Between the 27th and 30th of March 2023 I took part in the CANVAS Spring School - cancer vaccine science for new therapy pathways. During this time I had a pleasure to present my research results in a scientific poster entitled " The role of the ubiquitin ligase pathway on mechanisms of neurodegeneration". Now, as you've probably noticed, the title of my poster isn't very relevant to the topic of the Spring School. In fact, my research does involve investigation of previously mentioned ubiquitin ligase in both cancer and neurodegeneration. But since the study of its involvement in neurodegneration turned out much more interesting and promising I've decided to restrict my data to the topic of dementia. At the end of the conference I received an audience award for my work (congratulation to rest of the winners!). The off-topic theme wasn't what secured me this award - if you're interested in how to increase your chances of winning during next scientific conference, stay with me.
First of all, it would be unfair if I hadn't mentioned that I absolutely love any tasks that include creativity. Making a scientific poster is a very fun experience for me. For those of you who do not enjoy graphic design... maybe just try to keep a positive approach.
I usually begin by writing down the title of the work I'd like to present - keep it short, simple and to the point. Next, I draw square boxes and assign them to certain sections such as introduction, methods, results, conclusion, references, etc. Their sizes are adjusted to the size of the section they represent- hence why my results box is usually the biggest. I move them around until I am happy with the layout.
Here is my secret - I use coolors website to pick my colour pallete. It has made my life so much easier! You can either use already made ones or create your own. All the colours within the palette match- it saves you so much time picking the perfect shade. I tend to keep my background plain and simple, as I prefer to use a pop of colour to enhance specific parts of my posters.
When it comes to the content - my number one rule is limited word count. You want enough information so that the reader can understand your work without having to guess in between lines but also keep it simple enough that they can follow your talk during poster presentation other then spend time reading it. I've noticed that quite a lot of researchers tend to omit the aim of their work - as it might be perfectly clear for you, it may not be for others. That's why I always include a 1-2 sentences long statement regarding the aim of my research.
Next - graphic representation. I try to use graphic whenever I can to make it more accessible and easier to follow. In this particular poster the whole methods section was presented by showing graphical representations of techniques I had used. Creating a simple scheme can help your audience follow the idea rather than focusing on elaborate description of the methods. It is also nice to present your results by different graphs and schemes. The more reader friendly they are the more likely people will be to visit your poster.
Contact and social media - do not forget to add your email, twitter, LinkedIn etc to your poster! You wouldn't believe how many useful connections you can make during the conference. This will enable people look you up on the web without having to wait until you are back at your poster.
The most common comment I hear about my posters are that they are very transparent and easy to read. Many people appreciate the graphical representation of methods rather then lengthy description.
Now let's move to the presentation part. If this is your first time presenting the poster - don't panic. Above all, you are the person who knows your research best. If you are asked a question you don't know the answer to - be honest about it. It's impossible to know everything within your field and there is no shame admitting you don't. Treat you poster as a conversation starter - talk about your field, topic of interest, what results you've gained so far. Those who come to your poster are genuinely curious about it.
Next, the anti-advice: do not learn your presentation by heart. It ruins the experience for both you, as a presenter as well as for your audience, making it blunt and boring. If you feel extra cautious, prepare some bulletpoint notes beforehand, with the list of things you'd like to talk about in a following order. You will feel safer knowing that you have a back-up in case the stress becomes too overwhelming. It may even turn out that you won't need them at all.
Another important point - do practice out loud beforehand. Now, I know it might be tempting to open a poster on your phone and mumble the presentation to yourself in the comfort of your own home. Here is a tip I got from a fantastic presenter himself, who also happens to be my husband. His presentations are always incredibly engaging and interesting. I've asked him once how does he give them such a nice flow and the secret is... practice out loud. Since then I've started rehearsing my presentations while standing up in the empty room, with my normal voice. I've noticed a big difference in the following areas:
I got used to my own voice
I gained confidence knowing that I can present my poster using many different words and still cover everything I've wanted to say
It allowed me to prepare for the stress of standing in front of my poster
Bonus tip: If you really want to win at the busy conference, well.. You have to run a little campaign. By campaign I mean try to engage people to visit your poster. You've spotted someone you know? Invite them over. You see a Professor who's work you admire? Say you'd appreciate if they'd have a look at your work. You can truly get so many more viewers by actively searching for those who might be interested in your work.
Last, but not least - don't be selfish. Poster presentations aren't about winning the award. They are about making connections, planning collaborations, brainstorming and gaining new perspectives on your own work! Go explore other posters, engage into conversations and make new friends. Have fun!
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