Cake Hour

The research staff at the Liver Research center is comprised of scholars from all over the world. Academic physicians, postdoctoral fellows, graduate students and undergraduate interns make up a diverse international multicultural group. In addition to spending time together in the labs, once a day everyone is invited to attend a special social event referred to as Cake Hour. Originating from the German tradition of "Kaffee and Kuchen", or coffee and cake, in mid afternoon, a cake or some other sweet treat is brought in and offered to all. This provides an opportunity to develop awareness of the varied backgrounds and gives people the chance to converse more casually in the English language. Research related ideas are discussed and shared as are current events, local happenings and personal experiences. Cake Hour breaks the ice, brings people together and helps to build a cohesive and successful team. In addition, everyone frequently gets exposed to some delicious foreign specialty or classic American treats and simultaneously gets to have a bit of fun.

White Rat Cake

July is Summer Student Cake Month which is an informal "contest" where the student interns try to outdo one another by bringing the best cake. Research has inspired several entries most notably the white rat and BCA cake.

BCA Cake

The results of the "contest" as well as the daily Cake Hour happenings can be followed on our blog, www.cakehour.com.

One Cake Too Many

Cake hour is also where we take the famous 10 second shots when a colleague is moving on and leaving the lab. They can all be viewed on the blog and a few others are featured here.

Off to St. Louis