The Biochemical Society and its wholly-owned subsidiary, Portland Press, work to support innovation and the advancement of the molecular biosciences. This is achieved through the circulation of knowledge and the sharing of ideas and research across the scientific community for the benefit of society at large. Key member benefits include: access to grants and bursaries, reduced registration fees at Biochemical Society conferences, training events and workshops, and personal online access to the Biochemical Journal and Biochemical Society Transactions.

I obtained my PhD in plant molecular biology from the University of Nottingham and have spent the past 30 years in science publishing. I've worked for various journals, including Nature and Trends in Biochemical Sciences, and also edited many books. I was the Executive Editor of FEBS Open Bio from its launch in 2011 until 2019.

I spent 40 years teaching and researching, and developed a particular interest in education and career development. I chaired the Education Committee and was Careers advisor for the UK Biochemical Society. In these roles, and my work with students at the University of Manchester, I realised how important it is for young scientists to recognise their skills and be able to "sell" themselves to potential employers (and grant awarding bodies). I now run CV support sessions for young scientists on behalf of the FEBS Education Committee, of which I was a founder member.

I became an MD in 1972, then decided to do research in biomedical sciences and received my PhD in immunology in 1978. I spent 3 years as a postdoctoral fellow at NIH, USA, then started a university carrier in Debrecen where became professor of biochemistry and molecular biology in 1988 at the Faculty of Medicine, then chairman of this department between 1993 and 2013. My research group has focused on molecular mechanisms in cell death, structure and function of transglutaminases with clinical implications, inflammation, differentiation and functions of white and brown adipocytes. I was visiting professor at the University of Texas and the University of Rome, coordinated major European projects of COST, ESF and EU-Frame Work programs. I was rector (1999-2001, 2007-2010) and president of the Medical and Health Science Center (2001-2007) of the University of Debrecen. Elected to chair the Hungarian Accreditation Committee for Higher Education (2004-2007), the Hungarian Biochemical Society (2005-2015) and became a member of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences in 1998 where chaired the Science and Ethics Committee and currently chair the Biology Section of the Academy. In 2010 I was elected to be the member of the Committee on Science and Ethics of All European Academies (ALLEA) and participated in the drafting group of the recently published new European Code of Conduct for Research Integrity. . Since 2012 I chair the Publications Committee of the Federation of European Biochemical Societies and I am member of FEBS Executive Committee.

Dr. Isabel Varela-Nieto graduated and earned her doctorate in Chemistry, Biochemistry Section, at the University Complutense of Madrid (Spain). She has been a visiting guest scientist at the Medical Schools of Uppsala (FEBS Fellow, Sweden) and San Diego (MEC Sabbatical, USA). She is Professor of Research at the CSIC and group leader at the CIBER of rare diseases (CIBERER, ISCIII) in Madrid. From the early 1990s she has been studying hearing neurobiology and IGF-1 actions. She was the first Chair of the SEBBM Science for Society working group with which she actively collaborates, and member of the FEBS Network working group. She is currently the president of the SEBBM, a member of the FEBS Science and Society Committee and of the ISC Finances Committee.

I've long been inspired by the life sciences and have a background in scientific editorial work. At FEBS, my roles have spanned communications, website development, event organization and more – all aimed at improving the services FEBS offers the molecular life science community.

biochemistry, molecular biology, bioinformatics, molecular visualisation, technology for teaching and learning

Organelle biogenesis, peroxisomes, yeast