This Biophysics Week, we're highlighting some of the outstanding members of our Student Chapter program. Today, we'll hear from Gregory W. Kyro, a PhD Student at the Yale University Student Chapter of the Biophysical Society.

 

What inspired you to study biophysics? 
Physics is the most fundamental school of science. The most important applications for humanity (currently) are happening within biology. The nexus of the two is therefore worthy of pursuit. 

 

What do you think makes the study of biophysics unique? 
This question is philosophical. It is unique because it combines biology and physics. I don’t have an answer better than that which would be completely unique to biophysics. For instance, I could provide an answer along the lines of: biophysics is unique because it combines a field that is predicated on mathematical rigor with one focused largely on application, but this wouldn’t make it unique since there are other examples of subject areas that demonstrate this pattern. 

 

What skill have you learned in your studies that you find useful in other aspects of your life? 
Reasoning from first principles rather than via analogy. Learning how to deal with mental blockades. 

 

What is your dream career? 
My dream career is exactly what I’ll be doing post-PhD, which is joining Lila Sciences as a Machine Learning Scientist for biomolecule design. 

 

What accomplishment are you most proud of? 
I try to be a good person every day, although sometimes unsuccessfully. I’m not sure whether it is more accurate to classify this as an accomplishment or ethical requirement. I try not to be too proud of my own doings; I think this is the wrong conceptual framework with which to interpret one’s actions. 

 

What advice do you have for someone thinking about studying biophysics?
First, determine what you are passionate about and interested in. If biophysics aligns best with your passions and interests, then you should pursue it. There are also a lot of other interesting fields that are net positives for humanity. I decided to pursue biophysics because physics satisfies my mind and biology satisfies my heart.