Postdocs and Fellows

Meet our Postdoc and Fellows Champion 

We’re delighted to introduce Dr Alex McCarthy, Dr Aileen Rowan and Dr Tom Parks as the Postdoc and Fellows Champions for the Department of Infectious Disease.

Alex, Aileen and Tom are dedicated to supporting our Postdocs and Fellows, helping to address their unique challenges and ensuring their needs are met. They work closely with our Postdoc Representatives and the Early Career Researcher Institute to offer a range of support, including:

• Career development 

• Community building 

• Wellbeing support and more 

For details on the types of activities they can assist with and to learn more about their roles, please visit the ECRI website.

Postdocs and Fellows in the Department of Infectious Disease are encouraged to reach out to Alex via email a.mccarthy@imperial.ac.uk, Aileen via email a.rowan@imperial.ac.uk and Tom via email t.parks@imperial.ac.uk.

Meet our Postdoc and Fellow Representatives

Our Postdoc and Fellows Representatives for the Department of Infectious Disease. The representative are key keeping the DoID and ECR Institute informed about the needs of Postdocs and Fellows. Through their commitment and creativity, they plan social and training opportunities within the Department.

The Postdoc & Fellow Representatives are:-

• David Carreno Yugueros - Section of Structural & Synthetic Biology
• Claire Dunican - Section of Paediatric Infectious Disease
• Hannah Klim - Section of Virology
• Maria Papangeli - Section of Adult Infectious Disease
• Katia Riberio de Jesus - Section of Immunology of Infection
• Magda Szczesna - Section of Molecular Microbiology

The Postdoc and Fellows Representatives can be contacted at doidpostdoc-reps@imperial.ac.uk 

DoID Postdoctoral & Fellow Symposium 2025

On Friday 14th November at White City, we held our DoID Postdoc & Fellow Symposium.  There were research talks from postdocs and fellows, and perspectives on career progression from Wendy Barclay, Rachel Lai and Daniel Gonçalves Carneiro. We also had career roundtables, a team quiz, and networking.

Congratulations to Anna Rydlova and Molly George for their Best Talk prizes.

Thank you to DoID and ECR Institute for funding the event.

Read more about the DoID Postdoc & Fellow Symposium at our blog here.

David Carreno · Claire Dunican · Hannah Klim · Maria Papangelli · Katia Ribeiro de Jesus · Magda Szczesna · Alex McCarthy (with support from DoID and ECRI)

DoID Ignite Awards

We are delighted to announce that DoID Ignite Awards will offer £1000 for Postdocs & Fellows to explore their own new ideas. This award will provide a valuable resource to help you gather preliminary data or develop a new project, ultimately strengthening a future project or fellowship/grant application.

Awardees will also have a unique opportunity for professional development, as they'll gain leadership and supervisory experience by mentoring a master's student on their project.

Congratulations to Jorin Riexinger and Magda Szczesna for their Ignite Awards.

DoID Grant Writing Workshop

The DoID Grant Writing Workshop is a key part of our effort for postdocs and fellows to hone their skills in writing grant applications. The event features presentations on what makes a research proposal stand out, the peer-review process, and specific guidance on applications for major funders. Our attendees participate in small and focused discussions to get advice. Our next event will happen in Spring 2026.

DoID ECR Club

The DoID ECR (Early Career Researcher) Club is a dynamic forum for postdocs, fellows, research technicians, and PhD students in DoID to foster a supportive community and enhance professional development. We hold monthly meetings on a range of topics pertinent to scientific careers and network over food and drinks. The ECR Club is driven by its members, ensuring that the activities and discussions are relevant to the needs and interests of ECRs.  

More information can be found on our webpage here.  

DoID Welcome Pack

The DoID provides a comprehensive Welcome Pack for all new starters, including postdocs and fellows. This pack is designed to be a resource that helps you to grips with department life and settle into your new role.

You can download the pack here - DoID Induction Document - August 2025.

DoID People & Culture Committee

The DoID People and Culture Committee is dedicated to creating a supportive, inclusive, and diverse research community. The committee's work is guided by the principles of EDI, with a broad remit to support all staff and students. The People and Culture Committee includes members who are postdocs and fellows, ensuring that the perspectives and concerns are directly represented.

More information can be found on our webpage here.