News New Honorary Member A leading biophysicist has been made the latest Biochemical Society Honorary Member. Professor Dame Julia Goodfellow, DBE, CBE, was made an Honorary Member at last December’s Annual General Meeting, joining 26 other distinguished scientists currently on the list. Dame Julia’s career began with an undergraduate degree in physics at the University of Bristol, followed by a PhD in biophysics at the Open University Research Unit in Oxford. After postdoctoral studies at Stanford University in California, she moved to the Department of Crystallography at Birkbeck, University of London. She became Professor of Biomolecular Sciences in 1995 and Head of the Department of Crystallography in 1996 at Birkbeck, University of London. She was appointed Vice-Master in 1998. Her scientific studies pioneered the use of computational methods to study the structures of large biologically important molecules and used this to probe their function and dynamics. Alongside her scientific research, Dame Julia has played an important role leading some of the UK’s major science institutions. In 2002, she was appointed Chief Executive of the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, which funds scientific research projects at British universities. She became the 5th Vice Chancellor of the University of Kent in 2007, and later this year will take up the role of President of Universities UK. Dame Julia was also the Chair of the British Science Association for five years and was appointed to both the Science and Technology Facilities Council and Prime Minister’s Council for Science and Technology in 2011. She is a Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences, Society of Biology and Institute of Physics, has received seven honorary doctorates and is an honorary fellow of Birkbeck. Honorary Membership was instituted at the very beginning of the Society’s existence and, although the criteria for election altered throughout the 20th century, the abiding desire of the Society has been to honour distinguished scientists, working in the UK and elsewhere who have a clear connection with the Society. For a full list of Honorary Members, visit http:// bit.ly/1Cah7jH. Professor Dame Julia Goodfellow with former President of the Society, Ron Laskey 56 February 2015 © Biochemical Society ■