Biophysical Society Bulletin | September 2025

Publications

Melanie Cocco To Lead Biophysical Reports Melanie Cocco of the University of California, Irvine has been appoint ed to be the second Editor-in-Chief of Biophysical Reports , BPS’s

high-impact research, foster scientific integrity, and highlight the diversity of approaches in advancing our understanding of biological systems.” She added, “As the newest journal of the Biophysical Society, Biophysical Reports plays a vital role in advancing and disseminating high-quality short reports and innovative research in biophysics. I am excited to work with the editorial team, authors, and reviewers to uphold its mission.” Reflecting on the journal’s rise and the transition to new lead ership, Enderlein shares, “As the journal’s first Editor-in-Chief, I was exceptionally fortunate to assemble a highly competent, engaged, and enthusiastic board of editors, without whom this entire endeavor would never have been successful. Now, five years later, I am proud to see a flourishing journal with excellent manuscripts and an Impact Factor of 2.7. I am very happy to hand the torch over to the next Editor-in-Chief, Melanie Cocco, who I am absolutely certain will lead the journal to new heights and successes. For me, organizing the first five years of this journal has been an extremely exciting and rewarding enterprise, and I am confident that Biophysi cal Reports is in the best possible hands with Melanie as my successor.” With Cocco’s long record of service to the Biophysical Society and commitment to mentoring the next generation of scien tists, she is poised to lead Biophysical Reports into an exciting new chapter. Her five-year term will begin on January 1, 2026. Era.” The week’s events will explore how AI could be used in a positive way to make peer review faster and more efficient, but also how it can be used carelessly or maliciously to create unreliable or misleading papers, figures, or reviews. They will address questions including what ethical guidelines should be in place with regard to AI in peer review, what training reviewers might need to use AI tools responsibly, and which elements of peer review must be carried out by humans with out AI? The scientific community should be thinking about the possibilities and pitfalls associated with this new technology, and this is an excellent chance to start those conversations. BPS understands the great contribution that peer reviewers make to the publication of cutting-edge research in our Soci ety’s journals, and we thank them! Peer review is one of the many ways that the biophysics community comes together to allow the Society to achieve its goal of sharing knowledge. For more information about the activities that are part of Peer Review Week, which are open to everyone, go to https:/peer reviewweek.net. You can share and follow on social media by using hashtags #PeerReviewWeek and #PRW2025.

high-quality, forward-looking gold open access journal that published its first articles in 2021. Cocco is one of the Associate Editors who has served on the editorial board since the journal was launched. The journal’s current and first Edi tor-in-Chief, Jörg Enderlein of Third Institute of Physics – Biophysics,

Melanie Cocco

Georg August University, led the journal through its first five years to establish it as a respected all-open access option for the Biophysical Society’s publications program. The journal publishes articles in all areas of biophysics, emphasizing rapid publication and making it easier for specialists and generalists to share new insights into experimental data or new technol ogies and methodologies. “I am deeply honored to be appointed Editor-in-Chief of Biophysical Reports at a time when the field of biophysics is evolving rapidly and intersects with many areas of science,” said Cocco. “I would like to recognize the hard work that the founding editor, Jörg Enderlein, invested in establishing this journal. My vision is to ensure that Biophysical Reports main tains this strong initiative to become a premier platform for Peer Review Week 2025 Addresses the Possible Effects of AI

The scholarly publishing commu nity takes an opportunity each September to acknowledge and celebrate the contribution that peer review makes to the scientif ic enterprise. Peer Review Week, which will take place September

15–19, will include events and activities organized around the world, including webinars, workshops, interactive sessions, podcasts, and blog posts, that will highlight the importance of the peer review process and those who make it work. In recognition of the rapid advancement of AI and its potential to have major effects on how science is reviewed and pub lished, this year’s theme is “Rethinking Peer Review in the AI

September 2025

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