356 Postdocs at CU Anschutz Push Science Forward Daily

The scientists working behind every major medical breakthrough have names, faces, and stories that rarely make headlines.

At the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, 356 postdoctoral scholars are doing the hands-on research that makes scientific discovery possible. On July 9, they gathered for the annual Postdoc Research Day to share their findings and celebrate how far they've come.

Think of postdocs as residents for research scientists. After earning their PhDs, these young researchers spend two to five years gaining specialized training and exploring new areas of science. They're investigating everything from how bacteria survive to treatments for age-related vision loss.

"Postdocs are on the front lines of our research as a campus," said Bruce Mandt, who directs the postdoctoral office. Their detailed work on specific questions opens up understanding that leads to major grants, awards, and ultimately new treatments.

The scholars come from 28 different campus departments, and a third are international students. Their research interests are just as diverse as their backgrounds. One researcher got inspired to study genetics after watching Jurassic Park as a kid. Another became fascinated by how electricity works in the human brain.

Jonathan Beausejour studies grip strength and muscle response to understand healthy aging. He said the chance to take his PhD research from the lab into real clinical settings has been transformative. "Being exposed to such a large collection of smart people to learn and grow from has been an amazing experience," he said.

The Ripple Effect

Danielle Siegel, who focuses on biomechanics research, explained what makes the postdoc experience special. "You get to go from a more contained program with your PhD, to go out and explore into a field that you are really passionate about, all while having the support and resources of an institution like CU Anschutz."

That combination of freedom and support is creating ripples far beyond campus. These researchers aren't just advancing their own careers. They're making the incremental discoveries that help scientists understand how diseases work and how to treat them.

The celebration featured 52 poster presentations, lightning round talks where researchers explained their work in three minutes, and workshops to help scholars grow their professional networks. Award winners included Galen Squiers for dermatology research and Danielle Jeffrey for anesthesiology work.

Every major medical advance starts with someone curious enough to ask a question and dedicated enough to search for answers.