Attending the Biophysical Society Annual Meeting is the richest annual networking and professional development opportunity for researchers in the field of biophysics. The breadth of research represented by the nearly 6,000 attendees and to the personal interactions that take place are enhanced by the career, education, policy, and social programs scheduled throughout the Meeting.
Networking Event 
Professional Development
The six students with the best overall presentations will be awarded $100 and will be recognized during the 2022 Biophysical Society Lecture and Awards Ceremony. These students will be selected based on the quality and scientific merit of their research, knowledge of the research problem, contribution to the project, and overall presentation of the poster. Registration Deadline Has Passed.
Sunday, February 20, 11:30 AM–1:00 PM
Connect with other undergraduates at this “breakfast” for a valuable networking and social opportunity. You will also have a chance to meet and talk to Biophysical Society Committee members, and scientists at all career levels to discuss academic goals and questions and learn how to develop a career path in biophysics. Hear from invited speaker(s) who will share their stories and answer questions. Space for this session is limited to the first 100 attendees.
Education & Career Opportunities Fair
Sunday, February 20, 1:00 PM–3:00 PM
This fair will provide opportunities for candidates to meet with representatives from educational institutions as well as industry and government agencies. Students and postdoctoral candidates will be able to meet with representatives from colleges and universities with leading programs in biophysics. Attendees can connect with representatives from industry and agencies who will provide information about employment and funding opportunities at their institutions/companies.
Stop by the fair to learn about the variety of opportunities available and to talk one-on-one with representatives from participating organizations.
Representatives interested in reserving a table at this fair to display information about their institution/company’s biophysics-related opportunities must register online no later than January 18, 2022, and submit the registration fee in advance. All those attending the Annual Meeting are encouraged to attend. Please contact the Society with questions.
Teaching Science Like We Do Science
Sunday, February 20, 2:00 PM–4:00 PM
This interactive, hands-on workshop focuses on practice-applicable, easy-to-use strategies and tools that educators at any level of biophysical science education can use to assess what their students take away from their teaching, and where changes to their educational methods might be appropriate.
People or Projects? Approaches to Funding Research
Sunday, February 20, 2:30 PM–4:00 PM
Join PAC for a panel on the changing landscape of scientific research funding around the globe. As scientific research continues to grow and advance with new, groundbreaking techniques, tools and mechanisms, we are also seeing a new evolution in how this research is funded. For example, the United States, through its propsed creation of the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H), and the Burroughs Wellcome Fund, through the Leap initiative, are pushing toward high-risk, high-reward biomedical research. Through need and necessity, the United Kingdom must reinvest in itself to carve out funding for research. Over the past 15 years, France has moved to grant-based funding for scientific research. This session will explore how we, as scientists, navigate the line between funding people verses funding projects.
Moderator:
Emmanuel Marget, Public Affairs Committee, France
Speakers:
Theresa Good, National Science Foundation and Human Frontier Science Program Board of Trustees, USA
Dennis McKearin, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, USA
Tara Schwetz, National Institutes of Health, USA (Invited)
Kaigham “Ken” Gabriel, Wellcome Leap, UK (Invited)
PI to PI, A Wine & Cheese Mixer
Sunday, February 20, 4:00 PM–6:00 PM
You finally have a job working in biophysics, in industry or academia, with some funding and a lab, but you’ve realized that the career challenges continue. Come relax and network with your contemporaries and senior biophysicists over a beer or glass of wine. This event is a great chance to compare notes with colleagues and discuss one-on-one your unique solutions to issues that arise in the time between getting your job and getting your next promotion, including management of lab staff, getting your work published, and renewing your funding. Refreshments will be provided along with a cash bar.
Student Research Achievement Award (SRAA) Poster Competition
Sunday, February 20, 6:00 PM–9:00 PM
This session features students who are presenting posters at the Annual Meeting and have indicated at the time of abstract submission that they wish to participate in the competition. During the competition, students will give a five-to-seven minute oral presentation of their posters to one or more judges. Winners will be recognized on Monday evening prior to the Biophysical Society Lecture. For more information click here.
Graduate Student Breakfast
Support contributed by the Burroughs Wellcome Fund
Monday, February 21, 7:30 AM–8:30 AM
This breakfast presents an opportunity for graduate student Annual Meeting attendees to meet and discuss the issues they face in their current career stage. Limited to the first 100 attendees.
New Member Welcome Coffee
Monday, February 21, 10:15 AM–11:15 AM
All new Biophysical Society members are invited to participate in an informal gathering to meet members of the Society’s Council and Committees, find out about the Society’s activities, get acquainted with other new members, and enjoy refreshments. Current members are encouraged to come meet the new members.
Meet the Editors - The Biophysicist
Monday, February 21, 10:15 AM–11:00 AM
Take this opportunity to meet editors of The Biophysicist. Editors will be available to talk about the journals and answer questions about where you should submit your work, what will help to get your work published, and what you can expect when you submit. Editors will be present at the Biophysical Society booth.
Associate Editors Gundula Bosch and Patricia Soto will attend.
Annual Meeting of the Student Chapters
Monday, February 21, 11:00 AM–1:00 PM
Join BPS Student Chapters from all over the world for a poster session and workshop. Attendees will meet Student Chapter officers and representatives and learn about each chapter. The interactive workshop aims to establish chapter interactions, communications, and planning for future Student Chapter Annual Meeting sessions.
Moderators:
Seth Weinberg, Ohio State University, USA
Kambiz Hamadani, California State University San Marcos, USA
Beyond Coronavirus: Preparing for the Next Pandemic
Monday, February 21, 1:00 PM–2:30 PM
As scientists, we know that the question of whether there will be another pandemic is not an ‘if’ but a ‘when’ proposition. Preparing scientific research institutions for the next pandemic cannot be delayed, as the consequences of lab shutdowns and COVID-imposed research hiatuses have been unevenly felt among researchers and recovery is still ongoing. Luckily, many lessons regarding the management of the scientific research endeavor were learned by investigators, administrators, and institutions during the current pandemic. Join PAC for an in-depth panel discussion on how we as scientists can use the takeaways from the previous two years to prepare for the next pandemic. This panel will feature scientists and administrators in various stages of their careers, discussing how to assist labs in lessening the burden of shutdowns, from staffing to tenure to facilities to travel to lost research time. The outcome of this panel discussion will be an update to the Society's white paper on Pandemic Preparedness.
Moderator:
John Baenziger, BPS Ambassador, Canada
Speakers:
Michaela Jansen, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, USA
Marta Filizola, Mt. Sinai Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, USA
Samrat Mukhopadhyay, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Mohali, India
Jing Li, University of Mississippi, USA
Biophysics 101: Liquid-Liquid Phase Separation: Biophysical Fundamentals to Cellular Function
Monday, February 21, 1:30 PM–3:00 PM
Biophysics 101 is an opportunity to learn about hot topics in Biophysics from experts in the field! This session will provide an introduction to Liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS), a field that is enjoying an explosion of interest due to its ubiquitous nature. This widespread cellular mechanism leads to formation of membrane-less organelles such as the nucleolus, stress granules and P-bodies. These organelles are supramolecular assemblies containing RNA and/or proteins with intrinsically disordered regions. LLPS allows the cell to organize complex biochemical processes in space and plays crucial roles in regulating gene expression, the stress response and some signal transduction pathways. The program will feature three speakers who will cover key aspects of LLPS. The session will start with Rohit Pappu, Washington University, introducing the Biophysical Principles of Phase Separation. Next, Alexsandra Zidovska, New York University, will discuss Biophysical Studies of Phase Separation. Finally, Gary Karpen, University of California, Berkeley, will present Biological Examples of Phase Separation in Cells.
The World Outside the Lab
Monday, February 21, 1:30 PM–3:30 PM
Have you started thinking about the next career step? Are you wondering if you can apply your academic skills in the industry? Or what skills outside of academia you may bring to the lab? Join us to explore career options in consulting, industry and academia. Panelists with science backgrounds, now involved in a wide variety of careers, will share their personal experiences and answer questions from the audience.
The Future of Publishing and Why You Should Care
Monday, February 21, 2:15 PM–3:45 PM
Join a panel of engaging and knowledgeable members of the scientific publishing community for a discussion of how publishing is changing, what the responsibilities of publishers are to scientists, and how scientists can respond to the future of journals. The event is organized by the BPS Publications Committee and will include panelists from several journals, editors, and publishers. Topics for discussion include open access, data sharing, nonprofit and commercial publishing, and diversity and inclusion in review and editorial decisions.
Rebuilding Research-Group Momentum During the COVID-19 Era
Monday, February 21, 2:30 PM–4:00 PM
Campus closures, supply chain shortages, and decreased personal interactions have all impacted research productivity, personal motivation, and the joy of doing science. This workshop will explore how the pandemic adversely impacts individuals with different personal circumstances. We will also identify specific techniques to combat these challenges and restore the momentum needed to rebuild laboratory spirit and mental health within your research group.
JUST-B Poster Session
Monday, February 21, 3:00 PM–5:00 PM
The inaugural JUST-B (Justice for Underrepresented Scholars Training in Biophysics) Poster Session will celebrate the achievements of underrepresented and underserved students, postdocs, and early career researchers in the field of biophysics. The poster session will promote the endeavors of trainees, offer support through networking opportunities, and serve as a recruitment venue for those seeking to diversify their pool of future graduate students, postdocs, faculty, staff scientists, journal editors, or any other career within biophysics. The goal is to address and mitigate inequities in the biophysics community by providing a space for underrepresented trainees to share their scientific accomplishments and take steps toward advancing their careers.
For more information, click here. Registration deadline has passed.
Speed Networking
Monday, February 21, 4:30 PM–6:30 PM
Career development and networking is important in science, but can be a big time commitment. Here we offer refreshments and the chance to speed network, an exciting way to connect with a large number of biophysicists (including Biophysical Society committee members) in a short amount of time. Mid-career and more experienced scientists could learn how to get more involved in the Society or network for open positions in their labs. Early career scientists could discuss career goals and challenges, get advice on tenure or grant writing, or find out how to gain recognition for their work. Graduate students and postdocs could make contacts to find their next position.
After introductions, each person will have short 3 - 5 minute meetings with consecutive new contacts. During this time, you can exchange information and ask questions. When time is up, you select the next person to talk to. By the end of the event, each participant will have had meaningful interactions with over half a dozen colleagues and the opportunity to meet many more. It's that simple! Space is limited for this event and pre-registration is recommended to ensure a spot. Pre-registration deadline is January 7, 2022.
Meet the Editors - Biophysical Reports
Tuesday, February 22, 10:15 AM–11:00 AM
Take this opportunity to meet editors of the Society's newest journal, Biophysical Reports. Editors will be available to talk about the journal and answer questions about where you should submit your work, what will help to get your work published, and what you can expect when you submit. Editors will be present at the Biophysical Society booth.
Editor-in-Chief Jörg Enderlein and others will attend.
Founding, Establishing, and Maintaining a Research Laboratory at Primarily Undergraduate Institutions
Tuesday, February 22, 12:00 PM – 1:30 PM
Get guidance on founding, establishing, and maintaining a research laboratory at Primarily Undergraduate Institutions. Panelists are faculty members at PUI's who have been successful in their positions and will share their experiences and answer your questions.
Moderators:
Elizabeth Yate, United States Naval Academy, USA
Shelli Frey, Gettysburg College, USA
Speakers:
Ben Strottrup, Augsburg College, USA
Bob Rawle, Williams College, USA
Sajith Jayasinghe, California State University San Marcos, USA
Dinner Meet-ups
Sunday, February 20 - Tuesday, February 22, 6:00 PM
Local students will be waiting at the Society Booth to meet up with attendees who want to experience the local flavor of San Francisco.
One-on-One with a Mentor
The Membership Committee is pleased to launch a new program called One-on-One with a Mentor. This program aims to connect Early Career and Student members with mentors at the Annual Meeting. We hope this connection will be helpful to you during your time at the meeting. Each mentor will only be assigned one mentee, on a first-come, first-served basis.
BPS will try our best to match mentor-mentee pairs based on your answers to the questionnaire, your areas of research, Subgroup membership, etc.