The MIT Biology Catalyst Symposium is part of an ongoing effort to bring outstanding postdocs to MIT to engage with members of our community. Aimed specifically at postdocs pursuing academic careers across many areas of biology, the three-day symposium provides a venue for participants to share their research, discuss exciting new directions, make new professional connections, and get to know the department. The event also includes mentoring activities to support the speakers in pursuing independent academic positions.
The 2026 Catalyst Symposium will take place May 5th-May 7th, 2026, and is currently seeking nominations for Catalyst Fellows.
We are currently seeking nominations from a wide range of fields in biological and biomedical sciences, encompassing molecular, cellular, developmental, computational (including AI/ML), and disease biology, among others. Nominees should be current postdoctoral scholars who will be looking for a faculty position in the next couple of years, but who are not already on the job market, from institutions within the United States.
The symposium entails meeting with MIT Biology faculty, presenting research, and engaging with faculty in discussion about the academic search process.
If you have a postdoc you would like to nominate, we encourage you to do so via this form by October 1st, 2025.
Please contact Community and Professional Support Specialist Hallie Dowling-Francisco with any questions.
Previous Catalyst Symposia:
For information on previous years’ symposia please visit the links below: