Biophysical Society Bulletin | November 2022

InMemoriam

Maurits de Planque Maurits de Planque was a founding member of the BPS Early Careers Committee, and we are grateful for his contributions and passion for supporting the next generation of biophysicists.

Maurits de Planque (1973–2022), Deputy Head of School (Educa tion) Electronics and Computer Science (ECS) at University of Southampton, United Kingdom spent his formative years in Rot terdam, Netherlands before com

were recognized when, in 2014, he was promoted to associate professor. Without doubt, Maurits cared deeply about students and volunteered for several roles within school/faculty manage ment and administration that were student centered. When it came to education matters, his dedication was selfless, giving his best and always considering the needs and demands of both staff and students. For several years he was an MSc program leader before stepping up to be the Director of MSc Programmes in 2016, while at the same time serving as a faculty representative on the university’s Academic Quality and Standards Committee. He spent considerable time devel oping the ECS suite of MSc programs, successfully delivering a significant reorganization that greatly improved student satisfaction but was also sustainable—allowing for managed growth of MSc student numbers within the school. For a year, Maurits also served as the school’s Deputy Head (Education) and oversaw the initial development of three new degree streams in biomedical engineering, artificial intelligence, and computer engineering, which over the next four to five years will allow for significant growth of the ECS undergraduate cohort, effectively doubling the size of the school. Maurits was a modest man who wore his intelligence lightly. In all things he was very well organized; he always consult ed and read widely, ensuring that he was fully prepared for anything that might predictably occur. He took this approach not just to his research but also his teaching and manage ment roles. He had a rare ability—rather than presenting strong counterarguments or being highly critical, he could ask a thought-provoking question that, when answered, was both informative and effective in ensuring a good decision was made. His diplomatic, friendly, and conscientious approach was greatly appreciated by all who worked with him, and he was a highly respected member of the school. His loss will be keenly felt by friends and colleagues across his institution and the biophysics community. — Paul Lewin

Maurits de Planque

pleting a master’s degree in chemistry and his doctorate in biophysics at Utrecht University, graduating in 2000. He then worked for seven years as a post-doctoral research fellow at the Universities of Melbourne, Utrecht, and Oxford. Maurits joined ECS in 2007 as a lecturer, soon after a devas tating fire that destroyed the clean rooms. Initially he was a joint appointment between the Nanoscale System Integration and the Science and Engineering of Natural Systems Research Groups, as his research interests were covered by both. By 2009, he was an active full member of the new Nano-elec tronics Research Group based in the rebuilt Mountbatten Building, and over the next three years he played a significant role in the commissioning and management of the South ampton Nanofabrication Cleanroom equipment, including the scanning electron microscope and atomic force microscope. The focus of Maurits’ research was in the application of nano/ micro-technology to biomembranes, in particular ion channel nanopores for drug screening and analyte sensing. He intro duced the method of microscale molecular biology and the field of nanotoxicology to ECS and built collaborations with colleagues in the Medicine and Biological Sciences Groups in the context of the Institute for Life Sciences, supported by University and Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council grants. As a lecturer, Maurits was actively engaged in ECS education; he was very popular with the students and, with colleagues, developed master of science (MSc) level modules, including one centered on microfabrication that 14 years later is a still a compulsory component of the MSc in Micro and Nanotech nology. His contributions in terms of research and education

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BPS has profiled 170 biophysicists from around the world, and their stories can be used as teaching and learning resources. Browse them at www.biophysics.org/profiles-in-biophysics.

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