Weihong Qiu

My Story:

I obtained my B.S. in Physics and M.S. in Applied Physics both from Nankai University in China before joining the Interdisciplinary Biophysics Graduate Program at Ohio State University to pursue a Ph.D. degree. What I liked most about our biophysics program was the depth and breadth of the research activity by the program's faculty, which allowed students to quickly identify their thesis research advisers. For my doctoral thesis, I worked with Dr. Dongping Zhong in the Department of Physics on the study of protein hydration dynamics using femtosecond laser spectroscopy. I had a very successful graduate career under Dongping's supervision, and published in total 10 research articles with 5 first-authored ones. As a result, I was able to obtain a postdoc position to work with Dr. Samara Reck-Peterson in the Department of Cell Biology at Harvard Medical School to study the mechanism and regulation of molecular motor proteins using single molecule fluorescence microscopy. The rigorous training I received on optics and laser techniques during my time in Dongping's lab at Ohio State was instrumental to the successful completion of my postdoc fellowship in Sam's lab at Harvard Medical School. The Biophysics 702 course (Methodological Approaches to Biophysical Studies) was my favorite graduate course, because it jump-started my graduate training at Ohio State by introducing me to many important biophysical techniques early on. I am now an Assistant Professor in the Department of Physics at Oregon State University, and I am developing a similar course for our graduate students who are interested in biophysics research.