No JIN Call on Thursday, Jan. 1
2026-01-01 09:00 - 09:30 (America/New_York)
Happy New Year!

Register Now for JIN-CARE 2026!
2026-01-15 16:30 - 19:30 | Doubletree by Hilton Wilmington, 4727 Concord Pike, Wilmington, Delaware, 19803
Please register for our annual JIN-CARE dinner and awards event on Thursday, January 15, 2026!

What: JIN-CARE (Junior Investigators Network – Career Advancement and Research Exchange) night, complete with dinner and awards!
When: Evening of Thursday, January 15, 2026 at 4:30-7:30pm
Where: Doubletree by Hilton, ‘Canterbury Room’, 4727 Concord Pike, Wilmington, DE 19803
Why: To network, mingle, eat, and celebrate our accomplishments from 2024
Who: All JIN members, new and old

REGISTER HERE.

Meeting Agenda:

4:30pm-5:30pm: Networking and Appetizers
5:30pm-6:30pm: Focus Groups – Leadership will step out so junior investigators can speak freely
6:30pm-7:30pm: Dinner, Awards, and Networking

Seats are limited, and early registration is strongly encouraged!
Seema S. Sonnad Mentor of the Year Award
We are also asking for nominations for the Seema S. Sonnad Mentor of the Year Award.
Please go to the registration link to nominate your favorite mentor. Attendance at the event is not required to submit a nomination.
Please provide your nominee’s name and share why you believe they should be acknowledged. Feel free to highlight the qualities they exhibit that showcase their exceptional mentorship. You may nominate anyone you feel is an extraordinary mentor for you; they do not have to be a Primary PI.
To help with your decision, below are some of the criteria that may make a good mentor:

Helps to set concrete goals and helps you achieve these goals
A good listener who also communicates clearly
Provides honest feedback that is not demeaning
Does not micromanage through unrealistic expectations and demands
Defines people by their strengths and potential rather than limitations
Respects their trainees as a peer rather than a cheap pair of hands

Past Recipients:

2016 – Melinda Duncan, PhD, University of Delaware
2017 – Andy Kolb, MD, Nemours Children’s Health
2018 – Claudine Jurkovitz, MD, MPH, ChristianaCare Health Services
2019 – Anne Kazak, PhD, Nemours Children’s Health
2020-2022 – hiatus due to COVID-19
2023 – Melissa Alderfer, PhD, Nemours Children’s Health
2024 – Susan D. Smith, PhD, RN, ChristianaCare Health Services

Use the below link to register and/or nominate a Mentor of the Year!
https://www.de-ctr.org/redcap/surveys/?s=CX8TDE9TMEFPWE7A

We hope to see you there!
Questions? Contact Mentoring@de-ctr.org.

JIN Presentation: The Community Engagement and Outreach Core - Who they are and how they can help
2026-01-29 09:00 - 09:30 | Microsoft Teams
Please join us at our JIN Touchbase call each Thursday at 9am. This is a great opportunity to collaborate, share ideas, and hear a guest presentation from a member or friend of the JIN. All are welcome!

This week’s guest presentation will be:
“The Community Engagement and Outreach Core- Who they are and how they can help”

Presented by:
Abby Nerlinger, MD
Nemours

The Microsoft Teams link is included below under “Website”.

Want to learn more or join the JIN? Please email Mentoring@de-ctr.org to gain access to a variety of professional development resources, including individual grant proposal review sessions, as well as a (sometimes) weekly newsletter filled with news and funding opportunities.
Check us out on YouTube and X (formerly Twitter)!

Innovative Discovery Series - Complex Decision-Making at Periviable Gestations
2026-02-24 12:00 - 13:00 | Microsoft Teams
Dr. Úrsula Guillén has dedicated her research career to advancing open values-based communication for parents facing decisions surrounding periviable deliveries. In this talk she will highlight methodological deficiencies in the literature, that preclude adequate certainty of outcomes. She will discuss methods to facilitate shared decision-making and the iterative development of decision aids for periviability counseling.
Learn more
When: Tuesday, February 24, 2026 – Noon – 1:00 P.M.
Where: Virtual Presentation through Microsoft Teams

JIN Presentation: TBD
2026-02-26 09:00 - 09:30 | Microsoft Teams
Please join us at our JIN Touchbase call each Thursday at 9am. This is a great opportunity to collaborate, share ideas, and hear a guest presentation from a member or friend of the JIN. All are welcome!

This week’s guest presentation will be:
“TBD”

Presented by:
Matt Saponaro, PhD
University of Delaware

The Microsoft Teams link is included below under “Website”.

Want to learn more or join the JIN? Please email Mentoring@de-ctr.org to gain access to a variety of professional development resources, including individual grant proposal review sessions, as well as a (sometimes) weekly newsletter filled with news and funding opportunities.
Check us out on YouTube and X (formerly Twitter)!

JIN Presentation: Sudden Cardiac Arrest Preparedness in Delaware State Schools
2026-03-05 09:00 - 09:30 | Microsoft Teams
Please join us at our JIN Touchbase call each Thursday at 9am. This is a great opportunity to collaborate, share ideas, and hear a guest presentation from a member or friend of the JIN. All are welcome!

This week’s guest presentation will be:
“Sudden Cardiac Arrest Preparedness in Delaware State Schools”

Presented by:
Sean Connolly, MD
Nemours

The Microsoft Teams link is included below under “Website”.

Want to learn more or join the JIN? Please email Mentoring@de-ctr.org to gain access to a variety of professional development resources, including individual grant proposal review sessions, as well as a (sometimes) weekly newsletter filled with news and funding opportunities.
Check us out on YouTube and X (formerly Twitter)!

Tech Talk: Systematic Reviews: An Overview and Tips for Conducting a Successful Review
2026-03-05 12:00 - 13:00 | Microsoft Teams
Thursday March 5, 2026 from 12:00-1:00pm
Virtual Teams Presentation
Systematic Reviews are at the top of the evidence pyramid, and they don’t require grant funding or a lab coat. You can get started today. Whether you are an experienced reviewer or a beginner to systematic reviews, you will gain the information you need to not only conduct a systematic review, but to conduct a better one. Discover the best practices and current guidance, as well as new changes, trends, and expectations for conducting systematic reviews. This presentation will not only share knowledge but will encourage you to get started by finding a topic you care about and being responsible in how you conduct research to ensure the highest quality and safety of the outcomes.
Meet the Speaker

Stephanie Roth, MLIS
Medical Librarian, ChristianaCare
Stephanie Roth is a Medical Librarian with diverse experience and training in medical research, health sciences libraries, teaching, and communication. Her publications include a book chapter, “Teaching the Review Process” in Piecing Together Systematic Reviews and Other Evidence Syntheses, and a chapter on developing evidence synthesis protocols. In addition, she has published several works such as, “Transforming the Systematic Review Service: A Team-Based Model to Support the Educational Needs of Researchers”, “What is Genomic Medicine”, “Machine Learning Methods for Systematic Reviews”, and most recently, SWiRL-SR (Standards for Working with Research Librarians on Systematic Reviews).

Microsoft TeamsJoin the meeting nowMeeting ID: 233 095 064 601 9Passcode: [REDACTED]

Dial in by phone +1 302-483-7154,,702761716# United States, Wilmington

Phone conference ID: 702 761 716#

To receive instructions on obtaining (1) CME credit for attendance, please RSVP to Debra.Reese@ChristianaCare.org.

Work supported by an Institutional Development Award (IDeA) from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences of the National Institutes of Health under grant number U54-GM104941 (PI:Hicks) and the State of Delaware.

View flyer here

DE CTR ACCEL Program’s 13th Annual Scientific Symposium
2026-03-09 13:00 - 16:00 | University of Delaware STAR Campus Tower Audion, 100 Discovery Boulevard, Newark, DE, 19713, United States
Register for the DE CTR ACCEL Program’s 13th Annual Scientific Symposium
The DE CTR ACCEL Program invites the community to its 13th Annual Scientific Symposium on March 9, 2026, from 1–4 pm at the University of Delaware’s STAR Campus Tower Audion. This free event will showcase innovative clinical and translational research projects. Parking and light refreshments are provided, and registration is required.

JIN Presentation: Improving Support and Care Delivery for Families of Children with Chronic and Life-limiting Conditions
2026-03-12 09:00 - 09:30 | Microsoft Teams
Please join us at our JIN Touchbase call each Thursday at 9am. This is a great opportunity to collaborate, share ideas, and hear a guest presentation from a member or friend of the JIN. All are welcome!

This week’s guest presentation will be:
“Improving Support and Care Delivery for Families of Children with Chronic and Life-limiting Conditions”

Presented by:
Sarah Wawrzynski, PhD
Nemours

The Microsoft Teams link is included below under “Website”.

Want to learn more or join the JIN? Please email Mentoring@de-ctr.org to gain access to a variety of professional development resources, including individual grant proposal review sessions, as well as a (sometimes) weekly newsletter filled with news and funding opportunities.
Check us out on YouTube and X (formerly Twitter)!

JIN Presentation: Exploring the Impact of Hormones on Brain Tissue Mechanics using Magnetic Resonance Elastography
2026-03-19 09:00 - 09:30 | Microsoft Teams
Please join us at our JIN Touchbase call each Thursday at 9am. This is a great opportunity to collaborate, share ideas, and hear a guest presentation from a member or friend of the JIN. All are welcome!

This week’s guest presentation will be:
“Exploring the Impact of Hormones on Brain Tissue Mechanics using Magnetic Resonance Elastography”

Presented by:
Katrina Milbocker, PhD
University of Delaware

The Microsoft Teams link is included below under “Website”.

Want to learn more or join the JIN? Please email Mentoring@de-ctr.org to gain access to a variety of professional development resources, including individual grant proposal review sessions, as well as a (sometimes) weekly newsletter filled with news and funding opportunities.
Check us out on YouTube and X (formerly Twitter)!

JIN Presentation: TBD
2026-05-21 09:00 - 09:30 | Microsoft Teams
Please join us at our JIN Touchbase call each Thursday at 9am. This is a great opportunity to collaborate, share ideas, and hear a guest presentation from a member or friend of the JIN. All are welcome!

This week’s guest presentation will be:
“TBD”

Presented by:
Jennifer Sims-Mourtada, PhD
ChristianaCare

The Microsoft Teams link is included below under “Website”.

Want to learn more or join the JIN? Please email Mentoring@de-ctr.org to gain access to a variety of professional development resources, including individual grant proposal review sessions, as well as a (sometimes) weekly newsletter filled with news and funding opportunities.
Check us out on YouTube and X (formerly Twitter)!
