eLife is pleased to announce Prachee Avasthi as the first early-career researcher to join its Board of Directors.
Avasthi, who is Assistant Professor of Cell Biology at the University of Kansas Medical Center, US, will help the board to oversee the strategic direction of eLife and support the non-profit in the pursuit of its mission.
eLife aims to help scientists accelerate discovery by operating a platform for research communication that encourages and recognises the most responsible behaviours in science. The community behind eLife, including the research funders who support the journal, the editors and referees who run the peer-review process, and its Early-Career Advisory Group, is keenly aware of the pressures faced by early-stage investigators, and is working to create a more positive publishing experience that will help these researchers receive the recognition they deserve.
In support of this goal, Avasthi will bring the voice of early-career faculty members to eLife’s board and encourage further involvement of early-career scientists in every level of the organisation, including the journal’s review process.
She says: “I am honoured to be given the opportunity to serve as the first junior faculty member on the board. In this changing publication landscape, the needs and priorities of early-career researchers are often distinct from more established scientists, and it’s encouraging that eLife is welcoming early-career scientists into decision-making roles. I hope that I can use my new position to help create more opportunities for this community and leverage their enthusiasm and creativity to improve the biomedical research enterprise as a whole.”
Toby Coppel, Chair of eLife’s Board of Directors, says: “We are delighted to welcome Prachee to the board. Her active engagement with early-stage researchers, and her strong passion to accelerate discovery in science, make her a tremendous addition to the eLife team. Welcome, Dr. Avasthi.”
In addition to her commitments to her research and eLife, Avasthi recently joined the Board of Directors for ASAPbio, a scientist-driven initiative to promote the productive use of preprints in the life sciences – a mission that eLife strongly supports as part of its own goals.
She has also set up a forum specifically for principal investigators (PIs) using the social networking platform Slack. Called New PI Slack, the platform allows members to discuss and support each other with various aspects of their careers, including grant feedback, mentorship advice and publication issues.
“I’m extremely proud of the impact this network is making in the day-to-day lives of junior faculty,” Avasthi adds. “My deep connection with this group puts me in an excellent position to weigh in on eLife’s board, not just with my own personal opinions, but with the needs and concerns of a very large network of new PIs.”
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To find out more about New PI Slack, visit: https://newpislack.wordpress.com
And for more information about ASAPbio, see: http://asapbio.org
Media contacts
Emily Packer
eLife
e.packer@elifesciences.org
+441223855373
About
eLife aims to help scientists accelerate discovery by operating a platform for research communication that encourages and recognises the most responsible behaviours in science. We publish important research in all areas of the life and biomedical sciences, which is selected and evaluated by working scientists and made freely available online without delay. eLife also invests in innovation through open-source tool development to accelerate research communication and discovery. Our work is guided by the communities we serve. eLife is supported by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Max Planck Society, the Wellcome Trust and the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation. Learn more at https://elifesciences.org.
