Brought to you (mostly) by and for women
The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology’s Women in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, or WiBMB, Committee, formed in 2019, is the society’s newest, and it also might be among the most active. The group, chaired by Susan Baserga, has hosted numerous events in support of gender equality. And it has plans to continue the conversation at Discover BMB 2023.
“Balancing opportunities” at dinner
Women scientists often are assigned what are known as nonpromotable tasks, or NPTs, that can hold them back from advancing in their careers by taking time away from tasks that could help them win promotion. Many women have difficulty developing strategies to avoid being saddled repeatedly with these tasks.
Over the past summer, the ASBMB WiBMB Committee led a virtual book club to discuss “The No Club: Putting a Stop to Women’s Dead-End Work” by Linda Babcock, Brenda Peyser, Lise Vesterlund and Laurie Weingart. During the book club session, participants discussed strategies for when and how to say no to nonpromotable tasks. Co-author Laurie Weingart presented a WiBMB Committee–sponsored webinar on “The No Club” on Oct. 26; ASBMB members can watch a recording of that webinar here.

And just as it is important to know when and how to say no, it is equally important to know when to say yes to an opportunity.
To continue the theme of the “No Club” discussion and webinar, the WiBMB Committee’s Women’s Networking Dinner at Discover BMB 2023 will include a panel of women scientific professionals sharing their experiences weighing nonpromotable tasks with the topic “When to say no and when to say yes: Balancing opportunities.”
Gira Bhabha of New York University Langone Health, winner of the society’s Early-Career Leadership Award, and Kerry-Anne Rye of the University of New South Wales, winner of the Mid-Career Leadership Award, will take part in the panel.
Attendees will be encouraged to weigh in with their experiences and questions during the discussion.
A wellness walk
The WiBMB Committee hosted its first wellness walk at the 2022 annual meeting, allowing attendees to tour Philadelphia, exercise, network and get some much-needed sunshine.
At the 2023 meeting in Seattle, the WiBMB Committee will host another wellness walk where participants can connect with other members of the ASBMB community and get their steps in. Let’s explore Seattle together!
Enjoy reading ASBMB Today?
Become a member to receive the print edition monthly and the digital edition weekly.
Learn moreFeatured jobs
from the ASBMB career center
Get the latest from ASBMB Today
Enter your email address, and we’ll send you a weekly email with recent articles, interviews and more.
Latest in Careers
Careers highlights or most popular articles

Calendar of events, awards and opportunities
This week: Webinars on immune oncology, transcriptome sequencing analysis and more! Save the date: #DiscoverBMB late-breaking abstract submission begins Dec. 14.

There are unions for grad students?
They're multiplying and making headway in their effort to increase stipends and benefits.

ASBMB weighs in on wage rules for postdocs
The society supports the Department of Labor’s proposed increase in minimum salary for exempt employees.

Funding opportunities to explore
Beyond the National Institutes of Health, a number of U.S. government agencies provided funding for basic scientific research.

Calendar of events, awards and opportunities
This week: Discover BMB on-time abstracts and travel awards are due! Submit yours by Nov. 30.

Research administration: A career path uniquely fitted for Ph.D.s
Become a liaison for researchers, funding agencies, institutional leadership and external partners to ensure the smooth operation of the research enterprise.