Researchers from across campus recently crowded Cooper Auditorium to learn more about their colleagues’ work — and to look for creative ways to combine their efforts.

Graduate student Krist Azizian discusses research on stem cells and microRNA at a recent poster session. (Photo by p.cunningham)

The second annual City of Hope Poster Session, “Collaborations: Synergy for Success,” presented a forum for clinical, laboratory and other researchers to share their most recent findings with other City of Hope investigators. The July 24 event aimed to encourage partnerships.

“The extraordinary opportunities that exist on our campus are best leveraged when scientists collaborate across individual barriers to offer future patients the benefits of both the laboratory and clinical research efforts,” said Robert Figlin, M.D., Arthur and Rosalie Kaplan Professor of Medical Oncology and acting cancer center director.

Figlin joined Alexandra Levine, M.D., chief medical officer, and Richard Jove, Ph.D., director of Beckman Research Institute, to thank and commend the research presenters.

Said Levine to the crowd of 350 scientists: “You have the audacity to ask the hard questions, the perseverance to look for the answers and the courage to publish your results for others to scrutinize, and for that I admire you.”

The poster session featured prizes for the best posters in four categories: graduate students, clinical fellows and residents, postdoctoral fellows and — new this year — researchers with bachelor’s or master’s degrees. Nearly 50 faculty members judged the posters based on their content, design and appearance, as well as each presenter’s knowledge and presentation skills.

Topics ranged from neurosciences to stem cell biology to cancer survivorship issues.

Jove extolled the value of friendly, collaborative competition. “First, it motivates us all to do our best; second, it gives us the satisfaction of doing our best; and third, we can enjoy and benefit from the success of others,” he said.

The City of Hope Poster Session aims to promote interdisciplinary collaboration and networking between clinicians, scientists and other researchers from all departments across the organization. The Postdoctoral Studies Office spearheads the annual event.