Biophysical Newsletter - June 2014

2

2014

BIOPHYSICAL SOCIETY NEWSLETTER

JUNE

BIOPHYSICAL SOCIETY

Biophysicist in Profile YADILETTE RIVERA-COLÓN

Officers President Dorothy Beckett President-Elect Edward Egelman Past-President Francisco Bezanilla Secretary Lukas Tamm Treasurer Paul Axelsen Council Olga Boudker Taekjip Ha Samantha Harris Kalina Hristova Juliette Lecomte Amy Lee Marcia Levitus Merritt Maduke Daniel Minor, Jr. Jeanne Nerbonne Antoine van Oijen Joseph D. Puglisi Michael Pusch Bonnie Wallace David Yue Biophysical Journal Leslie Loew Editor-in-Chief

As a child growing up in Puerto Rico, Yadilette Rivera-Colón was fasci- nated by science, often watching Beakman’s World and National Geographic specials on television. Her parents were not involved in science; her mother stayed at home to care for the children, and her father worked in an auto- body shop. Both placed a great deal of emphasis on the value of education for their children. Rivera-Colón explains that, “They always told me to study, because knowledge is the only thing that no one can take away from you.” When Rivera-Colón was just 15 years old, her mother was diagnosed with leukemia. She passed away soon afterward, but the care provided by her nurses comforted the family in her final days. Rivera-Colón was touched by their tender care, and decided to study to become a nurse, to help other families understand medical procedures and provide comfort within the hospital setting.

Rivera-Colón trained as a practical nurse at Escuela Vocacional Benjamin Harrison, a tech- nical high school. “The more I learned about the human body and human disease,” she says, “ the more I wanted to be able to do something about it.” She thought that as a medical doctor, she would be able to have a hand in curing diseases, so she began a pre-med program at University of Puerto Rico, Cayey.

“ Not everyone is interested in what you do, so make them see why it is cool. ” – Yadilette Rivera-Colón

Society Office Ro Kampman Executive Officer Newsletter Alisha Yocum Production Laura Phelan Profile

After studying to become a medical doctor for a few years, Rivera-Colón decided that she needed to try basic research before committing to a career in medicine. She took part in a summer program at the University of Mas- sachusetts, Amherst, where she studied under Craig Martin . There she got a taste of biochemistry and the world of proteins, and decided to pursue a PhD rather than an MD, so that she could continue to be directly involved in scientific research. Rivera-Colón graduated from the University of Puerto Rico, Cayey, with a BS degree in general natural sciences, and committed to attending the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, for her doctoral degree. The summer before she began graduate school, Rivera-Colón took part in the Biophysical Society’s Summer Research Program at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. The program was her first introduction to biophysics and was also the first course she took in English. She says, “I fell in love with bio- physics and made an amazing network of friends and colleagues who have supported me every step of the way ever since.” During the course, Rivera- Colón worked in the lab of Charles W. Carter, Jr . Carter introduced her to the study of protein structure, which she continues to work on to this day. Following the BPS summer program, Rivera-Colón began her graduate pro- gram at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, in Scott C. Garman’s lab. While there, she worked on determining the structures of human lysosomal enzymes that are defective in patients who have lysosomal storage diseases.

Ellen Weiss Public Affairs

The Biophysical Society Newsletter (ISSN 0006-3495) is published twelve times per year, January- December, by the Biophysical Society, 11400 Rockville Pike, Suite 800, Rockville, Maryland 20852. Distributed to USA members and other countries at no cost. Canadian GST No. 898477062. Postmaster: Send address changes to Biophysical Society, 11400 Rockville Pike, Suite 800, Rockville, MD 20852. Copyright © 2014 by the Biophysical Society. Printed in the United States of America. All rights reserved.