Biophysical Society Bulletin | November 2020

President’s Message

Promoting Science in the COVID-19 Pandemic “I don’t think the science knows, actually”…. Donald Trump, September 14, 2020.

Moreover, it is increasingly clear to me that the consequenc- es of climate change and global pandemics are inextricably linked to inequality and discrimination. Beyond what each of us can do individually to promote both science and inclusion in decision-making, scientific societies like the Biophysical Society also have a role to play. Systemic racism and discrimination have played a role in the disproportionate effects of current disasters on minority communities. We, in BPS, must recognize that this systemic racism is present in our Society, as it is in any organization. When I became BPS President last February, I noted that one of my priorities while in this position would be to increase efforts within the Society to attract and retain more un- der-represented members, particularly among students and early career members. The embarrassingly small proportion of minority members in BPS arises from multiple and com- plex origins, but we must commit to change. The Society’s Committee on Inclusion and Diversity (CID) has been working for some time already in this area, and I wanted to highlight these efforts while President and launch some new initiatives to further advance our goal of increasing the diversity of BPS membership. We begin this effort by listening to minority viewpoints in science. Accordingly, this year’s virtual Annual Meeting will feature a President’s Symposium on Diversity in Science. Like the Society lecture, this symposium will be open to anyone who wishes to attend. BPS is also setting up a task force on diversity, equity, and inclusion to address the larger picture as a complement to CID’s charge of organizing spe- cific activities designed to promote diversity. Finally, we are exploring funding mechanisms for fostering young minority biophysicists within our Society, providing support as they navigate their career paths. In terms of promoting science-based policy and science funding, the BPS Public Affairs Committee (PAC) has been very busy since the onset of the pandemic. Most recently, PAC helped facilitate BPS participation in the virtual Rally for Medical Research seeking to increase the overall investment in scientific research and the National Institutes of Health. PAC and others in the Society were influential in organizing a virtual symposium, “Biophysicists Address COVID-19 Chal- lenges” on October 29. PAC also worked to include BPS sig- natures on more than two dozen coalition letters with sister Societies so far this year. These letters advocated for COVID funding and reporting, supported the National AI Initiative and science funding in general, and opposed proposed changes in student visas. Indeed, the BPS participated in the Amicus brief against these changes in support of the global nature of

I am writing this BPS President’s column on September 20, to be published in the BPS Bulletin in early November. Perhaps more than

Catherine A. Royer

anything I have heard over the past few years, I found those words most ominous. Actually, I am convinced that scientists DO know, and that we need to reinforce this message around the world as clearly and forcefully as possible. Now more than ever, the urgency of science-based public policy and interna- tional agreements is clear. Today, in the United States we exceeded 200,000 deaths from COVID-19, the disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Corona virus cases are skyrocketing in Europe and elsewhere. The government of Israel — yesterday I believe — imposed a second lockdown. While many governments around the world are listening to scientists, a science-based approach to controlling the pandemic is far from being globally accepted, most notably in the United States. The global economy has been severely disrupted by the pandemic, with the effects felt even in regions that have managed to suppress spread of the virus. In the United States, minority communities have been hit exceptionally hard by both the pandemic and the ensuing economic catastrophe. Disenfranchised communities else- where in the world likewise suffer more heavily from the vi- rus. The strong and disproportionate susceptibility of minority communities in the United States arises in large part from entrenched systemic and structural inequalities grounded in discrimination based on race and ethnicity. In addition to a global pandemic, the planet is being ravaged by the impacts of climate change. Currently, much of the western United States, like Australia last year, is burning, with dozens of lives lost, countless homes and massive expans- es of woodland and the intrinsic biodiversity laid to waste. Indeed, the dismissive quote about science from the US Presi- dent noted above was in response to a question from Califor- nia State officials about climate change. In addition to fires, many parts of the country are experiencing massive storms and flooding. The recent derecho in Iowa destroyed hundreds of homes and businesses, and I have lost count of the disas- trous hurricanes in the Gulf of Mexico. Again, while all victims of these more and more frequent disasters need aid, given their fragile support networks, poor and minority communi- ties suffer disproportionately from the loss of property and income resulting from such events.

November 2020

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