Biophysical Society Bulletin | February 2023

Communities

Nelli Mnatsakanyan Committee for Professional Opportunities for Women (CPOW)

Nelli Mnatsakanyan

Is this your first volunteer position for BPS? If not, what other positions have you held? I am currently a member of the Committee for Professional Opportunities for Women (CPOW), and in the past I held other volunteering positions at BPS: I served as the Executive Council member on the Bioenergetics, Mitochondria, and Metabolism BPS Subgroup, acting as the Subgroup program co-chair in 2017, and I am currently the co-chair-elect of the same Subgroup for the upcoming Annual Meeting in 2024. I also served as a Travel Award judge for BPS. Why do you volunteer? Although individualism and independence are important factors, so much more can be accomplished through team work within our scientific communities. BPS has created dif ferent platforms over the years to foster the development of professional communities and to promote the advancement of women and minorities in biophysics, and I am fortunate to have the opportunity to be part of it. Subgroups Biopolymers in Vivo We are looking forward to seeing you for a stimulating program at the 2023 Biopolymers in Vivo (BIV) Symposium, to be held on the first day of the 2023 Biophysical Society Annual Meeting, Saturday, February 18 from8:30 AM to 12:30 PM in San Diego. The Symposium is titled Combining experiments, simulation, and theory for studying biopolymers in vivo , and details about the talks and times can be found at https:/www.biophys ics.org/2023meeting/program/subgroup-saturday. Also, don’t forget to book your place for the 2023 Subgroup dinner, which will be held at the Garage Kitchen & Bar at 6:30 PMon Subgroup Saturday, February 18. It will be a mixer format with drinks and appetizers to promote multivalent interactions, with a cost of $30 for students and $60 for others. We encourage all BIVers to regis ter for the dinner by logging into the BPS website, clicking on the shopping cart at top right, and selecting “Subgroups and dinners” from the menu. We hope to see you in San Diego! — Robert Best , Chair-Elect

What has been a highlight from your volunteer experience? I especially enjoyed organizing the Subgroup symposia for the Annual Meeting. It was an exceptional opportunity to bring together stellar scientists in the field to foster collaborations, networking, and advancement in science. Do you have advice for others who might be thinking about volunteering? I encourage everyone to take advantage of volunteering op portunities. It allows one to acquire a new insider view of the Society, to network with other members, and to have one’s voice heard within the community in general. When not volunteering for BPS, what do you work on? I am a biophysicist studying the molecular mechanisms of neurodegeneration, and the main goal of my laboratory is to investigate the structure, function, and regulation of mito chondrial ion channels with a focus on ATP synthase. I enjoy training the younger generation of scientists and hope to inspire them to join and stay in this fascinating field of bio physics. Mechanobiology The Mechanobiology Subgroup is pleased to announce that Alba Diz-Munoz , research group leader at EMBL’s Cell Biology and Bio physics Unit in Heidelberg, Germany, has been selected to receive the 2022 Early Career Award inMechanobiology. This award is offered each year by the Mechanobiology Subgroup and recogniz es an early career individual who has made significant advances inmechanobiology. Diz-Munoz will present her research at the 2023 Biophysical Society Annual Meeting in San Diego. Please joinme in congratulating her on this honor. — Deborah Leckband , Past Chair Membrane Structure and Function The Membrane Structure and Function (MSAF) Subgroup is pleased to announce Rumiana Dimova as the winner of the 2023 Thomas E. Thompson Award. Dimova receives the award for her excellent and extensive work onmembrane rigidity and tension, membrane curvature, andmembranes in electric fields. We wel come you to the award lecture at 4:45 PMon Saturday, February 18, during the MSAF Subgroup symposium at the Biophysical Society Annual Meeting in San Diego. — Ingela Parmryd , Chair

February 2023

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