BWH Postdoctoral Association (BWH PDA)

A team of postdocs who work with the BRI and ORC to enhance the training experience for all postdocs in the BWH community.

We welcome new postdocs to the Brigham through our involvement in the New Employee Orientation.

We provide educational programming and career development opportunities for postdocs.

We serve as a social network for postdocs by hosting social/networking events.

We foster lasting relationships through the Mentoring Circles Program.

Who We Are

A group of postdocs standing together in a conference room.

The Postdoc Leadership Council (PLC) is the governing body for the BWH PDA and is made up of postdocs who volunteer their time to serve on our various committees.

Featured Postdoc

Aaron Warren, PhD

Aaron is a post-doc in the Department of Neurosurgery, studying epilepsy and brain stimulation therapies.

This column will spotlight a different member of the PLC every time you visit this page.

Our Committees

The Postdoc Leadership Council (PLC) is the governing body for the BWH PDA and is comprised of the following committees. Read more about each below and reach out to a co-chair if you are interested in hearing more!

The Advocacy committee serves as a bridge between the postdoc community and BWH leadership. We collect data from the community and use it to discuss policies that affect postdocs and how to bring on change to current policies within the institution.

1st Annual BWH Postdoc Survey

Closes Monday, Oct 17, 2022

The BWH PLC Advocacy Committee is proud to launch our first annual Postdoc Survey to collect information on the needs and challenges faced by the BWH postdoc community.

Read More »

The Career Development committee aims to help BWH postdocs in the transition to their next career path. We invite speakers to run workshops and presentations on resumes, presentation skills, mental health and burnout, alternative career paths, and more.

The Communications committee shares opportunities, events, and ideas with the BWH postdoc community. We maintain the official BWH PDA social media sites and publish a biannual BWH PDA newsletter covering news items and topics relevant to postdocs.

The Networking committee works to foster a sense of community amongst postdocs by organizing events for social, professional and academic networking. We run events on campus as well as outings around Boston, and are always looking to find new, exciting ways to engage with the community!

The Mentoring Circles Program originated in the BWH PLC and matches junior postdocs with senior postdocs in a year long mentorship program. We are always looking to welcome both mentors and mentees to the next cycle of the program in the fall!

word cloud representing the BWH Mentoring Circles Program for postdocs

Mentoring Circles Program (MCP)

MCP is a program created by postdocs, for postdocs, to help fellows get the most out of their training at BWH. Two mentors (senior postdocs) meet 5-7 mentees (junior postdocs) on a monthly basis to give advice and advance their career.

Read More »

For Postdocs

Events for Postdocs

Event Series PLC Meet and Greet

PLC Meet and Greet in Wolf

Marshall A. Wolf Conference Room 60 Fenwood Road, Hale BTM, 02006B, Boston, MA

Meet the leaders of the BWH Postdoctoral Association (BWH PDA) - now in Hale! The Postdoc Leadership Council (PLC) started these monthly meet and greet tables on the Pike, and […]

RCR Rounds 2023: FDA Inspections, 483s, and Warning Letters

Zoom (click website to register/receive link)

Join Pamela Richtmyer - Director, MGB Human Research Affairs Compliance & Education Office - to learn about FDA inspections, 483s, and warning letters. This course is an RCR-eligible lecture and […]

Event Series PLC Meet and Greet

PLC Meet and Greet in Wolf

Marshall A. Wolf Conference Room 60 Fenwood Road, Hale BTM, 02006B, Boston, MA

Meet the leaders of the BWH Postdoctoral Association (BWH PDA) - now in Hale! The Postdoc Leadership Council (PLC) started these monthly meet and greet tables on the Pike, and […]

News & Updates

BWH PDA Bylaws

On November 29, 2022, the BWH PLC voted to ratify updated bylaws, to be reviewed biennially. These bylaws can be found in PDF form here.

Read More »

Our Committees

The Postdoc Leadership Council (PLC) is the governing body for the BWH PDA and is comprised of the following committees. Read more about each below and reach out to a co-chair if you are interested in hearing more!

The Advocacy committee serves as a bridge between the postdoc community and BWH leadership. We collect and analyze information on employment conditions and benefits of postdocs; seek adequate benefits for its members commensurate with the level of education and skill demonstrated by the Ph.D., including a health plan, parental leave, child-care, disability insurance and retirement plan; seeks recognition for postdoctoral fellows as members of the campus community with a distinct set of contributions and needs, and works to provide a voice in BWH decisions that affect postdoctoral fellows.

The Advocacy committee also helps to update and provide feedback on the BWH Postdoc Policy, which provides minimum guidelines for postdoctoral fellows across the institution, including guaranteed paid time off, expected availability of PI mentoring, and annual salary increases during the Annual Career Conference.

Members of this committee engage with other local, regional and national organizations that have missions that are relevant to the postdoctoral experience, such as the National Postdoctoral Association and Boston Postdoctoral Association, in order to involve the BWH PDA in the broader discussion on how to improve the postdoctoral experience. The Advocacy Committee discusses policies that affect postdocs and how to bring on change to current policies within the institution.

The Career Development committee aims to help BWH postdocs in the transition to their next career path. We invite speakers to run workshops and presentations on resumes, presentation skills, mental health and burnout, alternative career paths, and more.

For more information about the Career Development committee, see our recent events.

The Communications committee’s mission is to communicate opportunities, events, and ideas with the BWH postdoc community.

Some of our activities include:

  • Maintaining the BWH PDA website and social media sites.
  • Generating a biannual BWH PDA newsletter covering news items and features of interest to the postdoc community.
  • Recruiting writers and solicit topics of interest for the BWH PDA newsletter.
  • Creating new BWH PLC promotional materials.
  • Consulting with other committees to promote coordination for website and social media content.

The Networking committee fosters a sense of community amongst postdocs by organizing events to provide opportunities for social, professional and academic networking.

For more information about the Networking committee, see our recent events.

The BWH PDA established the Mentoring Circles Program to help postdocs get the most out of their training at Brigham & Women’s Hospital.

MCP is a program created by postdocs for postdocs. Two mentors (senior postdocs) meet 5-7 mentees (junior postdocs) on a monthly basis to give advice and advance their career.

If you are seeking mentorship or feel you would be a good mentor for others, please look out for MCP applications in August-September.

The Mentoring Circles Program was initiated in the Fall of 2013 for the 2013-2014 academic year with an inaugural class of 18 postdocs. In academic year 2021-2022, over 70 postdocs participated in the Program.

We are always looking for more members, so come join us and make a difference in your career and at BWH!

See more details about the Mentoring Circles Program.