Young investigators in parasitology meeting: building foundations and supporting early-career researchers

The fourth biennial Young Investigators in Parasitology Meeting (YIPs) was held on 14-15 September 2024 in Woods Hole, MA, USA. YIPs was founded to support early-career principal investigators (PIs) in parasitology, offering practical advice and fostering collaboration among researchers within their first five years of independence. The meeting addresses critical skill gaps in laboratory management and professional development for junior PIs, covering essential topics such as recruitment, budgeting, funding, mentoring, and navigating institutional politics. By combining structured sessions with opportunities for networking, YIPs has become a vital resource for the parasitology community, serving as a model for similar initiatives in other fields. In this TrendsTalk, we invite the organizers this year to highlight the main themes and takeaways discussed over eight sessions at YIPS 2024.