Biophysical Society Bulletin | February 2021

Biophysicist in Profile

equipment grant, Dynamic Nuclear Polarisation System for Molecular Structure Determination, and are studying antimi- crobial peptides in live bacteria instead of model membranes. Since the structure of these peptides depend on their en- vironment, to understand how they work it is important to study them in live cells.” Going forward, she plans to continue collaborating with bio- physicists around the world, and give back to the Biophysical Society, “which because of its blend of disciplines and cultures always made me feel at home,” she shares. “The Society can help make a difference worldwide so that policy makers un- derstand the importance of scientific research and in turn use science to inform policy.” “The Society has given me an international network which has helped me directly and indirectly. Not only does this lead to research collaboration but also to support when apply- ing for jobs and promotion as well as awards and prizes,” Separovic says. “The Society is constantly evolving and trying to respond to the needs of its members. When I first went to the Annual Meeting, I found a home in one of the Subgroups, which helped nurture my career and from there I found out more about the committees and the increasing commitment of the Society to embrace diversity in many forms.” Kalina Hristova , professor of materials science and engineering at Johns Hopkins University does not collaborate directly with Separovic, but the two share a passion for biophysics and the same interest in the structure and function of membrane active peptides. They first met when presenting posters at a Biophysical Society Annual Meeting in the late 1990s. “To this day, one of the highlights of the Annual Meeting is catching up with Frances and exchanging new ideas about scientific re- search and science policies. Her optimism, her dedication, and her forward-looking nature are inspiring, and make her the perfect companion for a cup of coffee — or a glass of wine.”

Separovic on the day she was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia

shortly after she had taken up her academic position at the University of Melbourne. “We were both attending a biomolecular interactions symposium at the University of Melbourne, and she asked me a very relevant and insightful question. We were in the early days of developing our membrane biosensor techniques, and Frances really opened up the world of biomembrane structure to me and helped me gain confidence in the significance of our work,” she shares. Since then, they have collaborated frequently, and are currently working on elucidating the role of the bacterial membrane in bacterial resistance. Aguilar admires her dedication both to the work and her community, saying “Frances combines her passion for science with a commitment to people — she reads voraciously and continually seeks opportunities to promote colleagues — and of course is unrelenting in her voice for women in science. She is truly a global citizen for science.”

Profiles in Biophysics No two biophysicists have the same story. Read about the many paths that led each of them to become a biophysicist. www.biophysics.org/profiles-in-biophysics

Separovic in Antarctica

Collaborator Mibel Aguilar , professor of biochemistry and molecular biology at Monash University, first met Separovic

February 2021

5

T H E N E W S L E T T E R O F T H E B I O P H Y S I C A L S O C I E T Y