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Subgroups

As the Biophysical Society continues to grow, the Society's Subgroups allow members to meet and interact within more focused areas in smaller groups. Subgroups hold scientific symposia and business meetings each year on the Saturday that starts the Annual Meeting. They also sponsor several awards, including the Student Research Achievement Awards (SRAA) Poster Competition. Membership to the Society's Subgroups is open to all members.

BPS Council is excited to launch a new Subgroup Incubator Program for those interested in establishing a recurring meeting for an underserved research topic area or demographic. The incubator program is envisioned as a mechanism to explore new topic areas and determine whether there are opportunities within an existing Subgroup to foster an ad hoc group or see whether a new Subgroup may emerge. Ad hoc groups may run incubator events for two years to demonstrate continued, sustained interest in the topic before pursuing Subgroup status. Details about the incubator program are currently in development. Contact [email protected] with questions.

Mechanobiology



Mechanobiology is an emerging area of biophysics that focuses on the role of mechanical cues that alter cellular responses and their transduction by cells. Topics ranging from rigidity sensing by stem cells to osmosensing in bacteria are all based upon mechanochemical processes. This new subgroup will call attention to how mechanical aspects of biological functions are critical for shaping organisms and influencing cellular processes at the molecular level. Cellular properties are not merely defined by their components, but how these components interact physically with one another and the cellular microenvironment over time.

Join the Mechanobiology Subgroup

 

In order to join the Mechanobiology Subgroup, you must be a member of the Society.

Amit Pathak, Chair (2024-2025)

Ovijit Chaudhuri, Chair-Elect (2024-2025)

Nils Gauthier, Secretary-Treasurer (2023-2025)

2023 Symposium

Saturday, February 18, 2023
San Diego, California

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2022 Symposium

Saturday, February 19, 2022
San Francisco, California

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2021 Symposium

Monday, February 22, 2021

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2020 Symposium

Saturday, February 15, 2020
San Diego, California

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2019 Symposium

Saturday, March 2, 2019
Baltimore, Maryland

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2018 Symposium

Saturday, February 17, 2018
San Francisco, California

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2017 Symposium

Saturday, February 11, 2017
New Orleans, Louisiana

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2016 Symposium

Saturday, February 27, 2016
Los Angeles, California

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2015 Symposium

Saturday, February 27, 2015
Baltimore, Maryland

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2014 Symposium

Saturday, February 15, 2014
San Francisco, California

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2013 Symposium

Saturday, February 2, 2013
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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Year Winner Institution  
2024 N/A    
2023 Alba Diz-Munoz European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Heidelberg  
2022  Medha Pathak  University of California, Irvine  
2021   N/A N/A  
2020 Yanlan Mao MRC University College London, UK  

The following word cloud is comprised of the speaker talk titles from our symposia.

 

Mechanobiology Subgroup Bylaws

Article 1 Purpose: The purpose of the Mechanobiology Subgroup shall be to advance and disseminate knowledge regarding the way mechanics shape molecular and cellular processes.

Article 2 Membership: Members of the Biophysical Society can join the Mechanobiology Subgroup; non- members of the Biophysical Society are welcome to attend Mechanobiology Subgroup symposia but are unable to join the subgroup, serve as Officers of the Subgroup, or vote.

Article 3 Dissolution: The Mechanobiology Subgroup must be in accordance with the Biophysical Society’s constitution and bylaws, mission, values, goals, and operational guidelines. If the subgroup is found in violation of their bylaws, the group will be placed on probation and may be dissolved at the discretion of the Council of the Biophysical Society.

Article 4 Meetings: Business meetings shall be held in connection with the annual scientific meeting of the Biophysical Society. Five percent of the members of the Mechanobiology Subgroup or 10 members, whichever is smaller, shall constitute a quorum. Scientific meetings shall be held in association with the annual Biophysical Society meetings, and must follow the guidelines established by the BPS Council.

Article 5 Officers: The officers of the group will be a group Chair, Chair-elect, and Secretary-Treasurer. The Chair-elect shall serve one year as such followed by one year as Chair. The Secretary- Treasurer shall be elected for a term of two years. The gender of Chair and Secretary-Treasurer shall alternate at every term.

Article 6 Executive Committee: The Executive Committee will be responsible for fulfilling the scientific and business obligations of the group. The Chair, Chair-Elect, One (or Two) Past-Chairs, and the Secretary-Treasurer shall constitute this Executive Committee. The Executive Committee shall have power to conduct other business by means of electronic vote. The affairs of the Mechanobiology Subgroup shall be handled by the Officers in accordance with the policies determined by the Executive Committee and Biophysical Society Council.

Article 7 Nominating Committee: The members of the Executive Committee shall constitute the nominating committee. The Nominating Committee is responsible for soliciting nominations from subgroup membership and for preparing the final slate of candidates. Nominations will be received electronically up to one month prior to the Subgroup’s business meeting. Nominees must accept their nomination prior to being placed on a ballot. All Nominees in a given slate of candidates shall have the same gender, alternating at every election. 

Article 8 Eligibility for Office: Only members of the Mechanobiology Subgroup may be candidates for officers. Members may not be elected to one office more than once every five years.

Article 9 Elections: Elections shall be held electronically up to two weeks prior to the Subgroup’s business meeting. The candidate for each office receiving the highest number of votes will be elected. Officers will take office at the end of the annual business meeting held in conjunction with the annual meeting of the Biophysical Society. Interim vacancies in officers or councilors will be filled in accordance with Bylaw Article VII of the Biophysical Society. 

Article 10 Amendments to the Bylaws: Amendments to the bylaws of the Mechanobiology must be approved by a two-thirds majority of the Subgroup’s Executive Committee, and ratified in an electronic ballot by a majority of the members of the group voting.