Biophysical Society Bulletin | March 2018

Biophysicist in Profile

Officers President Angela Gronenborn President-Elect David Piston Past-President Lukas Tamm Secretary Frances Separovic Treasurer Kalina Hristova Council

group to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases at the National Institutes of Health, where she served as chief of the structural biology section. Gronenborn is currently the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center’s Rosalind Frank- lin Chair and Distinguished Professor in the Department of Structural Biology. Her research presently focuses on three main areas in biol- ogy: HIV pathogenesis, protein-carbohydrate recognition, and protein deposition diseases; she uses physico-chemical approaches in her work. Her group has developed new NMR methods for determining three-dimensional structures of biological macromolecules and applies these to challenging systems. Key contributions include the development of restrained molecu- lar dynamics and simulated annealing algo- rithms and multidimensional, heteronuclear spectroscopy, which allowed the extension of conventional NMR methods to higher molecu- lar weight systems. The Gronenborn group has solved solution structures of a large number of medically and biologically important proteins, including cytokines and chemokines, transcrip- tion factors and their complexes, and various HIV- and AIDS-related proteins. Her biggest challenge at this career stage is staying on top of developments in the field. “Right now, [the challenge] is to keep abreast of all the new discoveries and cutting-edge methods in science,” she shares. “I don’t want to just continue with my well-established approaches.” “ I get paid for doingmy hobby, so there is not much time for other pastimes. ” Gronenborn finds great fulfillment in her research, viewing it not only as her career but also her primary leisure pursuit. “I get paid for doing my hobby, so there is not much time for other pastimes,” she says. “I love the arts, however, and visit museums, concerts, and plays. Having a few spare hours in any city in the world, I’d find a museum and go to a mod- ern art exhibit.”

The most rewarding aspect of her work comes from discovery, whether hers personally or that of her trainees: “When for the first time one sees a new structure, or finds an expla- nation for a puzzling observation,” she shares. “Equally, when I see how a spark ignites in a student and she or he experiences the thrill of science.” “ You need to be passionate about what you do; if you are passionate, you will be good at it, because this will be your constant companion. ” Perhaps because of this thrill of discovery, she says that she would love to revisit an earlier period of her career. “My dream for my ca- reer-end is to work another time as a postdoc,” she says, and “have all the fun again that made this period of my career the most enjoyable.” At the 62 nd Biophysical Society Annual Meet- ing in San Francisco, California, this February, Gronenborn assumed the position of Society President. In this position, she hopes to em- phasize scientific excellence and promote the importance of basic research at the interface of physics, chemistry, and biology. Like many members, she values the Society for the opportunities made available to students and biophysicists early in their careers. “The Bio- physical Society — and its Annual Meeting — allow students and postdocs to present their work in a very large setting,” she says. “Several of my graduate students gave their first talks at the Biophysical Society Annual Meeting. This is a terrific opportunity for young people.” For young scientists, whether in biophysics or another discipline, Gronenborn has one important piece of advice: “You need to be pas- sionate about what you do; if you are passion- ate, you will be good at it, because this will be your constant companion.”

Zev Bryant Jane Clarke Linda Columbus Bertrand Garcia-Moreno Teresa Giraldez Ruben Gonzalez, Jr. Arthur Palmer Marina Ramirez-Alvarado Jennifer Ross David Stokes Joanna Swain Pernilla Wittung-Stafeshede Biophysical Journal Jane Dyson Editor-in-Chief Society Office Ro Kampman Executive Officer Newsletter Executive Editor Rosalba Kampman Managing Editor Beth Staehle Contributing Writers and Proofreaders Dorothy Chaconas Laura Phelan

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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 © 2018 by the Biophysical Society. Printed in the United States of America. All rights reserved.

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