On November 25th-27th, Romana, Alisha, and Poppy attended the IEU retreat at Cumberland Lodge (in Windsor), an event which allowed attendees to build connections and learn new research skills.
The retreat started off with an exciting icebreaker challenge (an escape room in an envelope!), followed by an afternoon of skills workshops (e.g., R markdown, Conda, and BioBank). The second day’s sessions highlighted the structure of the IEU as well as future scientific priorities, and inspiring presentations showcasing a range of career trajectories. Further workshops and breakout discussions covered best practices in research (e.g., reproducible code, equitable publishing) and some pressing topics like mental health research and AI in healthcare.
Our lab members shared their favourite sessions and some takeaways from the retreat…
Romana: “I found the programming skills workshops (i.e., GitHub) incredibly useful. It was a valuable opportunity to dedicate time to learning skills I’ve always wanted to develop but don’t always have the chance to prioritise in my day to day. My main takeaway from the retreat would be a better understanding of the kind of research going on around me, and also how all these different projects cross over with one another.”
Alisha: “The IEU retreat was an incredible experience—a relaxed, informal space to connect with fellow researchers and exchange ideas across a fascinating range of topics. One of the standout sessions for me was the workshop on Electronic Health Records, which focused on the various data repositories available across the UK, shared by experts who knew their intricacies inside out. Hearing the hard-earned lessons from other researchers—whether about accessing data or engaging with policymakers—was equally invaluable. Overall, it was an inspiring experience that left me with a stronger sense of connection to the wider research community.”
Poppy: “The ‘equitable publishing’ workshop was especially thought-provoking and helped me to reflect on some of the individual-level issues (e.g. recognising academic contributions fairly in the school) and global issues (e.g. decolonising research). I enjoyed taking part in a diverse range of sessions at the retreat but the real highlight for me was the opportunity to connect with colleagues, share ideas and learn more about the research taking place within the IEU.”