Plenary Speaker – Professor Yoselin Benitez-Alfonso
Yoselin Benitez-Alfonso, PhD, is a Professor of Plant Sciences and UKRI Future Leaders Fellow at the University of Leeds. She is originally from Cuba and studied in the University of La Habana. She completed a PhD in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology in the University of Cordoba, Spain and did postdoctoral placements at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (New York, USA) and at the John Innes Centre (JIC) (Norwich, UK). Yoselin’s research focuses on investigating the mechanisms regulating intercellular communication in plants using biological, physical and mathematical approaches.
Plenary Speaker – Tessa Burch-Smith
Tessa completed her undergraduate studies at the University of the West Indies, then graduate studies at Yale University and post-doctoral work at the University of California, Berkeley. She joined the University of Tennessee, Knoxville as an Assistant Professor in 2012 and was promoted to Associate Professor in 2019. In 2021 her lab moved to the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center in St. Louis, Missouri where she is currently an Associate Member and Director of Research for Food Security. Tessa’s research focuses on intercellular communication in plants and plant-virus interactions. She is also actively engaged in the wider scientific community, serving in editorial roles and on Boards of Directors for various scientific societies. She is currently the President-Elect of the American Society of Plant Biologists (ASPB), serving the first of year of a three-year presidential term. Tessa Burch-Smith is passionate about broadening participation in science and providing an enriching, supportive environment/opportunities for persons not traditionally engaged in science and scientific careers.
Cultivate: Meet our Summer Studentship Cohort
Chair: TBC
Speakers: Phoebe Allen, Nalo Magar, Tinotenda Matemera
Meet the students from the third year of our Summer Studentship Programme!
Join us to hear directly from these emerging talents about their experiences
and insights gained over the summer. Discover the impact of the
programme and celebrate the achievements of the next generation of plant
scientists.
Celebrate: Meet our Research Excellence Awardees
Chair: TBC
Speakers: Ousmane Dao, Sibongile Zimba
Meet this year’s award winners of the Research Excellence Award!
Learn more about their contributions to the plant sciences from the beginning of their careers to date. Including their most recent experiences at the conferences they attended.
Breakout Sessions
Workshop: Working beyond academia, different routes
Chair: John Baison
Panellists: Imelda Uwase, ThankGod Ebenezer
Academic careers are just one path among many. This workshop guides participants through the varied landscape of professional opportunities beyond the university setting. From industry to policy, entrepreneurship to NGOs, learn how to identify transferable skills, build relevant networks, and confidently pivot into fulfilling careers.
Workshop: Leading authentically at every career stage: as a Black scientist
Chair: Crispus Mbaluto
Panellists: Bernice Waweru, Charlene Dambire, Sibongile Zimba
Unlock your leadership potential in science! This interactive workshop will help ECRs thrive in collaborative and interdisciplinary environments by developing essential leadership skills. Through self-reflection, discussion, and practical exercises, participants will explore their unique leadership styles, learn how to adapt their approach to different contexts, and create a personal leadership action plan. Leave with greater confidence, clear development goals, and practical strategies to strengthen your impact within research teams and the wider plant science community.
Workshop: Building your ‘Brand’ as a Scientist
Chair: Kathryn De Abreu
Panellists: Erica Hawkins, Anna Amtmann
Social media is an often-overlooked tool for academic career development, opening doors to collaboration, invitations, and opportunity. Yet early-career Black and minoritised scientists frequently face added barriers around visibility and belonging in scientific spaces. In this interactive workshop, participants will explore practical skills for building an authentic, effective social media presence, including profile-building, audience engagement, collaboration-building, and translating online visibility into real opportunities.
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