About Us
The Toronto Area Memory Group (TAMeG) holds annual meetings with two objectives:
1. To promote scientific exchange among southern Ontario researchers studying memory.
2. To provide an opportunity for trainees studying memory to present their research in an oral format.
TAMeG is coordinated by a multi-site committee, composed of Morgan Barense (University of Toronto), Mary Pat McAndrews (University Health Network), Shayna Rosenbaum (York University), and Brian Levine (chair, Baycrest). The inaugural meeting was held in 2015. The annual one-day meeting, held in the spring, consists of talks (15 minutes including questions), data blitzes (5 minutes including questions), a keynote presentation, and an interactive session or panel discussion.
All southern Ontario researchers are welcome to attend the meeting. As capacity is limited, this meeting is restricted to academically affiliated researchers from an institution or research institute.
Talks and data blitz proposals are solicited from principal investigators throughout southern Ontario. Each investigator may submit up to two talk or data blitz proposals from trainees in their lab, ranked according to their preference. Every attempt is made to grant each investigator their top-ranked choice. If time in the program is available, second choices are granted based on a random draw. In the event of limited space, the priority is given to people who have not previously presented and to the need to fill either talk or data blitz slots.
The original research presented at TAMeG is typically very high quality, with a good track record of eventual publication (see Published Presentations).
The keynote speaker is an internationally leading scientist whose work is relevant to TAMeG attendees. To contain costs, the speaker is drawn from colleagues located within the distance of a short-haul flight to Toronto. The panel is focused on metascience or other issues that are not typically covered in graduate training programs, such as women in science and academia or how to deal with reviewers and editors in the manuscript submission and revision process. The panel typically includes the keynote plus local participants.
1. To promote scientific exchange among southern Ontario researchers studying memory.
2. To provide an opportunity for trainees studying memory to present their research in an oral format.
TAMeG is coordinated by a multi-site committee, composed of Morgan Barense (University of Toronto), Mary Pat McAndrews (University Health Network), Shayna Rosenbaum (York University), and Brian Levine (chair, Baycrest). The inaugural meeting was held in 2015. The annual one-day meeting, held in the spring, consists of talks (15 minutes including questions), data blitzes (5 minutes including questions), a keynote presentation, and an interactive session or panel discussion.
All southern Ontario researchers are welcome to attend the meeting. As capacity is limited, this meeting is restricted to academically affiliated researchers from an institution or research institute.
Talks and data blitz proposals are solicited from principal investigators throughout southern Ontario. Each investigator may submit up to two talk or data blitz proposals from trainees in their lab, ranked according to their preference. Every attempt is made to grant each investigator their top-ranked choice. If time in the program is available, second choices are granted based on a random draw. In the event of limited space, the priority is given to people who have not previously presented and to the need to fill either talk or data blitz slots.
The original research presented at TAMeG is typically very high quality, with a good track record of eventual publication (see Published Presentations).
The keynote speaker is an internationally leading scientist whose work is relevant to TAMeG attendees. To contain costs, the speaker is drawn from colleagues located within the distance of a short-haul flight to Toronto. The panel is focused on metascience or other issues that are not typically covered in graduate training programs, such as women in science and academia or how to deal with reviewers and editors in the manuscript submission and revision process. The panel typically includes the keynote plus local participants.
2024 Volunteers
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Chair: Emily Davis
Website: Kesia Courtenay, Michelle Galper, Divya Mistry, Yongzhen Xie, Nardeen Yalda Communication: Katrina Chini, Tolu Faromika, Riya Trikha Venue: Ricky Chow, Maria Orlando Program: Michelle Galper, Lauren Homann, Kristen Jardine, Cassandra Skrotzki, Catalina Yang Registration: Michelle Galper, Kristen Jardine, Katriel Read, Megan Vaziri, Catalina Yang Swag & Awards: Mariah Lecompte, Michelle Galper, Rachel Sargeson, Yongzhen Xie Powerpoint Karaoke: Emily Davis, Will Fisher, Samantha Gauvreau Fundraising: Kesia Courtenay, Emily Davis, Will Fisher Faculty Advisors: Brian Levine, Mary Pat McAndrews, Morgan Barense, Shayna Rosenbaum |
Meeting Structure
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The meeting is presented in a plenary format. The schedule includes approximately 30 talks and data blitzes divided into sessions of approximately one hour in length, from approximately 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM, followed by a keynote presentation and a panel discussion. Coffee breaks occur in the morning and in the afternoon. A catered lunch is provided onsite. The conference is followed by a reception and awards ceremony with a cash bar and refreshments.
As a training exercise, the oral presentations are intended to mimic the context of an international conference such as Society for Neuroscience or the Cognitive Neuroscience Society. These include strict limits on time. Allotted time includes questions; if the speaker uses their full time slot, there will be no time for questions. Slides are to be submitted to the conference coordinator no later than 48 hours in advance of the meeting. As is the case for major conferences, slides must be formatted in PowerPoint. Any animations or videos should be embedded in standard format. The coordinator will review the slides for any errors, but it is the speaker’s responsibility to ensure that their slides will display properly. TAMeG attendees are encouraged to use social media to promote the meeting and share information. Speakers should be mindful of the fact that aspects of their presentations could be publicized. The TAMeG meeting is a respectful environment, inclusive of women, minorities, and other underrepresented groups. Any harassment or inappropriate conduct is not tolerated and will result in exclusion from the meeting. |
Awards
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Three awards are presented, to be judged by principal investigators attending the meeting but without a trainee on the program. These include the Ebbinghaus Award for best talk, the Bartlett Award for best data blitz, and the Moscovitch Award for best questions/contributions to discussion. Previous award winners are excluded from subsequent awards.
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Funding
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The budget for TAMeG including direct and indirect costs is approximately $15,000. TAMeG is supported by contributions from partnering organizations, public funding agencies through a competitive grant application process, and through volunteering. As these resources are insufficient to cover expenses, the remaining costs are recouped from principal investigators whose trainees attended the meeting. Payment is requested according to the number of trainees in attendance.
Sponsorship Opportunities: Businesses and organizations interested in sponsoring or hosting an exhibit at the TAMeG conference should be of relevance or interest to human and animal memory researchers. All requests are subject to approval by the organizing committee. Opportunities for sponsors include funding some part of the conference (e.g., student awards, lunch), naming opportunities in the conference schedule/conference slides, exhibits during registration/lunch hour, and discounts for services. Exhibitors and sponsors can expect to contribute a minimum of $500. Alternative pricing is subject to negotiation. |