The society dates back to 1967 and we could see it as the alma mater of the Insect Doctors program, as many of the work package leaders, supervisors and promotors knew each other via the annual SIP meetings. Being able to see the persons whose work and publications were inspiring to us as young scientists was a nice opportunity.
Eight PhD students from the Insect Doctors program gave presentations for the SIP Divisions of virus, bacteria, microsporidia, fungi and beneficial invertebrates. Beside, presenting in their relevant divisions, several of the students also received travel grants to ease on their costs of travelling outside the old continent. Coverage of almost every division of the SIP by the Insect Doctors’ PhDs nicely shows the complexity of the program and how it aims to cover every possible aspect relevant for the diseases in mass reared insects. The PhDs of the Insect doctors program received valuable feedback and seized the opportunity to engage in inspiring conversation about their work with fellow scientist. The meeting was visited by scientists from Europe, North America, South America, Asia and Australia. To have such a diverse scientific community is of high value, as different expertise and backgrounds are being put together for the best possible outcome.
Beside the scientific part, the program also gave opportunity to explore the well-known landmarks of Washington DC, such as the Whitehouse, the Capitol and the National Mall. Combined with the traditional 5K run of the SIP, the program was full of science, culture, sports and human interaction.
