September 6, 2022 – Biophysics Department Professor Sarah Woodson will receive the Biophysical Society 2023 Ignacio Tinoco Award. Woodson will be honored at the Society’s 67th Annual Meeting in San Diego, California, February 18-22, 2023.

Woodson is recognized for her inspiring work on RNA folding and the assembly of RNA-protein complexes using cutting-edge biophysical methods that established currently accepted models for how RNA complexes assemble and function. The Tinoco Award, founded in 2018, recognizes meritorious investigators who make fundamental and/or seminal contributions to the physical chemistry of biopolymers.

The Ignacio “Nacho” Tinoco Award honors the scientific contributions, work, and life of an outstanding biophysical chemist. Tinoco’s contributions to the spectroscopic, thermodynamic, structural, and single-molecule study of biopolymers consistently deepened our understanding of fundamental biophysical principles, constantly moving this field toward new frontiers. “This award recognizes individuals who continually push our fundamental understanding of biophysics,” said BPS President Gail Robertson, University of Wisconsin-Madison. “Sarah has been a fearless adopter and innovator of cutting-edge biophysical technologies such as X-ray scattering and single-molecule fluorescence in the study of RNA folding and assembly. Congratulations Dr. Woodson!