David Miller Travel Bursary recipient, Ece Imam Moustafa, reports from Scotland

The David Miller Travel Bursary Award aims to give early career plant scientists or horticulturists the opportunity of travel in connection with their horticultural careers. Ece Imam Moustafa was awarded one of the 2023 David Miller Travel Bursaries to attend the Society for Experimental Biology conference in Scotland.

"This year, I was fortunate enough to attend the SEB (Society for Experimental Biology) Centenary Conference, held in Edinburgh, Scotland, between the 4 - 7 July, 2023. The SEB Conference was a fantastic opportunity to explore and interact with many scientists from a wide range of biology disciplines through engaging in the poster session, listening to oral presentations, and interactive workshops and networking sessions. The conference had something for everyone, from animal to cell to plant biology.

"During the week, I attended sessions that aligned with my PhD research and those that were most intriguing. Attending numerous plant sessions throughout the week, I was fascinated by the diverse research conducted. I had the pleasure of attending countless captivating presentations and engaging discussions within the plant subsections of P4:Stomata and P8:Physiological responses across scales. This sparked several questions that could potentially be explored while continuing my PhD research.

"During the conference, I showcased a poster that illustrated the progress of my research and the results obtained until today. I had the pleasure of networking and sharing my passions with researchers from many different disciplines, and the feedback I received was incredibly valuable. Undoubtedly, this was a great opportunity to strengthen my communication and presentation skills. During the conference, I found the lunch and coffee breaks to be enjoyable as they provided opportunities for more in-depth discussions.

"My attendance at the SEB conference has significantly broadened my knowledge and has definitely been one of the highlights of my PhD so far. I am excited to reminisce about this conference and my initial steps in horticultural research, and it is these memories that will be cherished in the future. The David Miller Travel Award has provided me with the chance to attend this prestigious conference and the excellent opportunity to network. And for this reason, I would like to thank the SCI horticulture group for the David Miller Travel Award, which helped fund my trip and gave me a fantastic opportunity to excel in my research".

Ece Imam Moustafa
PhD Student
NIAB at East Malling & University of Essex

Related links

• David Miller Award
• SCI's Horticulture Group