Biophysical Society Bulletin | January 2023

Public Affairs

Around theWorld: Meet the NewAmbassadors In 2019, the Council envisioned a new program within the Biophysical Society focused exclusively on our international members, the Ambassador Program. It was created to both enhance BPS content for the global biophysical community and to provide new pathways into biophysics in home coun tries. Beginning in 2020, a cohort of four BPS Ambassadors per year has been selected to represent biophysics in their country for a total of three cohorts and 12 Ambassadors. These Ambassadors, each representing a different country, work in conjunction with BPS committees and staff to offer increased content, programming, and voice to the interna tional biophysical community. In January of 2023, the next cohort of Ambassadors will begin their term, joining colleagues representing Australia, Argen tina, China, Kenya, Malaysia, the Netherlands, Norway, and Turkey. We look forward to working with this new cohort of Ambassadors and the range and breadth of experience and knowledge these individuals bring to BPS and biophysics. BPS would like to thank outgoing Ambassadors John Baenziger of Canada, Samrat Mukhopadhyay of India, Nuno C. Santos of Por tugal, and Olwyn Byron of the United Kingdom for their service as our inaugural cohort. Neelanjana Sengupta India What do you do professionally? I am an associate professor at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Kolkata. My interdisciplinary group combines statistical thermody namics and in silico approaches to explore, understand, and predict emergent biomolecular phenomena. Our problems are frequently inspired by phenomenology, and sometimes by intuition. We explore intersections of biomolecular organiza tion, interfacial complexity, enzymatic behavior, and extreme thermodynamic conditions. Our more recent forays involve data-driven algorithm design for efficient estimation of kinet ic barriers within protein systems. What led you to apply for the BPS Ambassador Program? I have been a member of the Biophysical Society since my days as a graduate student at the University of California, Irvine. As I see it, biophysics outcompetes many other subdis ciplines in its ability to accommodate creativity and innova tion. I felt that a BPS Ambassadorship would facilitate my outreach of this fascinating interdisciplinary domain. NeelanjanaSengupta

What are your Ambassador Program Goals? As an Ambassador from India, I hope to act as a bridge between international biophysics endeavors and the large reserves of untapped scientific talent in India. Tell us something fun about yourself? I frequently leave seminar audiences confused about the “department” that I belong to! Miguel Castanho Portugal What do you do professionally? Portugal. I am also the group leader of the Physical Biochemistry of Drugs and Targets lab of the Instituto de Medicina Molecular in Lisbon. What led you to apply for the BPS Ambassador Program? I joined BPS in 1992, 30 years ago. I started as a PhD student and attended the 1993 Annual Meeting in Washington, DC. That had a tremendous impact on my future career. I had the chance to interact with very interesting biophysicists, which became very important in my path. What are your Ambassador Program Goals? Scientific societies serve as catalysts in the lives of young researchers. As ambassador, I would like to contribute to this life-changing power of BPS. There is nothing more impactful to advance science than fueling the enthusiasm of young people. Through the ambassadors abroad, BPS can expand and reinforce its influence. Thirty years ago, young biophys icists around the globe had to go to the United States to experience the benefits of BPS; now it is BPS that meets the people through the Ambassadors. I want to be a part of this. Tell us something fun about yourself? Inspired by my PhD supervisor, Manuel Prieto , who was a member of BPS, and by my own experience at the BPS Annual Meetings, I co-founded with other enthusiastic biophysicists the Portuguese Biophysical Society. The kick-off congress of the society had Dave Jameson, a BPS member and legend in biological fluorescence, as plenary speaker. In a way, I have been a BPS Ambassador for decades, although my term is just now officially starting. Ana-Nicoleta Bondar Romania What do you do professionally? Miguel Castanho I am the head of the Biochem istry Department of the School of Medicine of the University of Lisbon, in

I am a full professor with the Faculty of Physics of the University of Bucharest and

Ana-Nicoleta Bondar

January 2023

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