Our mission promotes the sharing of knowledge and expertise to support the molecular bioscience field across all career stages, which could not be possible without the hard-work and determination of those that sit on our committees, boards and panels.

Every month, we will be introducing you to one of our volunteers to gain insight into what our committees do, the benefits to the community, and the benefits to the individuals who volunteer.

Professor Patrick Eyers sits on our Awards Committee amongst 14 others who oversee the evaluation of all nominations received in the annual Biochemical Society Awards. He’s also involved in our publications sitting on the Biochemical Journal Editorial Board as an Associate Editor.

We asked Patrick three questions about his role as Morton Lecture Representative and what he has gained from the experience.

What inspired you to get involved with the Society and how has the experience matched or exceeded your expectations?

I first heard about the Society as an undergraduate; it felt quite exciting and important that what felt to me (as an 18-year-old) a very ‘niche’ subject was catered for by a proper Society with a very long history. 

I joined formally as a raw PhD student (see icon picture, this was before the internet; I think my supervisor paid) but from there I have fond memories of applying for, and getting, travel grants both as a UK and US-based early career researcher. This made a massive difference to both my wallet and my confidence. 

I've been a member for over 25 years, and the experience has always exceeded my expectations, especially when compared to other formalised societies I've been a part of. It's clear that the Society is at constant pains to evolve, and to support everyone in the biochemistry space. I think it does this quite well, because it's still not normalised that anyone can succeed in the broader world of biochemistry-informed careers, and by giving time and energy to the Society, it's something I'm really delighted to be involved with.

Can you share a specific moment/accomplishment in your role(s) that made you feel rewarded?

I won a poster prize many years ago at a Harden Conference, and the feeling was really special (a bit like the first scientific paper I contributed to). It was for some postdoctoral work I was doing and had involved a lot of planning and travel; at the time I thought I'd probably be better off trying to get a job outside science, but this conference helped with my confidence enormously!

As a current member of the Awards Committee, I’m seriously impressed by how carefully the panel select our award winners each year. For example, ECR award nominees are not discussed according to what might be considered 'old-fashioned' sets of metrics (papers, papers and more papers!), since there's no such thing as a standard pathway in science, everyone does things slightly differently.

Importantly, this is increasingly recognising young scientists’ training outside of the UK. This is a good thing. Having started volunteering with the Society as a Meetings Committee Representative, I remain happy with the outcomes of membership and mentorship, which we owe in order to keep the subject alive and moving forwards. I also try my best to remember that every single one of us needs support at some time, and as an active Meeting Organiser today, I am constantly astonished by the quality of junior scientists when they present talks, posters, or ask questions.

They are the future, and the Society does well to focus on this constantly.

What skills and experiences have you gained from being part of the Society?

I've had various roles over the years that all stem from that first Society membership as a student. These 30 years or so have taught me a huge amount, both practically and scientifically, and in-time, have covered many of the great discoveries in our field, from breakthroughs in genomics and proteomics through to fundamental technologies that many of us now dabble in, including gene editing and the use of AI in biomolecular structure prediction.

The key skill I've (nearly) mastered is recognising how best to team-up with others to help support the funding, organisation and delivery of science, including scientific conferences, where vast numbers of people give their time freely to support the planning, running and attendance at scientific events. In my opinion, the relatively small size and high levels of professionalism on show at Society events is a real highlight, creating diverse and friendly environments for anyone wishing to attend and enjoy themselves; for travel and good conversation are two of the great highlights of a career in science.

I'd also like to go on record to state that the Society was discussing, and actioning, equality and diversity well-before initiatives familiar to academics, such as Athena Swan, were being championed in higher education. Finally, another realisation that crystallized through my work with the Society is that it needs to remain financially stable; this is just as important in research and teaching, since without our students, the future voices of biochemistry will be lost! 

Discover more about our Awards Committee.

With nominations for the 2027 Awards closing on 3 November 2025, explore recent articles published by our past Award winners, from activity-based probes and bacterial biofilms to top tips for creating inclusive & engaging video lectures, there's something for everyone.

Celebrate the diversity of the molecular biosciences community with career enhancing prizes on offer for all career stages, we particularly welcome nominations for individuals or teams from underrepresented groups.

Nominate today.