Biophysical Society Bulletin | May 2020

President’s Message

Biophysics and the COVID-19 Pandemic As I write this contribution to the May BPS Bulletin , I am (like most of you) working from home, with no expectation that the situation will change for at least a month, maybe more. As I read about the projections of infections, hospitalizations, and deaths due to this virus, I am increas- ingly horrified. It seems unreal that such chaos could descend upon the

thing they can to help us get through this period and back on our feet once it is over. We must recognize that the situation is as difficult for them as it is for us. It is probably a good idea, once some semblance of normalcy returns, to contact your program directors to discuss how the pandemic and global shutdown affected the work in your group, and what steps can be taken to mitigate these effects. When we emerge on the other side of this crisis, and we will, it will be imperative for the scientific community to literal- ly bombard our fellow citizens and policy makers about the essential role of research (both fundamental and applied) in preventing future pandemics, as well as other looming global catastrophes, such as climate change. We need to convince them that decisions made at all levels of government must be based on facts and recommendations from experts. Knowl- edge is key to navigating the complex challenges of our global world. This pandemic has highlighted the shortsightedness, both long term and immediate, of governments around the world and the disastrous effects of the growing disregard for science in our societies. As scientists — biophysicists —we need to fight against ignorance and the glorification thereof. The Public Affairs Committee (PAC) of the BPS has long been actively involved in promoting the need for research to our policy makers. As regards the COVID-19 pandemic, to date (end of March), the PAC and BPS leadership have posted a special section on the BPS website https:/www.biophysics. org/education-careers/education-resources/covid-19-sci- ence-stories-and-resources with science articles, information about COVID-19, member stories, and educational resources including remote teaching tools. In the United States, PAC also coordinated an online letter writing campaign to urge Con- gress to pass the US$2 trillion emergency aid package, which eventually passed with bipartisan support. As we emerge from this crisis, I believe we must work much harder to convince our fellow citizens of the world of the impor- tance of research to their health and well-being. I believe it is incumbent on scientific societies like the BPS to wage an all-out assault on the anti-science rhetoric pervading our society. Per- haps this catastrophic pandemic will convince at least some who reject or disregard science that they do so at their own peril. BPS must join with other scientific societies in nationwide and global actions designed to enlighten and convince the citizenry and policy makers to take science and scientific research seriously. Send any ideas for action you may have to the Public Affairs Committee via the Society office (Society@biophysics.org) with the subject line Public Affairs - suggestions. I hope you are all well. I look forward to seeing you at the 2021 BPS Annual Meeting in Boston. Until then, chin up. We are all in this together. — Catherine A. Royer , President

Catherine A. Royer

entire world in such a short time. Amid this growing chaos, most of us biophysicists are comparatively lucky; we will not lose our jobs, we have plenty of papers to read and write, and group and collaborative meetings can be held virtually. We can, to some extent, continue to be productive. Of course, our lives have changed drastically, but compared to many, we are relatively fortunate during these extremely difficult times. Despite the relatively protected status of the research commu- nity, the pandemic and the necessary social distancing measures now in place around most of the world will have a profound im- pact on research productivity. Like many of you, my group mem- bers and I are trying to shift to writing and analysis, so that we can concentrate on the experimental side of our studies once we get back to work. Amidst the chaos and uncertainty, graduate students are worried about how all this will affect their doctoral timelines and future support, postdocs are worried about how this hiatus will impact their near term future job prospects, and PIs are worried about making progress towards the aims of their funded projects. How closing universities will affect their fiscal health is also of great concern to many. Many of us are grappling with how to teach courses online to undergraduate students who have been scattered across the country and the world. Un- der such circumstances, it can be tough to remain motivated. I hope that by the time you are reading this, we are all getting back to work, or that at least the prospects of doing so are looking good. In the interim, I hope that you all are keeping in touch with your research groups and your colleagues. Sharing interesting articles about your area of research or even links to the information about current pandemic with members of Subgroups or informal groups of BPS colleagues will strengthen our ties and our science in both the short and long term. You might think of organizing virtual happy hours with colleagues to discuss the latest findings or developments. Such virtual interac- tions help to keep us all motivated and positive about our work and the role of science in society. Many of us are worried about the impact the pandemic will have on funding for science. I have every confidence that the funders of our research, and the dedicated program directors and scien- tific review officers who oversee their programs, will do every-

May 2020

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