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Welcome back, as we continue to introduce the finalists of this year’s HUPO Early Career Researcher Manuscript Competition: Dr. Arun Vadivel (SickKids, Canada), Dr. Julia Bubis (Vienna BioCentra, Austria), and Dr. Xiang Zheng (Aarhus University, Denmark)! They will be presenting their work in a dedicated session at HUPO 2025 in Toronto, Canada, on Tuesday November 11th at 9:10am. The winner of this year’s ECR Manuscript Competition will receive a cash prize of USD$1000 and both runner-ups will each receive USD$500. This is a session you will not want to miss!

This month, we would like you to meet Dr. Julia Bubis, a postdoctoral fellow at the Vienna BioCenter:

Julia Bubis, PhD, is a molecular and chemical physicist specializing in high-throughput LC-MS method development and quantitative proteomics. She earned her PhD from the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, where she focused on innovative analytical strategies for cellular proteome profiling. As a postdoctoral fellow at the Vienna BioCenter, Julia leads the "Single-cell Proteomics of Human Blastoid" project, which is supported by the Austrian Academy of Sciences. This project focusses on developing LC-MS techniques for single-cell proteomics and data analysis to better understand the mechanisms of early-stage embryo development using blastocyst-like structures.

Another big thank you as well to our competition sponsor, Taylor and Francis!

“Sunshine and Happiness”

Registrations are now open for the 4^th annual Ubuntu Proteomics Summer School (UPSS). If you are in the northern hemisphere currently enjoying some sunshine, fast forward ±6 months from now and plan to attend the school where you can get a fresh dose of Vitamin D!

And the icing on the cake is the amazing list of speakers and wonderful course content. The next event will be held in George, along the Garden Route in South Africa, February 1-7, 2026. See last year’s event in Ballito, view the video linked here.

Join us and listen to talks from the likes of Jesper Olsen, Bernhard Küster, Kathryn Lilley and more.

View the complete list of speakers here.

The Ubuntu Proteomics Summer School (UPSS) is a one-week residential school with a concepts and applications track. The summer school aims to help researchers:

1. Learn more about proteomics from leading experts in the field
2. Connect to new networks and create collaborative opportunities
3. Explore new and dynamic locations (the summer school is a “floating” one and consequently changes location each year)
4. Grow capacity to advance proteomics-driven research in multiple fields

Feel free to explore galleries from our 2023 and 2024 schools or watch some videos on our YouTube channel, or explore our X, Bluesky and LinkedIn profiles. 

If you are interested in attending then please apply here or spread the word to any interested parties.

#ubuntuproteomics

OBO the UPSS Organising Committee

HUPO is seeking candidates to serve on the HUPO Council for a three-year term beginning January 2026 (2026 - 2028).

Each Councilor must be an active (paid) HUPO member who is a scientist from the public or private sector with professional experience in educational, research, or commercial activities related to the purposes of HUPO.  HUPO Councilors are expected to actively participate in at least one HUPO Committee, Initiative or Working Group and assist with other HUPO activities from time to time, during their term.

By serving in a leadership capacity, you can further the priorities outlined in the HUPO strategic plan and enhance your professional profile and organization among peers and across the proteomics community. HUPO embraces diversity and inclusion and is committed to building an organization that represents a variety of identities, backgrounds, perspectives and abilities. In 2017 HUPO Council removed the clause that requires Councilors to have at least ten years of professional experience.

We invite you to submit a nomination or self-nomination.
Click here to open the nomination form
The deadline for all nominations is July 31, 2025. 

For questions or further information, please contact the HUPO Office office@hupo.org

Jianbo Fu 

Jianbo is a postdoctoral researcher at the Swiss Multi-Omics Center (SMOC) and ETH Zürich. His work focuses on computational frameworks for complex disease identification and therapeutic target discovery using multi-omics data. He has developed online platforms for large-scale omics data processing, improving accuracy and reproducibility. He also built a cross-cohort database of plasma metabolite–cytokine networks and designed multimodal pathway analysis strategies to reveal key mechanisms in complex diseases. He has published 24 peer-reviewed papers, including 10 as first/co-first author in Nature Protocols, with over 1,300 citations. His future work will focus on advancing multimodal omics integration to precisely identify disease-driving targets and developing innovative computational tools for complex disease research and drug discovery.

This month, we’d like you to meet Dr. Arun Vadivel: 

Dr. Arun K Anguraj Vadivel, PhD is a postdoctoral research fellow in the Brain Tumour Research Centre at SickKids, Toronto. His work integrates multi-omics using machine learning (ML), and experimentation to advance precision medicine for paediatric brain tumours, especially diffuse midline glioma (DMG). Leveraging whole-genome/exome sequencing, RNA-seq, DNA-methylation arrays, quantitative proteomics, post translational modifications, and metabolomics, he built pipelines that fuse these layers with similarity network fusion, NetDx, and in-house pipeline using scikit-learn. His integrative approach pinpointed METTL13 as a therapeutic dependency in DMG; inhibition extends survival in xenograft models and was published in Neuro-Oncology (2025). In parallel, he showed that dietary methionine restriction prolongs survival in DMG models and created a protein-based ML classifier that distinguishes six paediatric brain tumour entities with 99 % accuracy.

Dr. Anguraj Vadivel’s vast bench-to-bioinformatics experience spans protein purification, LC–MS/MS, DDA/DIA MS data analysis, and NGS workflows. He has discovered cerebrospinal-fluid biomarkers that may enable minimally invasive patient monitoring. Former experience as Biomedical Data Analyst at BenchSci and PhD at Western University sharpened his ability to translate datasets into actionable insights for both academic and industry stakeholders. A committed leader, he collaborates with teams across SickKids, Carleton University, and the University of Toronto, and has mentored seven trainees on projects ranging from synthetic-peptide therapeutics to liquid biopsy. His grant-writing contributions have secured over CAD 500,000 in external funding and underpin a CAD 1.8 million CIHR proposal now under review. He belongs to the Society for Neuro-Oncology and the Human Proteome Organization, serves as a reviewer for Scientific Reports and Brain Pathology, and has delivered lectures and award-winning presentations on three continents. These accomplishments and his expertise in proteomics, data integration, and bioinformatics position Dr. Anguraj Vadivel to excel as a rising scientist dedicated to enhancing protein-based diagnostics and improving patient outcomes.

Another big thank you as well to our competition sponsor, Taylor and Francis!

The HUPOST June 2025 issue is here!

Featuring: 2025 Congress Updates,  News from ECR Committee, ETC Webinar, B/D HPP Presentations & Much More! https://conta.cc/3FT52w8 

The HUPOST May 2025 issue is here!

Featuring: 2025 Congress Updates, HUPO Award Nominations Deadline, News from ECR Committee, ETC Webinar & Much More! https://conta.cc/3YLg3pE 

Are you or do you know an ECR who deserves to be recognized for their   contribution  to the proteomics community? The HUPO Rising Star Award recognizes early career researchers who have had an exceptional impact on the proteomics field, whether that be through publications, patents, commercialization, education or any other contribution or service to the field of proteomics.

We caught up with last year’s HUPO Rising Star, Lindsay Pino, to ask why should an ECR apply for this award:

“Having a non-traditional, winding path through training and career trajectory, I wasn’t sure if my contributions really fit the right profile for the Rising Star award. It turns out that’s exactly the point! This award recognizes the many ways the community contributes to proteomics as a field, not only the conventional ones. So if you’re doing something a little off the typical path in proteomics, make sure to shoot your shot and apply. This award has really shown me that the field is stronger because of the many different ways proteomicists show up in the world.”

Candidates can self-nominate or be nominated (by a supervisor, colleague, superior, client, collaborator, etc). Our first-place winner will receive a cash prize of USD $2000. The award will be presented at HUPO 2025 in Toronto, Canada alongside the opportunity to provide a short talk.

The deadline to apply is May 16, 2025.

To learn more about eligibility criteria and how to apply, click here.

The Early Career Researcher (ECR) Committee is excited to present this year’s Mentoring Sessions—an open and supportive space where mentors and mentees can connect and explore key topics around building a successful early career. Three engaging sessions will be held during the HUPO World Congress in Toronto, Canada. Don’t miss the chance to attend, get involved in the conversation, and ask your questions!

What are we going to discuss:

●      From PhD to Profession: Navigating Diverse Career Opportunities

Scientific skills can be applied to many professions. Explore your opportunities to make a mindful decision about your next career step.

●      Maximizing Your Research Impact: A Strategic Publication Plan

Unlike fiction writing, scientific communication must be tailored to the specific audience of the target journal. In this session, we’ll share practical strategies and insights on how to avoid long publication delays and ensure your research reaches the right audience efficiently.

●      Interdisciplinary Science: Communicating and Collaborating Across Fields

Proteomics sits at the crossroads of physics, chemistry, biology, medicine, engineering, and computer science. Unraveling the mysteries of protein function demands genuine interdisciplinary collaboration. Together, we will explore how effective communication can help you thrive in a diverse, cross-functional team.