Biophysical Society Bulletin | April 2019

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

April 2019

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