Attending the Biophysical Society Annual Meeting is the richest annual networking and professional development opportunity for researchers in the field of biophysics. The breadth of research represented by the nearly 6,000 attendees and to the personal interactions that take place are enhanced by the career, education, policy, and social programs scheduled throughout the Meeting.
Networking Event 
Professional Development
The six students with the best overall presentations will be awarded $100 and will be recognized during the 2024 Biophysical Society Lecture and Awards Ceremony. These students will be selected based on the quality and scientific merit of their research, knowledge of the research problem, contribution to the project, and overall presentation of the poster.
Sunday, February 11, 11:30 AM–1:00 PM
Connect with other undergraduates at this “breakfast” for a valuable networking and social opportunity. You will also have a chance to meet and talk to Biophysical Society Committee members, and scientists at all career levels to discuss academic goals and questions and learn how to develop a career path in biophysics. Hear from invited speaker(s) who will share their stories and answer questions. Space for this session is limited to the first 100 attendees.
Education & Career Opportunities Fair
Sunday, February 11, 1:00 PM–3:00 PM
This fair will provide opportunities for candidates to meet with representatives from educational institutions as well as industry and government agencies. Students and postdoctoral candidates will be able to meet with representatives from colleges and universities with leading programs in biophysics. Attendees can connect with representatives from industry and agencies who will provide information about employment and funding opportunities at their institutions/companies.
Stop by the fair to learn about the variety of opportunities available and to talk one-on-one with representatives from participating organizations.
Representatives interested in reserving a table at this fair to display information about their institution/company’s biophysics-related opportunities must register online no later than January 12, 2024, and submit the registration fee in advance. All those attending the Annual Meeting are encouraged to attend. Please contact the Society at [email protected] with questions. Register here.
Teaching Science Like We Do Science
Sunday, February 11, 2:00 PM–4:00 PM
This interactive, hands-on workshop focuses on practice-applicable, easy-to-use strategies and tools that educators at any level of biophysical science education can use to assess what their students take away from their teaching, and where changes to their educational methods might be appropriate.
International Policy Session
Sunday, February 11, 2:30 PM–4:00 PM
Join the Public Affairs Committee (PAC) for an international policy session impacting biophysicists around the globe and hear from colleagues around the world on various approaches being taken.
In order to keep the focus of this session on the most topical issues being discussed in global biophysics policy more details will be provided as we approach the Annual Meeting. Stay tuned to learn more about the session and learn how you can lend your voice to the Biophysical Society's advocacy for scientific research.
PI to PI Mixer
Sunday, February 11, 4:00 PM–6:00 PM
You finally have a job working in biophysics, in industry or academia, with some funding and a lab, but you’ve realized that the career challenges continue. Come relax and network with your contemporaries and senior biophysicists over a beer or glass of wine. This event is a great chance to compare notes with colleagues and discuss one-on-one your unique solutions to issues that arise in the time between getting your job and getting your next promotion, including management of lab staff, getting your work published, and renewing your funding. Refreshments will be provided along with a cash bar.
Student Research Achievement Award (SRAA) Poster Competition
Sunday, February 11, 6:00 PM–9:00 PM
This session features graduate, masters and PhD students who are presenting posters at the Annual Meeting and have indicated at the time of abstract submission that they wish to participate in the competition. During the competition, students will give a five-minute oral presentation of their posters to one or more judges. Winners will be recognized on Monday evening prior to the Biophysical Society Lecture. For more information click here.
Graduate Student Breakfast
Monday, February 12, 7:30 AM–8:30 AM
This breakfast presents an opportunity for graduate student Annual Meeting attendees to meet and discuss the issues they face in their current career stage. Limited to the first 100 attendees.
Meet the Editors - Biophysical Journal, Biophysical Reports, andThe Biophysicist
Monday, February 12, 10:00 AM–11:15 AM
Take this opportunity to meet editors of all three of the Society's prestigious journals! The Editors-in Chief, members of the Editorial Boards, and BPS staff will be available to answer your questions about what areas of researech the journals cover, how to give your paper the best chance of being accepted, the submission process, special issues, and anything else related to BPS journals.
New Member Welcome Coffee
Monday, February 12, 10:15 AM–11:15 AM
All new Biophysical Society members are invited to participate in an informal gathering to meet members of the Society’s Council and Committees, find out about the Society’s activities, get acquainted with other new members, and enjoy refreshments. Current members are encouraged to come meet the new members.
Annual Meeting of the Student Chapters
Monday, February 12, 11:00 AM–12:30 PM
Join BPS Student Chapters from all over the world for an interactive workshop. Attendees will meet Student Chapter officers and representatives and learn about each chapter. This session aims to establish chapter interactions, communications, and planning for future Student Chapter Annual Meeting sessions.
US Policy Session
Monday, February , 12 1:00 PM–2:30 PM
Join the Public Affairs Committee (PAC) for a session exploring the most pertinent legislation and regulations impacting basic and biomedical research. Get an in-depth view of the policies in play and the impact they will have on federally funded research in 2024.
In order to keep the focus of this session on the most topical issues being discussed in Washington, DC more details will be provided as we approach the Annual Meeting. Stay tuned to learn more about the session and learn how you can lend your voice to the Biophysical Society's advoacy for scientific research.
Biophysics 101
Monday, February 12, 1:30 PM–3:00 PM
Biophysics 101 is an opportunity to learn about hot topics in Biophysics from experts in the field!
More details to come.
AI and Its Implications for Scholarly Publishing
Monday, February 12, 2:15 PM–3:45 PM
ChatGPT wrote this summary: "AI is expected to have a significant impact on scholarly pubishing. It will enhance the speed and accuracy of research processes, automate certain tasks like data analysis and manuscript editing, and enable the discovery of novel patterns and insights in large datasets. However, it may also raise concerns about issues such as bias, data privacy, and the role of human judgment in the peer-review process. Overall, AI holds the potential to revolutionize scholarly publishing by accelerating scientific progress and transforming traditional publishing models." This panel, organized by the BPS Publications Committee, will discuss these issues and more, including the potential for the misuse of AI in writing papers and creating figures. (ChatGPT summary was in response to the prompt: "Predict AI's effect on scholarly publishing in a few sentences.")
JUST-B Poster Session
Monday, February 12, 3:00 PM–5:00 PM
The JUST-B (Justice for Underrepresented Scholars Training in Biophysics) Poster Session will celebrate the achievements of underrepresented and underserved students, postdocs, and early career researchers in the field of biophysics. The poster session will promote the endeavors of trainees, offer support through networking opportunities, and serve as a recruitment venue for those seeking to diversify their pool of future graduate students, postdocs, faculty, staff scientists, journal editors, or any other career within biophysics. The goal is to address and mitigate inequities in the biophysics community by providing a space for underrepresented trainees to share their scientific accomplishments and take steps toward advancing their careers.
For more information, click here.
Speed Networking
Monday, February 12, 4:30 PM–6:00 PM
Career development and networking is important in science but can be a big time commitment. Here we offer refreshments and the chance to speed network, an exciting way to connect with a large number of biophysicists (including Biophysical Society committee members) in a short amount of time. Mid-career and more experienced scientists could learn how to get more involved in the Society or network for open positions in their labs. Early career scientists could discuss career goals and challenges, get advice on tenure or grant writing, or find out how to gain recognition for their work. Graduate students and postdocs could make contacts to find their next position.
After introductions, each person will have short 3 - 5 minute meetings with consecutive new contacts. During this time, you can exchange information and ask questions. When time is up, you select the next person to talk to. By the end of the event, each participant will have had meaningful interactions with over half a dozen colleagues and the opportunity to meet many more. It's that simple! Space is limited for this event and pre-registration is recommended to ensure a spot. Click here to register.
Founding, Establishing, and Maintaining a Research Laboratory at Primarily Undergraduate Institutions
Tuesday, February 13, 12:00 PM – 1:30 PM
Get guidance on founding, establishing, and maintaining a research laboratory at Primarily Undergraduate Institutions. Panelists are faculty members at PUI's who have been successful in their positions and will share their experiences and answer your questions.
Careers Beyond the Bench: Moving to a World Outside the Lab
Tuesday, February 13, 1:00 PM–2:30 PM
Have you started thinking about your next career step? Are you wondering if you can apply your academic skills in industry? Or what skills outside of academia you may bring to the lab? Join us to explore career options in consulting, industry, and academia. Panelists with science backgrounds, now involved in a wide variety of carteers, will share their personal experiences and answer questions from the audience.
Panelists to be announced.
Dinner Meet-ups
Sunday, February 11 - Tuesday, February 14, 6:00 PM
Local students will be waiting at the Society Booth to meet up with attendees who want to experience the local flavor of Philadelphia.
One-on-One with a Mentor
The One-on-One with a Mentor program aims to connect Early Career and Student members with mentors at the Annual Meeting. We hope this connection will be helpful to you during your time at the meeting. Each mentor will only be assigned one mentee, on a first-come, first-served basis.
We will try our best to match mentor-mentee pairs based on your answers to the questionnaire, your areas of research, Subgroup membership, etc