Biophysical Society Bulletin | October 2019

Biophysicist in Profile

expanded to Hepatitis B/C/D viruses as well,” he explains. “Infection with pathogenic viruses dates back centuries and has increased significantly. Viruses are unique in that they can rapidly develop mechanisms to overcome the host defense mechanisms. We lack effective treatment options for many viral infections, due to our lack of understating about how vi- ral components recruit host machinery. Therefore, our labora- tory mainly focuses on deciphering the communication events between human proteins and viral nucleic acids. We apply a variety of biophysical and cell biology tools to gain detailed in- sights into the molecular mechanisms by which viruses hijack host components and use them for their benefit.”

Patel wtih his sons.

gardening—weather permitting! I also enjoy watching movies and getting together with friends and colleagues.” As he moves forward in his career, Patel hopes to successfully apply biophysical and other tools to study host-viral com- munication events, and eventually to other health-related research areas. “In terms of career, I have a long way to go, as I only started my current job a few years ago,” he says. “However, I cannot rule out the possibility of holding a senior research chair such as the Tier I Canada Research Chair and/ or an administrative position in higher education academic institutions.” To biophysicists just starting out in their careers, Patel advis- es: “Be nice to others and treat them the way you want to be treated. Always be keen to learn new tools and apply them to interesting problems. Be productive and use every opportu- nity to network. Be proactive and begin with the end in mind. Develop time and project management skills and prioritize tasks. Remember that we always encounter challenges and we must keep trying to realize our goals.” Renew Your BPS Dues Online You can now renewBPSmembership for 2020. Don’t wait, renew today to keep your member benefits. biophysics.org/ RENEW

Patel and his lab in April 2019.

As leader of a relatively new group, Patel’s biggest challeng- es are securing research funding and trainees. To overcome these obstacles, he seeks out collaborations with researchers across Canada and in the United Kingdom. He also knows the importance of visibility in establishing a new lab, so his group often applies for collaborative grant projects, reaches out to other groups for help, attends conferences to give presenta- tions, and organizes conferences. “Being a Biophysical Society member and attending Annual Meetings has always been very useful in terms of learning new tools, networking, estab- lishing collaborations, etc.,” he says. “I was delighted to be a part of the Early Careers Committee of the Biophysical Society and co-organize a panel discussion for early career research- ers during the 2019 Annual Meeting. Our team (including Borries Demeler ) has also established the first-ever Biophys- ical Society Student Chapter in Western Canada, with strong ties to the University of Montana, USA.” Getting involved in these activities has provided Patel and his trainees with further opportunities for networking and knowledge-transfer with scientists they might not encounter otherwise. Though he has been very busy, he is also working to achieve work-life balance. “Recently, I have started taking Sundays off,” he says. “I spend most of the time with my wife and two sons either playing games, watching singing shows, or

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