecki, Divya Devadasan, Sarah Dulson, Courtney Fernandez, Leanne Holt, Christina Le, Vivian Lin, Jessica Nichols, Kathryn Oliver, Bindiya Patel, Kushani Shah, Brady Spencer, Anh Nhat Tran, Ashley Turner, Monica Wielgos
How can students get more information about GBSO?
Website: https://www.uab.edu/gbs/gbso/home
Email: gbso@uab.edu