June 1, 2011 Dear Biophysical Society Member: The 2011 ballot for ...

2011 Nominees for Council
Marcia Levitus
PhD
Assistant Professor,
Department of Chemistry and
Biochemistry and
Biodesign Institute
Arizona State University
Wolfgang A. Linke
PhD
Professor and Chair of
Physiology, Ruhr University
Bochum, Germany
Research Interests: Development and application of fluorescence techniques
to problems in biophysics, in particular conformational dynamics in nucleic
acids and proteins. Photophysical and photochemical properties of fluorescent
probes in biomolecular environments.
Education: BS, chemistry, University of Buenos Aires, Argentina, 1995;
PhD in physical chemistry, University of Buenos Aires, Argentina, 1998;
Postdoctoral fellow, University of California Los Angeles, 1998–2000;
Postdoctoral fellow, University of California Berkeley, 2000–2004.
Summary of Professional Experience: Assistant professor of chemistry and
biochemistry, Arizona State University, 2005-present; Assistant professor
of physics (affiliated), Arizona State University, 2006-present; Member of
the center for single molecule biophysics, Biodesign Institute, Arizona State
University, 2005–present.
Special Accomplishments: NSF CAREER Award, 2006; Inter-American
Photochemical Society Young Investigator Award, 2010.
Biophysical Society Activities: Society member since 2005; Member of the
Biological Fluorescence subgroup. My lab members and I are regular attendees
of the Annual Meeting.
Candidate’s Statement: The Biophysical Society Annual Meeting has been
an invaluable venue in my career to meet colleagues and discuss exciting
developments in the interface between physics and the biological sciences.
The size of the conference, however, has grown to the point that it is easy
to feel overwhelmed by so many options and parallel activities. I believe the
biophysics community would benefit from complementing the annual society
meetings with more focused thematic meetings, especially in the summer.
These smaller meetings would not only foster in-depth discussions in cutting
edge fields of biophysics, but also would provide new investigators with more
opportunities to interact with the leaders in these fields. Along the same lines,
increasing the number of subgroups and subgroup activities would promote
a more fluid interaction among members with a common interest. I also
believe that the Society should increase its efforts in disseminating material
to a broader audience through their website, and through webinars, webcasts
and podcasts. These materials can be invaluable educational tools for educators
looking for resources, or for new investigators in the field looking for an
introduction to a particular topic.
Research Interests: Muscle mechanics, ultrastructure, and mechanosignaling;
single-molecule experiments, atomic force microscopy, force spectroscopy;
cytoskeletal dynamics.
Education: Diploma, Biology, University of Halle-Wittenberg, Germany,
1988; PhD, Physiology, University of Halle-Wittenberg, 1991; Postdoctoral
Fellow, Dept. of Bioengineering, University of Washington, Seattle, 1991–
1994; Habilitation, Physiology, University of Heidelberg, Germany, 1998.
Summary of Professional Experience: Assistant Professor, Institute of
Physiology, University of Heidelberg, 1994–2003; Visiting Professor, Dept.
of Physiology and Biophysics, Mayo Clinic Rochester, 2001; Professor and
Head, Physiology and Biophysics Unit, University of Muenster, Germany,
2003–2009; Professor and Chair of Physiology, Ruhr University Bochum,
Germany, 2009–present.
Special Accomplishments: “Heisenberg” (career development) Award of
the German Research Foundation, 1999–2003; Elected Executive Board
Member, European Society for Muscle Research, 2009-present; Invited
Fellow, European Society of Cardiology, 2010; Editorial Board, Journal of
Muscle Research and Cell Motility, 2002–present; and Journal of Molecular
and Cellular Cardiology, 2008–present.
Biophysical Society Activities: Society member and active Annual
Meeting participant since 1992. Biophysical Society International Mentor,
2003–present.
Other Scientific Societies: European Society for Muscle Research, German
Physiological Society; German and European Societies of Cardiology,
American Heart Association.
Candidate’s Statement: I joined the Biophysical Society in 1992 as a young
postdoctoral fellow who had just arrived in the United States from former
Eastern Germany. Since then, the Society has been a scientific home for
me and the Annual Meeting always an intellectual and social highlight. As
a Council member, I will work to further promote the Meeting as a most
eminent venue for the exchange of ideas and methodology among scientists
of diverse background. There is no better time for biophysics than now, as the
challenges abound, e.g., in moving towards a more quantitative description of
complex biological systems after gathering knowledge on simpler paradigms. I
will continue my efforts in mentoring young scientists and ensuring diversity
in gender and other categories within institutions and the Biophysical Society.
I look forward to being more actively involved in the Society and Annual
Meeting planning.
Biophysical Society 2011 Ballot