Biophysical Society Bulletin | April 2019

April 2019

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Society Launches Ambassador Program

To continue to develop biophysics as an inclusive, interdisciplinary international field, the Bio- physical Society has launched an Ambassador program. The program will create a global net- work of BPS members to serve as local Society resources in their specific countries or regions, where they will promote the field and foster conversations around biophysics. Ambassadors will play a key role in providing the Society with relevant local content to share with member- ship and will serve as BPS’s go-to contact in their country and region. Through this program, the Society hopes to grow the biophysics network globally by educating and inspiring others to pursue careers in biophysics and further develop its advocacy efforts around the world. Ambassadors will serve as the Society’s main point of contact in their country or region, develop content (blog posts, newsletter articles) about scientific or political developments in their areas for the BPS membership, and represent and promote the Society at area meetings and events. Ambassadors should expect to be advocates for biophysics and seek, whenever possible, opportunities to advocate for and promote our field to local scientists and policymakers. Ambassadors will be expected to serve a three-year term, renewable once. An ideal country Ambassador is a mid-career to senior scientist, actively engaged in biophysics research and committed to remaining in the field for the duration of the Ambassadorship, an active paid member of the Society in good standing, able to attend the Annual Meeting at the start of their term, has a working proficiency in English, and has a demonstrated ability to contribute to organi- Ambassador Program

zations or scientific societies outside of their normal job duties. Ambassadors receive several benefits: • A travel stipend to attend a single Annual Meeting • Free registration to a BPS Thematic Meeting in their area • Recognition on the BPS website as an Ambassador • A BPS Ambassador lapel pin and other program materials • A detailed profile on the BPS Blog or Newsletter The program will begin accepting applications in April 2019 through June 2019. To learn more and apply, visit biophysics.org/ambassadors.

Inside President’s Message

2 3 4 5 6

Student Chapters

Biophysicist in Profile

BPS Conferences

Public Affairs

11 12

Career Development

Annual Meeting

Publications 16 Member Corner & Important Dates 17 Student Spotlight 17 Communities 18 Obituary 19 Upcoming Events 20

Biophysics Takes Over Baltimore Theory and Experiment to the Cell and Back was the focus of the 63rd Annual Meeting held last month in Baltimore, Maryland. Biophysicists from over 50 countries came to learn about the latest research in biophysics and share their most recent findings over five very full days. The meeting kicked off with Sub- group Saturday where there were 15 subgroup symposia followed by four days of scientific programming, career advancement, teaching, techniques, science policy, and funding sessions. View Highlights on Page 12

President’s Message

Hopes for the Biophysical Society in 2019 It is truly an honor to serve as President of the Biophysical Society. I have been a member for a long time and have seen the Society grow from a small-scale operation to a premier scientific society. This has not always been a smooth transition, but the openness, acceptance, and hard work of Society members has overcome the stumbles. Two things that have always impressed me about the Society is how we have welcomed and advocated for new scientific areas and worked to be a leader in diversity and inclusion. I am also enthusiastic about our expanded offerings in career development and public affairs. Of course, there is still much to be done in all of these areas. As we look forward to the next year, I would offer the following hopes for the society: 1. The Biophysical Society has made progress in many areas of inclusion, such as attracting interna-

David. W. Piston

tional members, diversifying speakers, and providing family rooms at the meeting. However, we still face many challenges of unconscious and even conscious bias, as well as building a diverse pipeline of future biophysicists. I hope that the Society will become a model for diversity and inclusion, reach a point of zero tolerance for lapses of decency and respect, and continue to reach a broader constituency. Towards this latter goal, we will need to escalate our efforts to increase the numbers of under-represented minorities in biophysics and also work to promote them as leaders in the field and in the Society. 2. The Public Affairs Committee has seen increased activity over the years, but efforts have focused mainly on issues affecting the United States. The Biophysical Society has a significant international membership, and it is my hope that we will be effec- tive in advocating for biophysics education and research around the world and not just in the United States. We have taken steps towards this goal with sessions at the Annual Meeting such as the one on Brexit this year, and initiating an Ambassadors program to better learn about the needs of our international members. The success of these efforts will depend heavily on our international members, and I encourage all of you to get involved. 3. The world of scientific publishing remains in flux. The Biophysical Journal is a highly respected peer-reviewed journal, but as all society journals, it is under competitive pressure from for-profit publishers and the proliferation of specialized spin-offs from the highly cited magazines. Outstanding biophysics papers that in the past may have come to Biophysical Journal after not being accepted by one of the magazines are instead moved down the chain of specialty journals with little or no effort required by the authors. This has resulted in significant decreases of submissions to all society journals, including Biophysical Journal . Our journal is edited by practicing biophysics researchers and plays an important role in developing and maintaining quality in all areas of biophysics, and not just those that happen to be “trendy” right now. I hope that our members will realize the im- portance of a strong journal for the Society and the field and consider it for publishing their best biophysics work. 4. Scientific research seems to come with an inordinate amount of stress these days. Whether you are a student, post-doc, or faculty member, the pressure can seem overwhelming at times, which can lead to anxiety, depression, and burnout. We need to stop turning our backs to these longstanding problems and find better ways to encourage research well-being and resilience. We need to end the stigma that asking for help is a sign of weakness and figure out ways to provide the needed help and support without negative consequences. These problems are systemic and require solutions far beyond what a single society or institution can do, although the Society will continue to hold programs on these topics at the Annual Meeting. I hope that all of us will find the courage to ask for help when we need it and urge our colleagues to do so without judging when they are in need. I will serve as president for only one year, and I am sure that all of you have hopes for the Society beyond those that I have list- ed here. I would love to hear from you about your ideas for the Society as would the members of the many committees who create and foster the Society programs. I hope that this will be your Society for many years to come and that its effectiveness in supporting its members and fostering the field of biophysics will only be as good as the input and effort given by its mem- bers. I wish you a happy and productive 2019 and hope that I will see all of you in San Diego for our 64th Annual Meeting! — David W. Piston

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Student Chapters

Officers President

Start a BPS Student Chapter at Your Institution Apply to become a BPS Student Chapter! The BPS Student Chapter program is building active chapters around the globe, increasing student representation and participation within the Society, and promoting biophysics as a discipline across college campuses through activities

David W. Piston President-Elect Catherine Royer Past-President Angela Gronenborn Secretary Erin Sheets Treasurer Kalina Hristova Council Zev Bryant Linda Columbus Michelle A. Digman Marta Filizola Teresa Giraldez Ruben Gonzalez, Jr. Joseph A. Mindell Anna Moroni Marina Ramirez-Alvarado Jennifer Ross David Stokes Pernilla Wittung-Stafeshede Biophysical Journal Jane Dyson Editor-in-Chief The Biophysicist Sam Safran Editor-in-Chief

organized by local chapters. Chapters may be formed within a single institution, or regional chapters may be developed among multiple, neighboring institutions anywhere in the world. Approved chapters will receive up to $200 USD in reimbursable expenses to assist with getting started and have access to special opportunities for chapter officers and members at Biophysical Society meetings. All Student Chapters must have a sponsor who is a member of the Society. If you are a mentor to biophysics students with leadership potential, please share this opportunity and encourage their participation. Chapter sponsors are responsible for providing professional guidance, prac- tical advice, and needed assistance to students through face-to-face meetings, email, online video conferencing, or phone. The BPS Student Chapter application requires: • Signed endorsement and petition forms from the chapter sponsor and student members • Complete chapter bylaws (example available within the application) • Questionnaire responses regarding chapter membership and institution information • Up-to-date student membership for all chapter officers (President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Program Committee Chair) We recommend reading the Student Chapter Organization Manual for guidance on the orga- nizational structure and logistics in forming Student Chapters. For more information and a complete list of instructions on forming an official BPS Student Chapter visit www.biophysics. org/StudentChapters. Questions can be directed to Elizabeth Vuong at evuong@biophysics.org. The application will remain open through May 1, 2019. Applicants will be notified in early June regarding the status of their application. The following is a list of the current Student Chapters: • Arizona Student Chapter • Clemson University • Egyptian Biophysical Society Student Chapter • Emory University • The Biophysical Society – Kenya Chapter • Autonomous National University of Mexico Medical School • The University of Minnesota Duluth Student Chapter • The University of New Mexico Student Chapter • University of Maryland College Park • Florida State University • Johns Hopkins University • Mustafa Kemal University Student Chapter • NY Capital District Student Chapter • Texas A&M University • University of Michigan • University of Missouri • York University

Society Office Jennifer Pesanelli Executive Officer Newsletter

Executive Editor Jennifer Pesanelli Managing Editor Beth Staehle Contributing Writers and Proofreaders Dorothy Chaconas Laura Phelan

Caitlin Simpson Elizabeth Vuong Sean Winkler

Production Catie Curry Ray Wolfe

The Biophysical Society Newsletter (ISSN 0006-3495) is published eleven times per year, January-December, by the Biophysical Society, 5515 Security Lane, Suite 1110, Rockville, Maryland 20852. Distributed to USA members and other countries at no cost. Canadian GST No. 898477062. Postmaster: Send address changes to Biophysical Society, 5515 Security Lane, Suite 1110, Rockville, MD 20852. Copyright © 2019 by the Biophysical Society. Printed in the United States of America. All rights reserved.

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Biophysicist in Profile

Hugues Abriel Areas of Research Ion channels and channelopathies

Institution University of Bern, Switzerland

At-a-Glance

Hugues Abriel is professor of molecular medicine at the University of Bern’s Institute of Biochem- istry and Molecular Medicine. He also directs a research network (NCCR TransCure) of structural biologists, medicinal chemists, and transport physiologists, that is funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation. He presented his work at a BPS Annual Meeting as a young investigator and appreciates that the meeting has given visibility to work being done in Switzerland.

Hugues Abriel

Hugues Abriel grew up in Geneva, Switzerland, where his father worked for a state-owned energy company and his mother was a primary school teacher. “Both my parents were very politically and socially involved in issues related to immigration, rights for employees, and other social injustices, he recalls.” As a teenager, he spent summers in the Swiss mountains helping farmers take care of cows, where his career dreams vacillated between farming and becoming a veterinarian. At age 18, Abriel went to Zurich to study biology at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology. “I learned recently there is a name for what I am—a “firstgen” or first generation student,”

function of cardiac ion channels found in patients with severe types of cardiac arrhythmias leading to sudden cardiac death. Following his postdoc work, Abriel accepted a position as assistant professor in the Department of Pharmacology, University of Lausanne, and later became a full professor at the University of Bern, where he was also director of the Department of Clinical Research at the Bern University Hos- pital. Currently he is professor of molecular medicine at the University of Bern’s Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, as well as director of a research network funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation. His current work focuses on two types of cardiac ion channels (Nav1.5 and TRPM4) that have been described to be mutated in patients with cardiac electrical alterations. “The field of ‘channelopathies’ allows me to link dysfunctions that can be recorded at the single-molecule level to human disease,” explains Abriel. “This work links the molecules to the bed of the patient. It is a huge privilege to be trained both with biophysical tools and as an MD, which allows me to be able to address the questions at both ends of the science continuum.” When Abriel first visited to the Democratic Republic of Congo to give a lecture, he met Gerrye Mubungu who was interested in a collaboration. They have worked on two studies and in 2015, Abriel obtained funding for Mubungu and a colleague to complete a month of training at the University of Bern and be introduced to researchers across Switzerland. Mubungu says of Abriel, “He is a hard worker, a very good scientist, and an inspirational mentor. Most importantly, he really likes what he does.” Indeed, Abriel says that the most rewarding aspect of his work is to “be a part of a community of peers who are sharing the same values and interests, and being able to transmit these values to a younger generation of scientists.”

“ The field of ‘channelopathies’ allows me to link dysfunctions that can be recorded at the single-molecule level to human disease. ”

said Abriel. Like many young people, he wanted to make the world a better place. “I had the idea that I could help find a cure for drug addiction, which was already a very serious problem for students of my generation,” he said. He went to college with the hope that he “could understand how small molecules (such as drugs) change your perceptions and mind.”

Abriel went on to earn a master’s degree in pharmacology and then studied human medicine at the University of Lausanne, Switzerland, with the goal of becoming a psychiatrist. “In my studies I discovered the different types of ‘targets’ of all psy- chotropic drugs and found that ion channels were extremely fascinating being at the core of so many cellular functions.” He received his MD degree in 1994 but wasn’t finished yet! In 1995, he obtained a MD-PhD degree in physiology. As a postdoc at the University of Lausanne, he worked with a group under Jean-Daniel Horisberger and Olivier Staub on eluci- dating the role of mutations in the epithelial sodium channel (ENaC) leading to a hereditary form of arterial hypertension (Liddle’s syndrome). Later he joined Robert Kass at Colum- bia University in New York, to study mutations altering the

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Biophysicist in Profile

Abriel with his favorite animals

Abriel with his children Mara and Samuel.

Abriel is currently planning on taking a sabbatical leave to visit a few French-speaking African universities. He then plans to return to his lab, possibly to develop some single-channel recording techniques. He professes that the biggest challenge in his career now is “how to pursue my fascination for experimental research without being dragged away with all my science management activities.”

When not working on science, Abriel spends time with his partner and two children and likes to retreat to the Swiss mountains to hike and ski. His advice for young investigators: “Find your ‘pet’ topic and do not be afraid of the physics part in biophysics. Biology is wonderful and even more so if you can use the laws of physics to study it!”

Announcing

Call for Conference Proposals Proposal Deadline: May 13, 2019

The Biophysical Society will begin sponsoring small (100-150), recurring (biennial to triennial), multi-day conferences on focused topics within the broad realm of biophysics. These meetings, held primarily in the United States between the months of May and August, aim to bring together senior researchers, post- doctoral researchers, and students to discuss the latest cutting-edge research in similar scientific areas. The Society is now calling for proposals for the 2021 BPS Conferences. Complete submissions will be considered by the BPS Conferences Committee and, pending review, organizers will be contacted for more detailed information. The committee’s final recommendations will be submitted to the Society Council for approval in early November. For criteria and submission requirements, visit www.biophysics.org/conferences. Proposals must be submitted through the onsite submission at https:/www.surveymonkey.com/r/8XWPZTP

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Public Affairs

NSF Sees Long-awaited Funding Increase in FY 2019 Funding Package

President Trump Budget Proposal Outlines Cuts to Science On March 11, the Trump Administration released its $4.75 trillion “skinny” budget proposal. The budget’s release was delayed due to the partial government shutdown. The President’s budget does not carry the weight of law, but it does provide revealing information on the Administration’s spending and policy priorities. The request takes sequestration, mandated defense and non-defense spending cuts if Congress fails to enact a budget deal, into account. The proposal recommends considerable spending reductions at the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, and at the Department of Energy’s Office of Science: On February 15, President Trump signed into a law a Fiscal Year (FY) 2019 funding package that avoided another partial gov- ernment shutdown. Tucked into the nearly $1.2 trillion package was a spending increase for the National Science Foundation (NSF). The NSF’s budget will increase four percent to $8.1 billion compared to FY 2018 levels. In the package, Congress indi- cated its support for NSF’s 10 Big Ideas initiatives, urged NSF to continue to invest in advancing computing technologies, and required NSF to formally explore intellectual property protection initiatives with the research. The funding will carry through September 30, 2019, the end of the Fiscal Year.

FY 2019 Budget Request

FY 2019 Enacted

FY 2020 Budget Request

Agency

National Institutes of Health National Science Foundation

$34 Billion 7.4 Billion 5.3 Billion

$39 Billion $8 Billion 6.5 Billion

$33 Billion $7.1 Billion $5.5 Billion

Department of Energy Office of Science

The Biophysical Society, through its various coalitions, has expressed concerned to Congress over the proposed cuts to science. Again, the President’s request does not have the force of law and is often considered dead-on-arrival in Congress. However, the research community will have to continue to work with and cultivate Congressional champions to ensure sufficient support for science on the hill. PessimismGrowing Around Potential Congressional Budget Deal In February 2018, Congress was able to reach a budget deal that raised the spending caps imposed by the Budget Control Act (BCA) of 2011 and paved the way for the recent research funding successes seen in FY 2018 and 2019. Just in FY 2019, for example, the National Science Foundation received over $8 billion in funding for the first time in its history and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) received their funding on-time for the first time in decades. However, there is no grand budget deal on the table for FYs 2020 and 2021 and, without one, non-defense discretionary (NDD) spending may take up to a $50 billion hit, as the BCA caps will return. Both the NIH and NSF funding counts as NDD spending.

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Public Affairs

Around theWorld Top European Research Council Official Announces Early Retirement On February 4, Pablor Amor , Director of the European Research Council’s (ERC) Executive Agency, abruptly announced his retirement to staff, citing organizational concerns. Amor was expected to retire, but his announcement moves up his retirement date by a full year. The ERC consists of a governing Scientific Council of 22 members, which sets the scientific direction of the ERC, while an executive agency of some 400 staff controlled by the Commission runs day- to-day grant administration. The ERC expects to award over On February 13, the Australian Academy of Science released a statement in support of the Australian government’s proposal to prioritize funding for critical minerals. The Academy singled out the Cooperative Research Centres Project (CRC-P) Grants as a useful mechanism to further research and technology development in support of critical mineral exploration. Global demand is expected to sky rocket for rare minerals like coo- per, gold, and cobalt. “Investments in research and development that will help find these metals will be enormously beneficial to Australia with the potential to create jobs, reduce emissions, and revitalize regional communities,” said Professor Sue O’Reilly, Academy Council Member. Pakistani Government Announces Plans for a Science and Technology Park According to a report in Pakistan Today , the National Univer- sity of Sciences and Technology and the Higher Education Commission in Pakistan announced plans for a science and technology park in Islamabad. The ~$3.6 million project investment is to promote studies and research in science, especially for students unable to access modern facilities at their current places of study. The target completion date for the project is 2020. €94.1 billion to researchers over the next decade. Australian Academy of Science Supports Proposed Government Mineral Investments

According to a recent report in Roll Call , Congressional lead- ers are concerned a budget deal may not even be reached in time to ensure on-time FY 2020 to federal agencies. The report cites growing concerns from outside budget watchers and members of Congress around a lack of deadlines to force Congress’s hand in reaching an agreement. The most obvious mechanism to help reach a deal is the March 2 debt ceiling deadline. In recent history, Congress has been able to reach spending deals around the debt ceiling deadline, as failing to raise the debt limit would wreak havoc on credit markets and the credit ratings of government-issued bonds. However, the Treasury Department believes it will be able to undertake ex- traordinary measures through October to prevent a default on federal debt without Congressional action. This is problematic as the government fiscal year ends on September 30, 2019. The Biophysical Society continues to call on Congress to reach a budget deal and raise the discretionary spending caps. Dra- matic cuts in discretionary spending will disproportionately impact government supported researchers and early career scientists. In conjunction with the NDD United coalition, we will continue to advocate for a speedy budget deal.

Ambassador Program

Empowering Biophysics Globally Apply Now at www.biophysics.org/ambassadors

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Public Affairs

HowDoes Congress Decide on the Annual Spending of Our Tax Dollars? Jonathan King , Sean Winkler, and Eric Sundberg Public Affairs Committee Figure 1 shows the overall federal budget for 2017.

The clearest and deepest expression of our national priorities are the annual budgets voted by our Senators and Repre- sentatives. The budget process is generally much less well understood than the passing of legislation. No agency of the federal government communicates back to the citizenry how their income taxes are being spent. In the spring, when the budget allocations are being debated in the House and Sen- ate, news outlets rarely report the actual sums being debated for the various national programs such as housing, education, environmental protection, biomedical research, infrastructure investment, Pentagon budgets, or the costs of wars abroad. Of course, the Biophysical Society and our sister professional societies report the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Science Foundation (NSF) budgets, but we have not routinely reported on the other categories which represent 95% of the Congressional Discretionary Budget. The Public Affairs Committee has recommended that we begin to include this information in reports to our members. Before describing the congressional budget processes, it is important to distinguish between the annual overall Feder- al Budget – which includes mandatory spending and debt interest payments – and Discretionary spending – which Congress appropriates each year. In overall budget the ma- jority of spending goes to the major mandatory programs, most notably Social Security and Medicare that are trust funds. Citizens pay into them, in the expectation of receiving subsequent services. They are not paid by income taxes, and the funds cannot be used for other federal expenses, such as housing or biomedical research. Altering these trust funds requires explicit legislation and cannot be done through the annual budget appropriations process.

Figure legend: These charts were prepared by the Nation- al Priorities Project, part of the Institute for Policy Studies (Washington, DC). Most of the data is derived from federal budget data published by the White House Office of Manage- ment and Budget (OMB)(http:/www.whitehouse.gov/omb/). Additional input was from the Congressional Budget Office and occasionally other Government agencies. The categories group together the official Government categories or “func- tions” (which are numerical) according to common public useage, rather than strictly according to which Appropriations Committee approved them. Thus construction of Veteran’s Administration facilities are grouped with other VA budget items, even though they might be separated in the Budget Appropriation process. The budget category most relevant to the scientific communi- ty is the Congressional Discretionary Budget, which excludes the mandatory programs and debt payments but has all other expenditures under Congressional control. Annual appropri- ations bills are voted on each year by the House and Senate, with differences resolved through a joint conference. The ma- jority of these funds are derived from individual and corporate income taxes. The funding levels for example for NIH, NSF, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the National Seronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and other agencies are specified in these bills. The failure of Congress to pass all of its Fiscal Year 2019 appropriations bills, due to the standoff with President Trump over his request for Border Wall construction funds, led to the partial Government shutdown of the past months.

Work-Life Balance: It Can Be Done, You Can Have Fun (In Both Worlds) June 19, 2019, 2:00 PM Eastern Presented by Alaina G. Levine

Register Today at biophysics.org/webinars

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Public Affairs

The Congressional Budget Resolution is a critically important document as it sets the total level of discretionary funding for the next fiscal year. This is known as the 302(A) alloca- tion. This legislation is prepared by the Budget Committees of the House and of the Senate. For example, the division of the budget between military and civilian is essentially set in the budget resolution process. In fact, the budget resolutions even divides up the expected income among twelve Appropri- ations subcommittees. The final distribution of funds is set by the twelve Appropria- tions subcommittees. However, some key decisions have al- ready been made in allocating the funds available among the twelve committees in the prior Budget Resolution process. The final Appropriations bills are supposed to be complete by June 30th. If this process has not been completed by Oct 1, the end of the prior budget year, the Congress can pass a Continuing Resolution (CR) which continues the level of spending of the prior budget year. The government shutdown which was in place when this article was written, reflects the inability of the Congress and the President to agree even on a CR. Though not done in secret, the Authorization process essen- tially proceeds outside of public view. Thus at the point when the House Appropriations Committees on Labor, Health and Human Services and Education, is debating how much of the Labor and Health and Human Services $$ should go to NIH, a cap has already been set on overall Labor, Health and Human Services and Education funding by the Budget Resolution. That committee cannot take funds from the $717 billion appropriated by the Defense Appropriation Committee. Such a shift would have to won in the Authorization process. In the fall of 2018 the Labor and HHS Committee increased the NIH budget by $2 billion to $37 billion. The Biophysical Society participated in pressing for this and the outcome it was considered a victory for NIH advocates. However, this still leaves the overall NIH budget at ~3% of the overall federal budget. In the same Appropriation Bill the Defense Appropri- ations Committee was able to increase the various Pentagon accounts to $717 billion dollars, some 60% of the overall Congressional Discretionary Budget. Unfortunately, the NIH may face an even harder funding environment in Fiscal Years 2020 and 2021. In Fiscal Years 2018 and 2019, Congress was able to pass a budget deal that raised the non-defense discretionary spending caps imposed by the Budget Control Act of 2011. However, no deal has yet been reached to similarly raise these spending caps for Fiscal

Figure 2 shows the Congressional Discretionary Budget for 2017.

The Annual Budget Process Article 1 Section 7 of the U.S. Constitution gives to the House the power to raise revenue. Article 1, Section 9 requires that appropriations from the Treasury be explicitly decided by the Congress. Over the years various laws have been passed specifying the budget process in more detail. Currently the budget year, or fiscal year (FY), begins on October 1 and ends on Sept. 30th. The budget allocation process begins with the President introducing his budget proposals. However these proposals have no legal standing; they may influence the Congressional debate, or not. President Trumps first budget called for major cuts of 15% in NIH, NSF, Dept. of State and other civilian programs, with the intent of transferring those funds to the Pentagon budget. The majority party in the House and Senate then brings forth their budget proposals – known as a budget resolution – for consideration. According to the 1974 Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act the Congress needs to present a Concurrent Budget by April 15, for the President to sign (or veto). However, before this process can begin, the Congress must have authorizing legislation in place. Authorizing legis- lation confirms the existence and roles of the agencies of the government and sets out the general range of sums that can be allocated in the coming year. These bills often cover years at a time, and do not need to pass annually.

Continued on Next Page

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Public Affairs

years 2020 and 2021. Without raising the caps, the entire discretionary spending pie may be reduced by over $50 billion and many federal agencies would see significant cuts. Our Public Affairs Committee believes that we should be calling for a budget that actually responds to the national need. We believe this is not currently the case for the NIH budget. Consider the more than 5 million Americans suffering from debilitating Alzheimer’s disease. Their care costs some 20% of the Medicare and Medicaid budgets, over $250 billion dollar/year. Yet the overall NIH investment in searching for deeper understanding, better diagnosis, and better therapies, is of the order of $1 billion/year. This is clearly an inadequate national investment given the human suffering and social and economic costs of Alzheimer’s. What Controls the Overall Budget Allocation? The division of the budget follows the influence of major eco- nomic and social constituencies in US Society. Thus the Na- tional Association of Homebuilders presses for more housing spending; the Pharmaceutical Manufacturer’s Assn generally supports NIH budgets, but opposes increases in regulations and cost controls on medical care; The National Education Assn and American Federation of Teachers support increased spending on pre-K education and Title I education programs; the Defense Industry - the most powerful and best funded of all the lobbying groups - presses for increases in weapons purchases and maintenance; the American Legion and Veter- ans of Foreign Wars press for increases in the Veteran’s Ad- ministration budgets. Snapshots of these efforts comes from the publicly reported lobbying reports of the various groups. The Biophysical Society works together in coalitions with a number of biomedical research groups, professional medi- cal societies, and patient advocacy groups. Among the most important of these are the Ad Hoc Coalition for Medical Research, the Coalition for Health Funding, the Coalition for National Science Funding, and the Energy Sciences Coalition. In the coming months the Public Affairs Committee will report to you on our relations with other allied groups in more detail, and our plans to increase the scope and effectiveness of our basic and biomedical research advocacy efforts. In the meantime, we encourage you to work with our team to take advantage of our advocacy activities. Our team is ready to assist you in hosting your Member of Congress for a lab tour or arranging a meeting at their District office, developing an opinion piece on your science to share with a local newspaper, and we are bringing our work to you as we are piloting state and local advocacy activities in Maryland, Massachusetts, and Wisconsin this year. We will continue to provide Action Alerts

to you when there are pressing science funding issues coming up for debate in Congress. To get involved in BPS advocacy, please visit - https:/www.biophysics.org/Policy-Advocacy/ Take-Action or contact Sean at Swinkler@biophysics.org. Sources: Schick, Allen (1995) The Federal Budget: Politics, Policy, Process. Brookings Institution, Washington DC https:/appropriations.house.gov/about https:/www.hhs.gov/about/budget/fy2017/budget-in-brief/ nih/index.html https:/www.forbes.com/sites/brucejapsen/2018/03/20/alz- heimers-costs-reach-277-billion/.

Connect with BPS

Use Your Expertise to Make a Difference! Be an inspiration to your community and help change the lives of those interested in or studying science. The FaB Network is free and accessible by members and non- members, but only BPS members may add their names to FaB. The network is designed to provide the best match to users searching for a biophysicist for any of the afore- mentioned activities. To join FaB, login or create your myBPS account and get involved. Help build this new network by signing up today. For more information, visit biophysics.org/ get-involved.

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Career Development

The Future is Now Dear Molly Cule ,

tells your narrative. You need to communicate the impact of your work and the contributions it is making to your field and to science and/or medicine. Take advantage of your personal statement to explain in straightforward terms what you do, avoiding lingo and acronyms. You want to prepare a dossier that reflects your enthusiasm about your work and why you believe it is important and impactful. Have your colleagues read your dossier. Your senior col- leagues are excellent reviewers because they have gone through the process, and perhaps served on promotion and tenure committees. Colleagues outside of your field are also excellent reviewers because they can judge how well you communicate and explain your science to the non-cogno- scente. Don’t ignore your teaching. Work to improve it and foster interactions with students. Your abilities in the classroom and your teaching evaluations are important. If your depart- ment or school does not have a formal mechanism to obtain evaluations, make your own effort to have your students grade your teaching, including asking them for letters that you can include in your teaching portfolio. What happens outside of the classroom also counts. Keep track of student advising, thesis committees, research training, grand rounds, workshops, and teaching on all levels from undergraduate to faculty. Institutions expect their faculty to have reputations beyond their own ivy-covered walls. Everything you do outside of your institution contributes to developing your reputation. Get invited to serve on committees locally, regionally, and for national and international organizations such as the Biophys- ical Society. Review for journals, conference abstracts, and especially funding agencies. Your institution will be seeking evaluations of your work nationally and internationally and will request letters from “at-arm’s-length” scholars who may not know you. It behooves you to make yourself known to investigators in your field. Foster connections with potential referees by attending meetings and getting yourself invited for seminars and symposia talks. P&T reviews are prospective as much as retrospective, espe- cially for research positions. You should describe your plans for new projects, planned publications, and potential funding avenues. It is a good idea to keep a separate CV specifically for promo- tion and tenure. You can use it for your annual reviews and progress reports too. Make entries contemporaneously and keep it organized, neat and typo-free. Your CV represents you and a good one is worth the extra effort. Remember to tell your story! Molly

I just started my tenure-track faculty position. I have an empty lab and start- up money, but no grant. I don’t have to worry about assembling a promotion and tenure dossier for another five years but I know I should not ignore this task until the last minute. How should I prepare myself? — Junior Faculty

Dear Junior, Congratulations on landing your faculty position, but you are correct that you have to plan ahead to make sure that you qualify for tenure in six years. You may be thinking that “it’s a long way off. I have to get published and funded first.” While publishing papers and obtaining funding is a critical part of getting tenure, there are other aspects to gaining the approval of your institution. Although every school or college has their own criteria, review process, and timeline for promotion and tenure (P&T), there are many practices common to all aca- demic institutions. You should start the process when you sit down in your new office for the first time and to a certain degree even before you obtain your offer letter. Know the expectations and rules for P&T. This will help you to set your own goals. Criteria for tenure are often vague because they have to accommodate a wide range of faculty activities. Talk with your colleagues and especially your faculty mentor, chair, and the school officials in charge of faculty development about the expectations. You should have a strategy for developing your research program and obtaining external funding (these issues are discussed in other arti- cles and are not addressed here). In addition, it takes time to develop your teaching portfolio and a reputation in your field. Your P&T review will concentrate on what you have accom- plished since your faculty appointment. These important parts of your job cannot be done in a year and you don’t want to find out just before your dossier is due that you are missing critical achievements, information, or documentation. Many of us will base our promotion on independent research, but your institution probably recognizes team collaborative science as well. If your research is inherently collaborative, such as the statistician, it is still important to develop your distinct expertise and reputation as a major contributor to your specialty. You may always be the middle author and the co-investigator on grants, but you are still making critical con- tributions to the research. Your job is to create a dossier that

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Annual Meeting

Symposia & Workshops Meeting attendees had a variety of sessions to choose from beginning with 15 Saturday subgroup symposia, 23 Annual Meeting symposia, five workshops, and 64 platforms all highlighting the latest research topics and biophysical techniques.

BPS Annual Lecture Carol Robinson, from University of Oxford, delivered her presentation “From Peripheral Proteins to Membrane Motors – Mass Spectrometry Comes of Age” at the BPS Lecture on Monday, March 4. To view the BPS Lecture online, go to www.biophysics.org/video-library/2019-biophysical-society-lecture

Amazon Echo and Fitbit Raffle Winners

Brenda Kessenich, University of Washington

Pragyan Parimita Rath, Jawaharlal Nehru University

Career Programs Attendees had over 35 career education sessions for all career levels to choose from scheduled throughout the meeting. Additionally, there was opportunity for one-on-on resume critiquing and career counseling.

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Annual Meeting

Theory and Experiment to the Cell and Back

Approximately 600 posters, which spanned the interdisciplinary field of biophysics, were presented each afternoon in the exhibit hall. Another 500 oral platform presentations were selected from among submitted abstracts.

Poster Presentations

1 st Place Inside the Photosynthetic Bacteria Angela Barragan, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign

2 nd Place “The Scream” of the Heart Natalie Weber, Hannover Medical School

3 rd Place Dynamic Cellular Forces Myung Hyun Jo, Johns Hopkins University

Image Contest

Congratulations to the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners of the Biophysical Society Art of Science Image Contest. The Society received over 40 submissions and the 11 finalists were displayed at the Annual Meeting where attendees voted on their top three images. Prizes were sponsored by Chroma Technology. Visit the website for the description of the images, www.biophysics.org.

Exhibits

Attendees visited exhibitors and viewed product demonstrations, saw the latest lab equipment and scientific publications, and explored new technologies in the Exhibit Hall.

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2019 SRAA Poster CompetitionWinners

Cell Biophysics Sanjeev Sharma , National Centre for Biological Sciences, India Signalling Growth Through Lipid Kinases. Kiera Wilhelm , University of California, Berkeley A Membrane-Activated, Universal T-Cell Receptor Agonist. Cryo-EM Jonathan Herrmann , Stanford University Multi-Step 2D Protein Crystallization Via Structural Changes With- in an Ordered Lattice. Exocytosis & Endocytosis Joseph J. Thottacherry , National Centre for Biological Sciences, India Mechanochemical Feedback Control of Dynamin Independent Endocytosis Modulates Membrane Tension In Adherent Cells. Intrinsically Disordered Proteins Grace Usher , Pennsylvania State University Characteristics of the Binding Interaction Between Pdx1 and Spop. Kseniia Afitska , InstituteofOrganicChemistryandBiochemistry Structural Optimization of α -Synuclein Fibril Growth Inhibitors. Min Kyung Shinn , Washington University in St. Louis Binding Specificity Ofe. Coli Ssb C-Terminal Tails to Sips. Mechanobiology Chang Yoon Doh , Case Western Reserve University Medical School The Hcm-Causing Y235s Cmybpc Mutation Accelerates Contrac- tile Function by Altering C1 Domain Structure. Membrane Biophysics Erin Tyndall , Pennsylvania State University Protein-Lipid Interactions Regulate Atg3 Activity in Autophagy. Brooke Ahern , University of Kentucky Myocardial Rad Deletion Modulates L-Type Calcium Channel Current. Maiwase Tembo , University of Pittsburgh Pip2 Potentiates the Ca2+-Activated Cl- Channel Tmem16a In Xenopus Laevis Oocytes.

The 30 winners of the annual Student Research Achievement Awards were recognized at the 63rd Biophysical Society Annual Meeting Awards Ceremony on March 4, 2019. These students were selected by judges from the Society’s sub- groups for their outstanding presentations during the poster competition. One hundred forty-two students participated in the competition. The winners are: Bioenergetics Dvir Harris , Israel Institute of Technology Structural Rearrangements In The C-Terminal Domain Homolog of Orange Carotenoid Protein are Crucial For Carotenoid Transfer. Bioengineering Christopher McFaul , University of Toronto Understanding Cardiac Tube Formation In Developing Drosophila Embryos Using Light Sheet Microscopy and Cardiac Drug Screen- ing. Martin J. Iwanicki , University of Pennsylvania Engineering Novel Genetically Encoded Voltage Indicators Based on Intra-Protein Electron Transfer. Adeline Fanni , University of New Mexico Controlled Photosensitizing Activity Of Oligomeric P-Phenylene Ethynylenes on Amyloid- Β Fibrils. Biological Fluorescence Sneha Paul , University of Hyderabad Interactions Between a Bioflavonoid and G-Quadruplex DNA at Computational and Experimental Investigation of Cardiac Tropo- nin T R173q, R173w and Δ160e Mutation Specific Correlates To Disease. Mykola Dimura , Heinrich Heine University Automated and Optimally Fret-Assisted Structural Modeling. Biopolymers in Vivo Matthew D. Dalphin , University of Wisconsin-Madison The Earliest Stages of a Protein’s Life Influences Its Long-Term Solubility and Structural Accuracy. the Ensemble and Single-Molecule Level. Andrea E. Deranek , University of Arizona

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Membrane Structure and Function Chantelle Leveille , University of Washington The Role of Ergosterol in Phase Separation of Yeast Vacuole Membranes. Xinxin Woodward , Wayne State University Single-Lipid Sorting and Dynamics at Membrane Curvature Sites: The Effects of Fluorescence Labeling, Composition, Phase, and Temperature. Elmer A. Zapata-Mercado , Johns Hopkins University Mechanism of Epha2 Dimerization in Response to Monomeric Ligands. Membrane Transport Kehan Chen , Baylor College of Medicine Functional Characterizations of Purified Ctr Copper Transporter Proteins Reveal a Novel Mechanism of Ion Selectivity and Trans- port. Williams E. Miranda , University of Calgary Molecular Mechanisms of Filter-Level Gating and Loss of Selectivi- ty In Herg1 N629d Mutant From Microseconds MD Simulations. Molecular Biophysics Abigail D. Wilson , University of Oxford Impaired Ligand Regulation of Native Ryr2 Channels in the Catecholaminergic Polymorphic Ventricular Tachycardia Mutation, Ryr2-V2475f(+/-). Alexander J. Bryer , University of Delaware Gpu Accelerated Computation of Isotropic Chemical Shifts Offers New Dimension Of Structure Refinement in Largescale Molecular Dynamics Simulation. David Wahl , University of Southern Indiana Molecular Dynamics Investigation of the Physical Binding of the Nnk Diazonium Ion to Exon 5 of Tp53. Motility & Cytoskeleton Anjali Gupta , National University of Singapore Tuning of Membrane Sphingolipid Content Influences the Links of Outer-Leaflet Membrane Lipid Dynamics to Cholesterol and Cytoskeleton. Nanoscale Biophysics Riccardo Marongiu , Instituto Italiano di Tecnologica, Genova Label-Free Chromatin-DNA Imaging by Circular Polarized Light Scattering Scanning Microscopy.

Golam Mustafa , Kent State University Converting FRET Signal into Force Information Using Short Looped Dna as Force Transducer. 2019 Undergraduate Student Poster Award Winners Congratulations to the following students who won awards at the 2019 Annual Meeting for their poster presentations: Brian Soong , Johns Hopkins University Designing a Photo-switchable Helicase through Structure- Function Relationship. Claire Evensen , University of Wisconsin-Madison Characterizing Transient Intermediates in Productive RNAP Transcription Initiation. Joie Ling , Haverford College The Placement of Vibrational Probe Labeled Substrates to the Phosphopantetheine Arm of the E. coli acyl Carrier Protein for Site Specific Vibrational Spectroscopy. Nicolae Sapoval , University of Chicago A New Open Structure of the Insulin Degrading Enzyme Provides Insights into the Conformational Transition. These students were selected by judges based on the quality and scientific merit of their research, knowledge of the research problem, contribution to the project, and the overall presentation of their poster.

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