Biophysics Week is the best time of year to connect with others and spread awareness about the vital role biophysics plays in shaping our world. That’s why each year the Biophysical Society hosts a live, one hour Ask Me Anything event with a prominent biophysicist, and this year we are proud to be joined by Special Guest Dr. Rajini Rao! This event will take place on the BPS X(Twitter) account on Tuesday, March 19, at 2:00 PM EST, where anyone is free to ask questions about everything related to biophysics and academia. This event is free and open to everyone, and you do not need to be a member of the Society to participate. Get to know this year’s guest by taking a look at the brief biography found below, and don’t miss your chance to participate next Tuesday on X(Twitter)!
Rajini Rao is professor of physiology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, Maryland. She received her Ph.D. in biochemistry (1988) at the University of Rochester, N.Y. and postdoctoral training in genetics at Yale University before being recruited to Johns Hopkins University as assistant professor in 1993. In 2004, Rao became the first woman professor in the 100+ year history of the physiology department. Rao’s laboratory investigates ion transporters, including secretory pathway Ca2+-ATPases and endosomal Na+/H+ exchangers, with a focus on their role in human disorders, ranging from cancer to neurodegeneration. Her molecules to medicine approach harnesses the range of available models: bacterial orthologs for structural insights, yeast for functional screening of human variants, 3D organoids and polarized cell lines for cell biological and transport studies, and mouse models and human databases for pathophysiological insights. Rao is an active educator and mentor, both outside and within Hopkins where she has been recognized with the professor’s award for preclinical teaching and teacher of the year award from the graduate student association. As director of the NIGMS-funded T32 Ph.D. training program in cellular & molecular medicine, she has developed curricular resources for teaching rigor and reproducibility, grant writing, and career training. Rao is an effective advocate for women in science and chaired the Committee on Professional Opportunities for Women (CPOW) at the Biophysical Society for nearly a decade. She is a frequent panelist and speaker on gender equity and mentoring at local and international STEM venues. Rao has held multiple elected leadership roles in the Biophysical Society, including service on the council and as chair of the nominating committee. She has chaired FASEB and Gordon conferences and served on numerous journal editorial boards and grant review panels at the NIH, DOD, and HHMI.
You can find Dr. Rao @madamscientist, and participate in the Ask Me Anything event on Tuesday, March 19, from 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM EST @BiophysicalSoc. We look forward to seeing you next week!