John Doctor Education Prize
The John Doctor Education Prize was established in memory of John Doctor, a Society for Developmental Biology member, who passed away suddenly and prematurely in the fall of 2005. John was very active in the society as a member of the Professional Development and Education Committee (PDEC), a participant in education sessions at regional and national meetings, and as an organizer of the 2004 Mid-Atlantic Regional Meeting at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, PA. His enthusiasm and enjoyment for teaching was inspirational for many who met him at SDB meetings.
In 2006, SDB began awarding the John Doctor Best Education Poster Award. In 2016, the PDEC reinvented the award as an education video competition. The John Doctor Education Prize includes a certificate and prize money.
Challenge
Create a short video with audio (voice and/or music) on any aspect of developmental biology with the goal of capturing the attention of the public. The video can feature aspects of lab work and/or highlight the beauty and/or relevance of developmental biology. Video entries may be as short as 15 seconds but not longer than 1 minute. All content should be user generated. Use of AI is not allowed. Winning videos will be shared through the SDB social media channels after the annual meeting.
Selection Criteria
All applicants (individual or all members of a group submission) must be current SDB members (2026 dues paid). Videos will be evaluated on both the content of the work presented and the quality of the presentation. Videos should be clear, concise, visually appealing, and capture the attention of the public. A brief 1-page summary about the video is required with the submission. The summary should describe how the video highlights developmental biology and how it could be used for science communication and/or outreach.
Submission Deadline: Monday, June 1, 2026 (11:59 PM EDT)
JOHN DOCTOR GUIDELINES SUBMIT VIDEO
Past Poster Award Recipients
| 2011 | Sandra Leal, University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS. "A forward genetic
screen as a developmental biology laboratory exercise for undergraduates identifies gene
candidates that regulate embryonic CNS development in Drosophila." Developmental Biology 356 (2011): A55. Sally Hoskins, City College of New York, NY. "Demystifying and humanizing research through intensive analysis of primary literature--testing the C.R.E.A.T.E. approach in diverse student populations and topic areas." Developmental Biology 356 (2011): A56. |
| 2010 | Judith Thorn, Knox College, Galesburg, IL. “Humanoids: a creative application project for developmental biology courses.” Developmental Biology 344 (2010): 438. Jamie Shuda, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA. “Impacting K-12: what makes Project BioEYES work?” Developmental Biology 344 (2010): 421 |
| 2007 | Sally Hoskins, City College of New York, NY. “Novel use of primary literature in class promotes critical thinking as well as interest in research careers.” Developmental Biology 306 (2007): A66. |
| 2006 | Michael Klimkowsky, Univ. of Colorado, Boulder, CO. “Mapping student misconceptions using Ed’s Tools, an online analysis system.” Developmental Biology 295 (2006): 349. |