ROCKVILLE, MD – The Biophysical Society is pleased to announce that Valeria Vásquez, PhD, Assistant Professor in the Department of Physiology at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center, will receive the 2020 Margaret Oakley Dayhoff Award. She will be honored at the Society’s 64th Annual Meeting at the San Diego Convention Center in California, February 15-19, 2020.

Vásquez is being recognized for her pioneering work toward understanding how the functions of sensory ion channels are modulated by bioactive lipids and natural toxins. The Dayhoff Award honors the memory of Margaret Dayhoff, former President of the Biophysical Society, and is given to a woman who holds very high promise or has achieved prominence while developing the early stages of a career in biophysical research within the purview and interest of the Biophysical Society.

“It takes a significant individual and researcher to be selected for an award honoring the achievements of a pioneering woman biophysicist such as Margaret Oakley Dayhoff,” said BPS President Dave Piston, Washington University in St. Louis. “Valeria is precisely such an individual. We are proud to recognize her exceptional research and mentorship, and to add her name to the list of celebrated women scientists.”

The Margaret Oakley Dayhoff Award is given to a woman who holds very high promise or has achieved prominence while developing the early stages of a career in biophysical research, within the purview and interest of the Biophysical Society. The award honors the memory of Dr. Margaret Dayhoff, former President of the Biophysical Society, Professor of Biophysics at Georgetown University, and Director of Research at the National Biomedical Research Foundation.