We are happy to announce that the PYRO board has grown by three members, and for the first time reaches beyond the Faculty of Health Sciences. Bringing in members from different departments and faculties strengthens our reach and our ability to support young researchers across UiT.

Our workshops cover general researcher skills, such as writing, careers, grants, networking, and mental health, rather than health-science-specific topics. So we decided to expand to reach everyone who might be interested. Young researchers across UiT face similar career challenges, and a board that spans more departments means we can reach more of them.

That is why we welcome our newest members Daniel, Sam and Larissa!

	Daniel Kumazawa Morais is our first member from outside the Faculty of Health Sciences, helping us expand into the Norwegian College of Fishery Science at UiT. Daniel is an expert in molecular ecology and bioinformatics with teaching experience. His expertise and his reach beyond the health faculty will help us support more students. Welcome to PYRO, Daniel!
	Sam Verschooren is our first connection to the Department of Psychology (IPS). He is a Marie Skłodowska-Curie postdoctoral fellow in the Cognitive Neuroscience research group and will help us expand our network among young researchers at his institute. His experience as a Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant recipient will also be valuable for the Success Stories segment of our upcoming grant seminar. Welcome to PYRO, Sam!
	Not all new members come from outside our usual ranks. Our newest member, Larissa Kruse, comes from the Institute of Medical Biology (IMB). She combines years of experience in cell lab techniques in liver biology with a new role in teaching and outreach between students and institutions. This combination of skills will benefit many of our workshops. Welcome to PYRO, Larissa!

This round of recruitment happened a little differently than usual. We welcomed our newest board members during PYRO's end-of-semester pizza party, held late in the afternoon so that families could join in too. Between pizza boxes, soda bottles, and a fair amount of running around, the atmosphere was more chaotic than a typical board meeting, but that only added to the fun.

Several kids came along and got a first, early look at what it means to be a young researcher at UiT, cheerfully weaving between chairs while Eike presented PYRO. While it was a slightly disorganized and informal afternoon, it was still amazing!

Interested in joining PYRO BOARD?

This is merely the first step in expanding PYRO. We are starting small, and PYRO will keep expanding. If you are a young researcher who wants to make a difference, send us an email at pyro.board@helsefak.uit.no and join a motivated team of young researchers.

If you are from a different institute or faculty not yet represented in PYRO, you are also welcome to join as a PYRO board associate. This is a lower commitment role designed for young researchers who want to support PYRO without joining the board itself yet. As an associate, you can help us grow simply by forwarding emails, sharing our events and workshops within your own department, and spreading the word among colleagues who might not otherwise hear about us. You act as a first point of contact and help us recruit future members from parts of UiT we have not yet connected with.

We look forward to welcoming more of you, from every corner of UiT, in the months ahead.

Author: Eike