WIC+ Travel Grant Summary – Mikaila Hoffman, Molecular Biophysics of Membranes Meeting

The WIC+ Professional Development Grant helped me attend the Molecular Biophysics of Membranes BPS Conference in Lake Tahoe, CA in June 2022. The conference exposed me to a wide range of biophysics research that was fascinating to explore. I was also able to present a poster on my published work exploring the ligand-induced conformational changes observed in bacterial chemoreceptors using single-molecule FRET. This was an excellent opportunity to share my research with the community and get feedback that will strengthen the project moving forward. I was awarded one of three Student Poster Awards sponsored by the Biophysical Journal, and the opportunity to advertise my work in this way was quite valuable. I was also able to network and form connections that will certainly serve my future career aspirations.

About

Women+ in Chemistry (WIC+) is a group that uses the lens of gender to guide its support of graduate students and postdoctoral scholars in the Department of Chemistry. Our mission is to foster a sense of community in the department, facilitate connections with the greater community, support the professional development of department members, and advocate for people of all genders and for gender diversity in the department and the entire chemistry community.

The language “Women+" indicates that WIC+ welcomes anyone who identifies with our mission, which may include cis and trans women, non-binary people, and others who are marginalized on the basis of gender. We welcome allies to join us in centering the voices of those whose gender identities are underrepresented in chemistry.