The Biophysical Society’s 2019 Annual Meeting website is now open and accepting abstract submissions (see page 8). The symposia and workshops listed on the site again showcase the breadth and depth of research by biophysicists, both with respect to areas and techniques. This year we emphasize the complementarity of experimental and computational approaches and also pay attention to integrated methodologies. The meeting includes speakers from around the globe and, like every year, is a draw for researchers worldwide: they know that nowhere else can they listen first hand to the latest and most exciting developments in biophysical techniques and their applications. We all
attend this meeting to learn where our science is moving, what tools and methodologies are hot and upcoming, and who are the rising stars in our field.
To develop such a comprehensive program, one that includes the best research in each area and showcases the diversity of those who conduct the research, is a significant undertaking. It is in the hands of different Society members each year who are appointed to a program committee. It is thanks to their efforts that the Annual Meeting is a highlight in the world wide biophysics community and the major motivation for people to join the Biophysical Society and renew their membership. For this reason, the Society’s leadership wants to ensure that our meeting projects the best possible science and is welcoming and inclusive for all.
This past year, those of us on council and on committees took a fresh look at what we do, questioning and exploring whether we could do better and be more sensitive to the needs of our members and meeting attendees. While we always have prided ourselves on being inclusive and striving for diversity, we found, during this inward reflection, that we were—not surprisingly— wanting in a number of areas! We are working to address these areas, and you may see more changes down the road. We already implemented one change, a small one at first sight, but noteworthy in my view. It demonstrates that even seemingly minor things we do or don’t do can send a big message. While approximately 40% of attendees at the Annual Meeting come from outside the U.S. and we regularly elect non-US scientists to council, ever since the Society’s inception we had the “National Lecturer” award and presentation each year. How can we be an international, global organization and have a “national” lecturer? What nation does the person or award represent? What message does that title send to the biophysical community outside the US? And, most importantly, why hadn’t we realized this before!?
As an outward sign of realizing our myopic perspective we decided that the award’s name needed to be changed - it’s now called “The Biophysical Society Lecturer.” Yes, it looks like only a small change, but one that we hope conveys a bigger idea: Science is global and biophysics is no exception. Of course, there are compelling reasons why science has to be, among other things, international. It aims at deriving a universal and verifiable description of the world. It does not depend on the national, ethnic, or cultural background of individual scientists or consider any other subjective aspects. A scientist’s nationality moves to the back when s/he engages in scientific work—only the quality counts. Furthermore, the ever-increasing complexity and scope of projects demands collaborative approaches, which operate equally well in any part of the world. Scientific research today is characterized by openness and rapid communication of results. Populism and nationalism, though not explicitly antagonistic to science, stand in opposition to a free and open atmosphere, without borders where unrestricted exchange of ideas is
the norm. Populist nativism in Britain threatens to take a toll on British science through the consequences of the Brexit. In the US, rising anti-immigrant sentiments also pose a danger, because science in the US depends heavily on foreign talent. As an organization, the Biophysical Society needs to communicate the importance of immigration and internationalism for scientific research. That’s why small and subtle messages, like dropping the descriptor “National” from our most prestigious award can have significant impact.
We strive to continuously improve the Biophysical Society, and we welcome suggestions from members around the globe about changes that we can make, both big and small, that will help the Biophysical Society and its meetings to continue to be at the forefront of scientific advancement by ensuring that our society is a place where everyone feels welcome, respected, and appreciated — a place where researchers from everywhere can come together to discuss, collaborate, and grow the field of biophysics.
—Angela M. Gronenborn