In the grand march of human history, first there was the cave wall and charcoal. Then came the inked poster. Now comes the ePoster, the dynamic multimedia form of the venerable 3’8″ (1.1m) X 6′ (1.828 m) paper poster. For the first time, the 2013 ASCB Annual Meeting will feature this new presentation format (see Jessica Polka’s example below).
The ePoster sessions will start like traditional poster sessions only the eight ePosters will be displayed on large monitors around a room. The ePosters run automatically, but viewers can use a mouse to zoom in on a figure or go back. The presenter can stand by to answer questions or go off to see other posters. After 30 minutes, each poster will appear on a large screen in the front of the room where each presenter will talk for three to four minutes. This year, 72 presenters have been selected to give mini-talks in nine ePoster sessions.
Working in Adobe Professional or PowerPoint, you can turn your presentation into an ePoster by embedding multimedia—video, animations, or figures. Alternatively, you can use Prezi, a free online program that allows you to turn your poster into a dynamic presentation. Jessica Polka, co-chair of the Committee for Postdocs and Students (COMPASS) gives step-by-step instructions for how to use Prezi.
About the Author:
Christina Szalinski is a science writer with a PhD in Cell Biology from the University of Pittsburgh.
