BIOPHYSICAL SOCIETY NEWSLETTER
2
APRIL
2014
Message from the President
This year’s BPSAnnualMeeting inSanFrancisco served as a re-
minder that, even in this difficult scientific funding climate, it is a
great time tobe a biophysicist! The current strengthof our discipline
was evidenced in the excellent science thatwas presented aswell as the
energy and excitement that characterized themeeting.
It is clear that scientists from a broad range of scientific areas are em-
bracing the techniques andquantitative approaches that are at the core
of whatwe, as biophysicists, do. Biophysics is in vogue!Whereas in
the past scientists fromother disciplinesmay havewondered “what do
biophysicists do?” they are now askinghow they can incorporate the
powerfulmethods of biophysics to strengthen their own scientific programs.
What has and continues tomake theBiophysical Society unique, however, is its inclusiveness,
in all of its incredible, and sometimes overwhelming, interdisciplinary breadth anddepth.
Because of this breadth, the Society provides a context inwhich researchers fromdisparate
fields come together to exchange ideas, establishnetworks, and form collaborations to solve
important biological problems. It has and continues tobe the home for thosewho are at
the forefront of developingnew tools and approaches for obtaining quantitative informa-
tion about biology. As biologists ofmany stripes increasingly adopt quantitative approaches,
biophysicswill continue to grow in its significance for the overall progress of bothbasic and
appliedbiological research.
This is also awonderful time tobeBiophysi-
cal SocietyPresident. The energy thatwas
evident at theAnnualMeeting is equally
evident in the Society’s elected leadership and
member volunteerswho serve on the numer-
ous committees that carry out theworkof the
Society.
This year eachof these committees continues
to increase its activities andopportunities for
membershipparticipation. TheMinority
AffairsCommittee brought theBPSBiomo-
lecularDome, whichhas been showcased at the past threeAnnualmeetings, to the SACNAS
meeting last fall, and inApril the PublicAffairsCommittee brought it to theUSAScience
andEngineeringFestival, which350,000members of the publicwere expected to attend.
TheThematicMeetingsCommittee selected fourmeetings, describedonpage 4, to sponsor
in2015,more than in any previous year. Eachof thesemeetingswill provide students from
the host countrywith interest inbiophysics anopportunity to attend an interdisciplinary
internationalmeeting. Societymembers have volunteered to serve as judges andhave given
over 30BPSbiophysics awards at state and regional science fairs.
As biophysicists, particularly in this difficult period for scientific funding, we have opportuni-
ties to advocate for all scientific disciplines. In addition toour regular advocacy efforts, page 1
of this newsletter describes twonew initiatives spearheadedby the PublicAffairsCommittee:
the newBiophysical SocietyCongressional Fellowship and theBiophysics: ChangingOur
Worldmedia competition. These activitieswill enhance our efforts to educateCongressional
representatives and the public about basic research and its impact not only onhealth, but also
on economicwell-being.
In the comingmonths, watch for other committee projects intended to engage all—members
andnon-members alike-—in this exciting and growing field.
It is indeed a great time tobe a biophysicist.
—
Dorothy Beckett
, President
BIOPHYSICAL SOCIETY
Officers
President
DorothyBeckett
President-Elect
EdwardEgelman
Past-President
FranciscoBezanilla
Secretary
Lukas Tamm
Treasurer
Paul Axelsen
Council
OlgaBoudker
TaekjipHa
SamanthaHarris
KalinaHristova
Juliette Lecomte
Amy Lee
Marcia Levitus
MerrittMaduke
DanielMinor, Jr.
JeanneNerbonne
Antoine vanOijen
JosephD. Puglisi
Michael Pusch
BonnieWallace
DavidYue
Biophysical Journal
Leslie Loew
Editor-in-Chief
SocietyOffice
RoKampman
ExecutiveOfficer
Newsletter
AlishaYocum
MonikaZakrzewska
Production
LauraPhelan
Profile
EllenWeiss
Public Affairs
The
Biophysical SocietyNewsletter
(ISSN0006-3495) is published
twelve times per year, January-
December, by the Biophysical
Society, 11400RockvillePike, Suite
800, Rockville,Maryland 20852.
Distributed toUSAmembers
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All rights reserved.
DorothyBeckett
“
It is clear that scientists from
abroad rangeof scientificareas
areembracing the techniques
andquantitativeapproaches that
areat the coreofwhatwe, as
biophysicists, do.
”
