Biophysical Society Newsletter - February 2016

12

BIOPHYSICAL SOCIETY NEWSLETTER

2016

FEBRUARY

In the News Rakesh K. Jain , Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital, Society member since 1999, received the National Medal of Sci- ence awarded by the White House. Joseph DeSimone , University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Society member since 2000, received the National Medal of Technology and Innova- tion awarded by the White House. Seven Society members have been elected to be- come Fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS): Shu Chien , University of California, San Diego, Society member since 1980 Member's Corner Dennis Discher , University of Pennsylvania, Society member since 1995 David Piston , Washington University in St. Louis, Society member since 1985 Edward Stuenkel , University of Michigan, Society member since 1993 Ilya Vakser , University of Kansas, Society member since 2014 Mark Yeager , University of Virginia, Society member since 1991 On the Move Logan S. Ahlstrom moved from the Department of Chemistry at the University of Michigan where he was an NRSA Postdoctoral Fellow, to become a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Research Associate in James Bardwell’s Laboratory, Depart- ment of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan. Philip Yeagle , University of Connecticut, Society member since 1979

Suzanne Scarlata moved from the Department of Physiology and Biophysics at Stony Brook University, New York, to Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, Massachusetts, where she is the Whitcomb Chair and a professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. Have you changed positions recently? Moved to a new lab? Starting a postdoc? On the Move is a new feature about the comings and goings of BPS members. Send news of your move to CCurry@ biophysics.org. Not moving yourself but know of a BPS member who is? Please send an email and Society staff will follow-up. Student Center Anastasiia Stratiievska I have wanted to be a scientist since as long as I can remember. The question “how does pain work?” is what got me into biophysics. I am studying the TRPV1 ion channel – a key receptor in sensory transduction. Ironically, I’m extremely sensitive to pepper, a pungent compound of which is a TRPV1 agonist, capsaicin. My friends joke that my research is only about how to cure my sensitivity. I have just recently transferred to the PhD pro- gram at the Department of Physiology and Bio- physics, University of Washington, Seattle, from the PhD program at the Bogomoletz Institute of Physiology, International Center for Molecular Physiology, Kyiv, Ukraine. Student Center is a new feature in the Newsletter, where student members can share their experi- ences on how they decided to enter the field of biophysics. Send a photo and your answer to CCurry@biophysics.org. Anastasiia Stratiievska Physiology and Biophysics University of Washington Q: How did you get interested in pursuing biophysics?

Rakesh K. Jain

Joseph Desimone